Monday, May 31, 2010

GET TO KNOW SHAWN RAY BEAR

Shawn Ray Bear was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 14 1994. He has one younger brother. He will graduate from Richfield High School in 2012.

Shawn wants to be one of the best basketball players he can be. He loves the game of basketball. He wants to help grow the Richfield boys’ basketball program.

Basketball means a lot to him. This summer he is going to be playing a lot of AAU basketball. Shawn wants to work on his game this summer so he can become a better ball player. He does not play any other sports.

In his free time he loves playing basketball and having fun, kicking it with all his friends, and hanging out with all of his family.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

GET TO KNOW MICHAEL BRUCE FERNANDO

Michael Bruce Fernando was born in Hazel Crest, Illinois. He grew up in Olympia Fields, Illinois. Michael was born on October 7th 1994. He currently attends Eden Prairie high school and will graduate in 2013.

He is a basketball player for his school. Basketball means a lot to him. He couldn't live without it. He doesn’t know where he would be if he wasn’t playing.

Michael’s plans for this upcoming summer include summer AAU with MN Pump N Run, and attending different basketball camps and clinics around the area.

He is very hardworking and persistent. He never gives up on any task that he is doing.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

GET TO KNOW ABRIAN ADONIS WALTERS CARPENTER

Abrian Adonis Walters Carpenter was born on June 20th 1994 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Abrian will graduate from high school in 2012. He grew up in Bloomington and Eden Prairie.

He wants to become one of the best basketball players he can be. He plans on playing with the Howard Pulley teams to better his game. Abrian might do some summer camps for his school so the coach there can recognize his cause. They did not put him on the top team so that is one of his goals to work towards. He does not play any other sports besides basketball.

Abrian loves basketball and he loves to have fun. He is focused on basketball and school!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

TOM DASOVICH NAMED HEAD BOYS’ BASKETBALL COACH AT MINNETONKA HIGH SCHOOL

Tom Dasovich has been hired as the head basketball coach at Minnetonka High School. He replaces John Headstrom as the head coach who resigned in the middle of the 2009-2010 season.

Tom Dasovich was the prior head coach at Henry Sibley. He graduated from Hopkins High School.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

JUSTIN COBBS IS LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND TRANSFERING TO CALIFORNIA

Justin Cobbs a basketball player who played one season at the University of Minnesota has decided to transfer from the university after this school year. He is going to the University of California.

Cobbs averaged 2.1 points per game coming off the bench for the Gophers. Cobbs is from Los Angeles, California.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

GET TO KNOW HARRY SONIE

Harry Sonie was born in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. He was born on September 9th 1994. He has two brothers and a sister. Both of his brothers played college football as one is currently playing at Northern Iowa University.

Harry will graduate from high school in 2013. He plays basketball and football at Apple Valley high school. Basketball means everything to him. He is in the gym everyday working on his game and just shooting shots. He hopes to continue and play division one basketball in college. He knows he has a great chance to do that by playing Howard Pulley. He feels like Pulley is making him better everyday and getting him the great exposure he really needs.

This upcoming summer he will continue to play Howard Pulley throughout the summer until the season ends. From what he has heard he hopes to return next year too. He will also be in a summer league with his school on Tuesday nights in the varsity division. He is very excited to once again play alongside Tyus Jones. Tyus Jones is considered one of the best players in his division right now. He also attends Apple Valley and is in the class of 2014.

Sonie also plays football for Apple Valley high school. He says that he is a very dedicated athlete. Basketball is his favorite sport by far. He said that he is highly underestimated and just needs a little exposure to prove himself as a great basketball player and reat hopefully a top prospect for his class in the state of Minnesota.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYER IS REALLY 22

For two weeks, Guerdwich Montimere told everyone at Permian High in Odessa, Texas, that the allegations were false that he really was 16-year-old sophomore basketball star and Haitian orphan Jerry Joseph.

