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The JPS Pepsi Holiday tournament was one of the best in recent years. The top four teams (Lanier, Forest Hill, Wingfield, and Provine) in the tournament all won their preliminary games. Lanier won the tournament by defeating Forest Hill in a barnburner! Lanier had to play 2 overtime games to win the championship. They defeated Provine, 73-71, with Terry Church having a coming out party scoring 45 points! He was named the Tournament MVP after AVERAGING 35 ppg in three games. Lamar Williams, also from Lanier, had a monster game with a career high 35 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game. Lanier's coach, Thomas Billups, has to get props this year for his coaching abilities, because Lanier's record is 17-1 without a true "superstar". They have been on the verge of defeat several times this year, but always found a way to win.
OBSERVATIONS: In my opinion, the All-Tournament team should be Lanier's Terry Church and Lamar Williams; Forest Hill's Andre Stringer and Joshua Moore; Provine's Scottie Haralson and Carl Blair; and Murrah's sensational sophomore, Dondrecous Nelson. I'm not a fan of Nelson's attitude--he received a tech-- but the young man plays hard and with absolutely no fear. My prayers go out to Murrah senior Gary Love, who was injured in a horrific fall during Wednesday's game. Love went up for a layup/slam when his head, literally at the rim, when he fell over an opposing player, causing a possible concussion. No news on his condition.
OBSERVATION II: I have not seen a team as talented as the Yazoo City Indians, with a legend for a coach in Archie Carlysle, that has a less than 500 winning percentage! Their front court, sophomore DeMarcus Cox, senior Jontaveous Sutton, and junior B Cox, can match up with anyone in the state. But the team is underachieving for some reason. They play hard and are VERY long and athletic; and trust me, it is not the coach. I would not want to play this team in the playoffs.
OBSERVATION III: I was able to see 4 games this week, and I came away impressed with the Provine team. Although 12-7, they will be the team to beat in 5A. They defeated Pearl High by 57 points, and Murrah by 32. Their first five are solid, but they will miss their 6'8 sophomore center, Jalen Courtney, who will be out a minimum of 3 weeks due to a foot injury. PG Carl Blair, a transfer from Houston TX, is as athletic as they come, and Scottie Haralson is their quiet leader. Forest Hill has about as perfect a starting five as you can get! The point guard, 5-7 sophomore Andre Stringer, is simply solid. He can score, dish, and even rebound when necessary. The scary part is, he knows which one is needed when! Think about it. 6-2 senior Joshua Moore, is one of the purest shooters to come from Jac Town in years; and 6-8 Dandy Dozen senior, Terrell Kennedy, is a beast on the boards and gives you interior scoring. Terrence Bennett and Kenneth Hoskins can lock down the opposing "stars" and give you scoring; plus, they know their roles, crucial for any success on a team.
NEWS AND NOTES: I noticed this week a lot of STRANGE shooting forms from good players. Here's the bad news, fellas: Some of you--HELLO Jared Hudnall--won't be able to get that shot off in a division that you are capable of playing. Explanation-- if you continue to shoot from the shoulder up, and take that long to get the shot off, you will be playing NAIA, or DIII ball instead of D1 that you are capable of playing. Jared is not the only one, but I mentioned him because I loved his personality at the camp held in September, and I feel that he can take constructive criticism, something all players need to do. Joshua Moore from Forest Hill has EXCELLENT form and rotation on the ball, surely coming from hours of practice. But there were kids from Murrah, Pearl, Callaway, and Wingfield that had terrible form, footwork, rotation, etc., that will only allow them to play high school ball. Fellas, PRACTICE!!!!! Get with someone who knows correct shooting techniques and PRACTICE!!! Don't give me Shawn Marion as an example, because there is no one here with that athleticism AND work ethic. And for the know-it-alls out there, the reason he can shoot from the shoulder area is because no defender will play up on him due to his quickness and ability to dunk on you on a dime! Can u say that?