He said don't believe the rumors that he was much older, that he really was a youngster when he averaged more than 20 points over the last nine games of the season on the way to being named the District 2-5A Newcomer of the Year.

Tuesday afternoon, with the authorities closing in, he finally admitted the truth - that he is, in fact, Montimere.


That he is, in fact, 22 years old and a 2007 graduate of Dillard High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Montimere was arrested and charged with presenting false identification.

Permian school officials are stunned - starting with head basketball coach Danny Wright, who has allowed Montimere to live with him since last summer and just recently became his legal guardian. Or rather, Jerry Joseph's legal guardian.

"He was a family member and that is devastating to my family," Wright told the
Odessa American. "This affected a lot of people. The whole school of Permian embraced that kid. He deceived us and played on everyone involved's emotions.

"He has been lying to everyone, my God, what is up with that?"

Back in Florida, AAU basketball coach Louis Vives, who first spotted the player at an event last month, told the Fort Lauderdale-based South Florida Sun Sentinel he was not surprised by the findings.

"I was hoping I was wrong because he was one of our kids," Vives told the paper. "He grew up in our system. He played with us and you don't want any of your kids to go in the wrong direction in any way. That's why I'm sad. But what's right is right. He can't go around impersonating a 16-year old kid. He can't go living his youth all over again."

Permian officials, who were notified that Joseph may be an imposter by an anonymous e-mail on April 27, were busy trying to explain how a 22-year-old man got away with impersonating a 16-year-old boy. One who enrolled in a junior high early last year.

The school released a timeline of events after his arrest.

"Jerry Joseph moved to Odessa in February 2009 and enrolled at Nimitz Junior High. He presented a birth certificate from Haiti showing him to be 15 years old. At the time he claimed he was living with his half-brother in a dorm at UTPB. Joseph later admitted the person was not his half-brother but a friend. After the friend left Texas in the summer of 2009 Joseph was taken in by Permian boys basketball coach Danny Wright.

Tuesday, April 27, PHS administrators received an anonymous e-mail claiming Joseph was really 22-year-old Guerdwich Montimere from Florida. Pictures show a strong resemblance between the two but the student insisted he'd never heard of Montimere. Since they were unable to prove otherwise, law enforcement officials treated him as the 16-year-old Jerry Joseph. On April 20 a judge agreed to give Wright guardianship of Joseph, which allowed him to remain in Odessa and attend Permian.

"ECISD followed all legal requirements in keeping Joseph enrolled in school until his true identity was confirmed."
School officials had no way of knowing Joseph actually was Montimere - that he led Dillard to a state final as a senior then attended but never played at Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.

But that doesn't take away any of the sting.

"I feel like I was hit by a ton of bricks," school district athletic director Leon Fuller told the Odessa American, which - along with the Sun Sentinel - has chronicled the story the past two weeks. "In my 50 years in education, I've never heard of anything like this."

Stunningly, it's not the first time it has happened this school year.

Anthony Avalos attended and played basketball at Kofa High School in Yuma, Ariz.,
before he was caught last November. Avalos, also 22, graduated from a Florida high school in 2005.

And then there was the case of Neville Davis. Playing as Steele Davis, he was the eternal sophomore, starring at several schools along the East Coast starting in 2005. He wasn't
caught until April of 2009.


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNSOTA GOPHERS SIGN MAVERICK AHANMISI

The Minnesota men's basketball program announced the signing of Maverick Ahanmisi (a-hawn-ME-see) to a National Letter of Intent. Ahanmisi will be eligible to compete during the 2010-11 season, joining fall signees Elliott Eliason (Chadron, Neb.) and Austin Hollins (Memphis, Tenn.) and fellow spring signees Oto Osenieks (Riga, Latvia) and Maurice Walker (Scarborough, Ontario).

"Maverick is a very good shooter from the perimeter and will help us by stretching the defense," said Gopher Head Coach Tubby Smith. "He is a year older and more experienced having played in prep school this past season. He will balance this year's recruiting class that already includes two post players, a forward and a wing. We welcome him to the Golden Gopher family."

Ahanmisi averaged 20.0 points this season at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, Calif. A 6-2 senior guard, Ahanmisi originally attended and graduated from Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, Calif. Ahanmisi averaged 12.5 points as a sophomore, 15.8 points as a junior and 20.2 points as a senior and finished his scholastic career as the all-time leading scorer and three-point shooter at GVHS. He also maintained a 3.5 grade point average. The Gophers wrapped up the 2009-10 with a loss to Xavier on Mar. 19 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This was the second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Gophers and the 16th overall appearance for a Tubby Smith-led team.

The Gophers finished 21-14 on the season, the 17th-straight season a Tubby Smith-led team reached the 20-win plateau. It is the longest active streak in the nation and the third-longest streak in NCAA history. Minnesota reached 20 total wins for just the 10th time in school history.

GET TO KNOW DEDRIC GRIFFIN

Dedric Griffin attends North Central High School in Indianapolis, I was able to get a hold of Dedric Griffin‏’s head AAU coach. This is what he had to say about him.

“Dedric has been our best player over the past three years while averaging somewhere close to 20 points per contest in the summer. He plays out of position at North Central high school since he's their tallest player on a team loaded with guards, but that has helped him learn to guard taller inside players and rebound better. At 6'5" he's very versatile, can play the 1, 2 or 3 spots, even though he won’t blow you away with any particular skill. He has an unusual ability to maneuver his body in different ways to get to the basket and he finishes very well when in the paint. He's long, and because of this is able to defend both smaller and taller guards on defense. I don't like to compare people with NBA players, but he reminds me a little of Paul Pierce. He has a little bit of William Barton (a top recruit in the class of 2010) in him too. I strongly believe that colleges are missing the boat when it comes to Dedric and I think part of it is because of the position he plays and because of the other players at North Central. I believe he can play on the small to mid - major Division I level.”

Note: He has to play behind 6’4” Terone Johnson (Purdue) ranked 46 in 2010, 6’3” D’Vauntes Smith – Rivera top twenty 2012 recruit, 5’11” Ronnie Johnson and 6’3” Patrick Ingram both mid – major prospects.

GET TO KNOW ANDRE TAVARISE MCDONALD

Get to know Andre Tavarise McDonald. Andre was born in North Minneapolis but has grown up in Hopkins. He has one sister and three brothers.

He is involved in sports at his school. He plays football, basketball and baseball at Hopkins high school. He will graduate in 2012.

He wants to go to college to play football. His dream school is USC. He says that he loves the program there.

He says that that basketball is starting to mean more to him. He first picked up his first ball when he was in 6th grade and since then he has just been working as hard as he can to get better. He has found himself spending most of his time with a basketball in his hand lately he think it’s starting to become very important in his life.

This summer he plans to just get his basketball skills better and have a great season with the Howard Pulley program. He loves the program and says it’s such a great basketball experience.

When he is not playing basketball he plays football. He is he starting receiver on the varsity football team at Hopkins high school.

He comes from a pretty harsh background. He hasn’t had the best life as other people but became a stronger person because of it. Sports probably consume three-fourths of his life because it’s his way of getting away from all the negative things around him. It’s basically his stress reliever. He also doesn’t know where he would be right now if he didn’t have his stepdad Jeffery Watts. He was the one that got Andre into sports. He is so very thankful for that.

Knowing Andre Tavarise McDonald I can tell you that he is one of the funnier and overall is a nice person. I am happy to have him as one of my friends.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

IN THE 17 U CHAMPIONSHIP GAME THE HOWARD PULLEY BLUE TEAM TOOK ON HOUSTON HOOPS

The Howard Pulley 17U blue squad took on the Houston Hoops squad in the 17 U championship game.

Houston came out in a full court man-to-man defense to begin the game. Pulley looked to get the ball into Siyani Chambers hands. He found the basket early on.