As I continue to go to the games, I will update and give my view on each school in this area. As you can see, I will be very honest in my opinions on players, because frankly, I have nothing to gain or lose by falsely giving props to kids who don't deserve it. On the flip side, I will let it be known if you truly deserve praise for your ability AND attitude. Pictures will also be included on this site; so, show your "best" side!
OBSERVATIONS: In my opinion, the All-Tournament team should be Lanier's Terry Church and Lamar Williams; Forest Hill's Andre Stringer and Joshua Moore; Provine's Scottie Haralson and Carl Blair; and Murrah's sensational sophomore, Dondrecous Nelson. I'm not a fan of Nelson's attitude--he received a tech-- but the young man plays hard and with absolutely no fear. My prayers go out to Murrah senior Gary Love, who was injured in a horrific fall during Wednesday's game. Love went up for a layup/slam when his head, literally at the rim, when he fell over an opposing player, causing a possible concussion. No news on his condition.
OBSERVATION II: I have not seen a team as talented as the Yazoo City Indians, with a legend for a coach in Archie Carlysle, that has a less than 500 winning percentage! Their front court, sophomore DeMarcus Cox, senior Jontaveous Sutton, and junior B Cox, can match up with anyone in the state. But the team is underachieving for some reason. They play hard and are VERY long and athletic; and trust me, it is not the coach. I would not want to play this team in the playoffs.
OBSERVATION III: I was able to see 4 games this week, and I came away impressed with the Provine team. Although 12-7, they will be the team to beat in 5A. They defeated Pearl High by 57 points, and Murrah by 32. Their first five are solid, but they will miss their 6'8 sophomore center, Jalen Courtney, who will be out a minimum of 3 weeks due to a foot injury. PG Carl Blair, a transfer from Houston TX, is as athletic as they come, and Scottie Haralson is their quiet leader. Forest Hill has about as perfect a starting five as you can get! The point guard, 5-7 sophomore Andre Stringer, is simply solid. He can score, dish, and even rebound when necessary. The scary part is, he knows which one is needed when! Think about it. 6-2 senior Joshua Moore, is one of the purest shooters to come from Jac Town in years; and 6-8 Dandy Dozen senior, Terrell Kennedy, is a beast on the boards and gives you interior scoring. Terrence Bennett and Kenneth Hoskins can lock down the opposing "stars" and give you scoring; plus, they know their roles, crucial for any success on a team.
NEWS AND NOTES: I noticed this week a lot of STRANGE shooting forms from good players. Here's the bad news, fellas: Some of you--HELLO Jared Hudnall--won't be able to get that shot off in a division that you are capable of playing. Explanation-- if you continue to shoot from the shoulder up, and take that long to get the shot off, you will be playing NAIA, or DIII ball instead of D1 that you are capable of playing. Jared is not the only one, but I mentioned him because I loved his personality at the camp held in September, and I feel that he can take constructive criticism, something all players need to do. Joshua Moore from Forest Hill has EXCELLENT form and rotation on the ball, surely coming from hours of practice. But there were kids from Murrah, Pearl, Callaway, and Wingfield that had terrible form, footwork, rotation, etc., that will only allow them to play high school ball. Fellas, PRACTICE!!!!! Get with someone who knows correct shooting techniques and PRACTICE!!! Don't give me Shawn Marion as an example, because there is no one here with that athleticism AND work ethic. And for the know-it-alls out there, the reason he can shoot from the shoulder area is because no defender will play up on him due to his quickness and ability to dunk on you on a dime! Can u say that?
As I continue to go to the games, I will update and give my view on each school in this area. As you can see, I will be very honest in my opinions on players, because frankly, I have nothing to gain or lose by falsely giving props to kids who don't deserve it. On the flip side, I will let it be known if you truly deserve praise for your ability AND attitude. Pictures will also be included on this site; so, show your "best" side!
The JPS Holiday Tourney