The score was close throughout the beginning of the game.

Houston Hoops was very aggressive on the defensive end. They did not let Pulley get any easy looks.

Siyani Chambers for Pulley also took the ball hard to the rack. He knew where he was on the court. Zach Lofton scored 10 pts in last 2:20 of the first half to give a 34-32 Pulley lead.

Both teams got really physical in the second half. Both teams dove on the ground after loose balls.

The score went back and forth throughout the second half. Neither team was able to go on a run. Pulley kept on attacking the glass and Houston Hoops was not able to slow down Howard Pulley.

Despite a late minute rally the Howard Pulley was able to hang 61-53 victory over Houston Hoops.


I was joined by the Czar of Twin Cities Boy's Hoops. Check out his thoughts of the tournament here

HOWARD PULLEY TOOK ON HOUSTON HOOPS FOR THE 16U CHAMPIONSHIP

In the 16 and under championship game it was the Houston Hoops against the Howard Pulley Blue team.

Both teams tried to set the tempo early in the contest. Pulley started playing tough man-to-man defense. They wanted to shut down Houston Hoops from the beginning of the game.

Pulley went on a run midway through the first half. Houston Hoops wanted to try to slow down.

At the half the score was Howard Pulley 39 and Houston Hoops 29.

As the second half got underway Houston Hoops went on a run. Pulley could not do anything to slow down Houston Hoops.

They wanted to try to get Howard Pulley out of sync.

Houston Hoops was able to go on a run midway through the second half. The score remained close throughout the second half. Both teams did a good job defending each other.

Howard Pulley used a full court press midway through the second half. Tyus Jones stepped up and was able to knock down a couple of three point shots late in the game.

The game came down to the wire. Neither team gave up. The game was tied at 63 with 1:51 left in regulation.

The game was tied at 66 at the end of regulation.

Pulley was able to get an early lead in the overtime period. The score was tied at the end of the second overtime at 73.

As the second overtime got underway both teams were tired. Pulley was able to get an early lead in the second overtime. Howard Pulley was able to come away with the 78-73 victory over Houston Hoops.

THE HOWARD PULLEY BLUE TEAM TOOK ON WEAR OUT THE NETS

The top ranked 17U Howard Pulley Panthers took on Ware Out The Nets in the 17u semi final game. Both teams started out hot as they each were able to hit shots from the start.

Siyani Chambers ran a great show, getting teammates open shots with his push and/or penetration. He did a good job of getting his teammates involved in the action all game long. A number of times he kicked the ball out to the open guy for an assist if he was covered.

Both teams played aggressively throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run in the first half.
Pulley looked to push the ball up the court, but I could tell their legs were getting tired because they were not as quick as they were on day one.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley 42 and Wear Out The Nets 32.

As the second half got underway the Howard Pulley Panthers really stepped up and were able to take control of the game.
Wear Out the Net was able to go on a run in the second half. They kept on battling back. They were to make a dent in the point deficit.

Both teams continued to push the ball in the second half. Wear Out The Nets did do a good job of battling back. They didn’t give up.

In the end though Howard Pulley was able to come away with the 75-64 victory over Wear Out The Nets.


THE HOWARD PULLEY 16U TEAM TOOK ON THE WISCONSIN PLAYGROUND

Both teams came out fired up to begin the game. Both teams were able to make shots in the start of the game.

Pulley looked to get the ball into the hands of their point guard Tyus Jones. Once Jones got the ball he was able to drive hard to the basket and make the layup. Pulley also did a good job of getting the ball out on the fast break.

Pulley went on a run midway through the first half. There was nothing that the Wisconsin Playground could do.

Pulley looked to get the ball to their inside post players. Pulley had a 41-23 advantage at the halftime break.

As the second half got underway Playground really started to attack the Pulley team. They drove to the basket more often and they waited around to take shots.

Pulley was able to come away with the victory. Tyus Jones did a good job of guiding the Pulley offense. He knew where his players were supposed to be and he was telling them where to be on the court. He was not afraid to get his teammates involved in the game.

Howard Pulley came away with the 66-43 victory over the Wisconsin Playground.

HOWARD PULLEY BLUE TEAM OUT PLAYS THE WISCONSIN PLAYMAKERS

The top ranked Howard Pulley basketball team in the 17u division took on the Wisconsin Playmakers. Pulley came out of the gates strong as they were able to fire off 10 quick points.

Pulley did a good job of getting the ball up the court. Both teams played very good defense. They went after each other on the defensive end. Both teams made it difficult for each other to hit shots.

Pulley was able to go on a run midway through the first half. Pulley did a good job throughout the game containing the pressure that the Wisconsin Playmakers were putting on them.

Pulley was able to use time off the clock in the second half. Joe Coleman did a good job on the offensive end. He was all over the court his teammates did a good job of getting him the ball.

Pulley was able to make plays throughout the game and they were able to defeat the Wisconsin Play Makers by the final of 78-61.


TED SCHULTZ BECOMES THE NEW ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR AT MINNETONKA HIGH SCHOOL

Ted Schultz, current Activities Director at Bloomington Jefferson High School, will become Activities Director for the Minnetonka High School Skippers beginning July 1.

Schultz replaces John Headstrom who resigned from being the Activities Director in mid-January.

TOM SCHALK RECIVES AN OFFER TO PLAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL AT WOFFORD

Tom Schalk, who is a 6-foot-7, 185-pound sophomore forward from Apple Valley (MN) High school has received an offer to Wofford College.

Cameron Rundles and Jamar Diggs who are also from Minnesota, attend Wofford College and play on the basketball team.

THE HOWARD PULLEY BLUE 16U TEAM TOOK ON WEAR OUT THE NET

In the 16 and under division the Howard Pulley Blue team took on Wear Out The Net. As the game out underway both teams looked to really get into a tempo. Pulley started out in a full court press. They wanted to disrupt Wear Out The Net from the beginning of the game.

Dwight Anderson for Pulley found his three point shot early in the contest. He was able to hit the shot just outside of the three-point line. That kept Pulley in it in the beginning of the game.

Wear Out the Net used a full court press in the first half. They did a good job of trying to frustrate Pulley when they were on the offensive end. Pulley didn’t get frustrated however they just kept on grinding it out.

Wear Out The Net used a full court press to try to get Pulley out of things. Pulley went on a run midway through the first half.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley 29 and Wear Out The Net 16.

As the second half got underway Howard Pulley really went on a run. There was nothing much Wear Out The Net could do. They did keep trying hard to get back into the game.

Howard Pulley went on a run midway through the second half. There was nothing that Wear Out The Net could do. Wear Out The Net didn’t give up though they just couldn’t catch up to Pulley.

Wear Out The Net continued to play aggressive man-to-man defense. The issue was that Pulley was just a step quicker than they were.

The Howard Pulley Blue team was able to come away with the 59-41 victory over Wear Out The Net.

THE HOWARD PULLEY BLUE TEAM TOOK ON THE SOUTH DAKOTA HEAT

The Howard Pulley Blue 17u team took on the South Dakota Heat. Howard Pulley looked to run the court in transition from the beginning of the game.

South Dakota Heat really put the full court press on Howard Pulley in the beginning of the game. They wanted to get Howard Pulley out of sync early on.

Pulley played a man-to-man full court press. Pulley was able to make their shots in the first half.

Kyle Washington played really well. He was all over the court and he was able to find his shot early on in the game.

Both teams played very aggressively throughout the game. The South Dakota Heat never gave up in the first half.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley Blue 45 and South Dakota Heat 33.

At the second half got underway Howard Pulley really took it to the South Dakota Heat.

Isaiah Zierden went hard to the basket on every rip. He did a good job on the offensive end. He was very aggressive with his moves.

The game was close throughout. South Dakota was able to get the lead late in the game. Howard Pulley Blue was not able to hit shots down the stretch.

Pulley battled back late in the game. The lead changed multiple times late in the contest. Pulley really went at South Dakota Heat late in the contest. They made them extend the defense late in the game. The game came down to the wire.

In the end the Howard Pulley Blue 17u team was able to come away with the 71-65 victory over South Dakota Heat. 71-65.

HOWARD PULLEY 17U BLUE TEAM TOOK ON TEAM NEBRASKA

The 17and under Howard Pulley Panthers took on Team Nebraska. Team Nebraska started off wanting to run with it. Pulley was able to keep to keep up with team Nebraska. Pulley was able to set the tempo very early on in the game.

Joe Coleman found his shot early on. His teammates were able to get him the ball early on in the contest.

Pulley went between a zone and a man-to-man defense in the first half. They went to a zone defense because they wanted to get Team Nebraska out of their rhythm. They were able to do that.

Team Nebraska really did a good job of handling the ball. They were really able to go at the Pulley team. Pulley didn’t back down they played really solid defense.

Pulley looked to score a lot of points in transition. Isaiah Zirerden really went strong to the basket. He was not afraid to shoot the ball.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley Blue 50 and Team Nebraska 31.

As the second half got underway Howard Pulley really stepped up the defensive effort. They really wanted to slow down and shut down this Team Nebraska.

Joe Coleman played really solid throughout the game. He was able to get into a shooting rhythm and keep making shots.

The Howard Pulley Blue team was able to defeat Team Nebraska by the final of 85-67.

IN THE 16U DIVISION THE HOWARD PULLEY BLUE TEAM TOOK ON THE KINGDOM BLACK TEAM

In the 16 and under division, top ranked Howard Pulley blue team took on the Kingdom Black team. Howard Pulley came out really strong and aggressive to open up the game.

Pulley played tough aggressive man-to-man defense. They pressured up full court and they really got after it.
Tyus Jones played very well. I thought he did a really good job of getting his teammates involved into the game. He also did a good job of defending the ball on the defensive end. He knew where his teammates were on the court at all times.

The first half was all Howard Pulley. They came out and fire and they never backed down. At halftime the score was Howard Pulley Blue 47 and The Kingdom Black 8.

As the second half got underway the Howard Pulley Black team continued to make shots. Kingdom Black had no answer for them.

Howard Pulley Black was way too much for Kingdom Black to handle. Howard Pulley was able to come away on with the victory. Pulley did a good job of sharing the ball. Tyus Jones played really well I thought as he was not afraid to go after loose balls and he played really well on the defensive end.

Howard Pulley Black came away with the 79-27 victory over Kingdom Hoops Black.

IN THE 17U DIVISON THE HOWARD PULLEY 2ND WHITE TEAM TOOK ON THE RBS ALL STARS

In the 17 U division the 2nd Howard Pulley White team took on the RBS All Stars. Both teams were looking to get out to a quick start in the game.

Neither team was able to get to the basket early in the game. It took awhile for each of the teams to find their rhythm.

The RBS All Stars did a really good job of getting the ball out in transition, as they were able to get to the basket early on.

Howard Pulley really looked to push the ball up the court in the first half. Pulley went on a run midway through the first half. They really found their shots and they were making them. The
RBS All Stars couldn’t find their shots in the first half.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley 41 and the RBS All Stars 18.

As the second half got underway Howard Pulley didn’t want to give up any easy baskets to RBS All Stars. The RBS All Stars didn’t give up. They kept going strong after Howard Pulley. They really stepped up the defensive pressure.

Bretson McNEal found his jump shot in the second half. He did a really good job of knowing where to be on the floor. His players did a good job of getting him the ball. He also got his teammates the ball. When he had an open drive to the basket he was not afraid to go hard to the basket.

Howard Pulley was able to come away with the 64-44 victory over the RBS All Stars.

HOWARD PULLEY BLUE TOOK ON BOUND 4 GLORY

The Howard Pulley Blue team, the top in the 17u division, took on Bound 4 Glory in the second day of the Sables Foundation boys’ basketball tournament.

Pulley started the game playing man-to-man full court defense. They wanted to apply as much pressure as they could from the beginning of the game.

Bound 4 Glory wanted to set the tempo early on. They also looked to push the ball when they could.

Pulley pulled back into a zone defense. They wanted to try to extend the floor as much as they could.

Pulley looked to run with the ball as much as possible. The score went back and forth early on in the first half.

Pulley went on a run midway through the first half. There was nothing that Bound 4 Glory could do.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley Blue 39 and Bound 4 Glory 20.

Howard Pulley Blue really went on a run midway through the second half.

Bound 4 Glory was not able to get anything going in the second half. Howard Pulley Blue was really able to extend their lead in the second half.

Howard Pulley Blue was able to cruse to a 76-34 victory over Bound 4 Glory.


GET TO KNOW TAWIO PETER OLAFESO

Tawio Peter Olafeso was born in Nigeria Africa. He grew up in Lagos and St Paul Minnesota. He played basketball with his twin brother in Kenny at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He also has two older sisters. He was a sophomore during the 2009-2010 season. He hopes to graduate in 2012.

Basketball means a lot to him. He is planning on working hard to pursue a basketball career. He used to be very good at soccer.

I know both he and his brother. They are very nice people and they are easy to get along with. I am very lucky to have friends like Tawio Peter Olafeso and his brother.


ROBBINSDALE COOPERS CALVIN GODFREY SIGNS WITH IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Robbinsdale Cooper forward Calvin Godfrey will be attending the Iowa State University next season on a basketball scholarship as he has signed a national letter of intent.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

BEN BRUST SIGNS WITH WISCONSIN

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team rounded out its 2010 recruiting class Friday when Mundelein, Ill., native Ben Brust signed a tender of financial aid to attend the University of Wisconsin, head coach Bo Ryan announced.

Brust joins fellow class of 2010 recruits Evan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis.), Duje Dukan (Deerfield, Ill.) and Josh Gasser (Port Washington, Wis.), who signed National Letters of Intent with Wisconsin in November. The four high school seniors will enroll at UW next year and play basketball for the Badgers beginning in the fall of 2010.

“We’re really excited about adding Ben to our recruiting class for 2010,” Ryan said. “He grew up a fan of the Big Ten and has followed this conference all his life. Now he will have the opportunity to compete in it.”

Ben Brust


Brust is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound combo guard from Mundelein High School who earned second-team all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association as a senior. Brust averaged 24.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.1 steals per game this season, topping the 40-point mark on four occasions.

Brust posted per game averages of 27.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists during his junior year before breaking his right ankle in January of 2009. Despite only playing 18 games that season, he was recognized on the all-area team.

He started every game as a sophomore, averaging 17 points and five rebounds, en route to earning all-conference and all-area honors. Brust is an honor roll student who participated in the prestigious 2010 High School Academic All-American Classic in Azusa, Calif., on May 1.

“Ben is a talented shooter and ball-handler and possesses a leadership quality that you want in your guards,” Ryan said. “He is a competitor and has certainly shown the ability to score in bunches. He has been to our summer camp in the past and has rapidly improved his game in the past few seasons.

“Ben is also very committed to academics, as evidenced by his invitation to the Academic All-American game early this month,” Ryan added. “He has the strong work ethic and passion for the game that has been a big part of our program and the student-athletes that have come before him. Our coaching staff is looking forward to working with him and continuing his development, and we think Badgers fans will enjoy watching him for the next four years.”

HOWARD PULLEY PANTHERS BLUE TEAM TOOK ON KINGDOM HOOPS

In the 17 division the top team Howard Pulley Panthers Blue team took on the black squad of Kingdom Hoops. Kingdom Hoops is based out of Iowa.

The Panthers were able to open the game with a run. They built a 14-4 lead with 12:00 left in the first half. They did a good job of handling the ball.

Andrew Hanson from Pulley really got his other teammates involved in the game. He knows where his teammates are supposed to be on the court and he is able to get his teammates the ball.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley Blue 50 and Kingdom Hoops 19.

Joe Coleman really put on a dunking show throughout the game. He was able to do a variety of different slam dunks to impress the crowd.

Isaiah Zierden was also able to put on a shooting show in the game as he was able to step up big and knock down some open shots in the second half.

The Howard Pulley Blue squad came away with the easy 88-35 victory to defeat Kingdom Hoops. They were up the whole game.

IN THE 15U DIVISON THE HOWARD PULLEY PANTHERS WHITE TEAM TOOK ON MINNESOTA BOUND 4 GLORY

The Howard Pulley White Panthers took on the Minnesota Bound 4 Glory in the first game of the 15 and under division.

Both teams looked to set the tone early in the game. Both teams traded baskets throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on an early run.

There were many ties and lead changes in the first half. Wanell Beard for Howard Pulley really found his shot in the first half. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball when he was open near the basket. Once he got the ball he was able to drive strong to the basket and make shots.

At halftime the score was Howard Pulley White 20 and Minnesota Bound 4 Glory 21.

As the second half got underway both teams stepped up the defense. Neither team was going to give up easy baskets.

Minnesota Bound 4 Glory made a run midway through the second half. There was nothing that Howard Pulley White could do. They didn’t give up.

Minnesota Bound 4 Glory turned up the pressure midway through the second half. They really did a good job of making Howard Pulley White spread the floor and take their time. They wanted to use as much time off the clock was they could.

Minnesota Bound 4 Glory came away with the 63-50 victory over The Howard Pulley White Panthers.


Friday, May 7, 2010

GET TO KNOW RODRICK CARLJAMES LOGAN

Rodrick Carljames Logan currently plays point guard for Columbia Heights High School. He was the sixth or seventh man off the bench this year on the varsity team.

He is from North Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born on July 31, 1993. He has 3 brothers and 3 sisters. He is in the 11th grade. He stays in Columbia Heights.

Basketball means the world to him besides his family and education. He said, ”My mom says I was born with a basketball in my hand and I come from a family that played basketball and love the game just as much as me. My dad has coached me since I was little. He taught me the game and while teaching me the game he also showed me how to love the game. And I thank him for that because of the love I have for the game it has shown me how to appreciate the game more which has allowed me to become a better basketball player on the court and a better young man off the court. That's why I play every game like it is my last.”

Logan further explained, “This summer I plan on showing people that I can really play and why I am a true point guard and that are why I play this game with all my heart because I love it so much. But don't get me wrong I do want to play college ball so I do have hopes of getting scholarships offers after the summer ends.”

“This is my second year playing for Howard Pulley which has been a great honor and opportunity for me. I will never forget this program.”

“Now I would like to thank Mr. Steve MacDonald Froemming for interviewing me.”

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE COACH JAY PIVEC WAS NAMED INTO THE NJCAA HALL OF FAME


Charlie Spponhour and Gene Keady are members of the NJCAA HOF Gene 1990 and Charlie 1991
Minneapolis Community and Technical College men’s head basketball coach Jay Pivec was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. The 2010 class of the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame has been announced by the NJCAA. This year's inductees include coaching greats William Barton, Jay Pivec, Jack Robertson and Steve Schmidt along with 1977 NJCAA First-Team All-American Ollie Mack. Since its inception in 1984, a total of 123 coaches, players and special contributors have been inducted into the hall. Barton, Pivec, Robertson, Schmidt and Mack were honored at the 2010 NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 30, 2010.
Jay Pivec’s accomplishments include:
MCAC HOF 2002
MCAC COY 8 times
NJCAA National COY 2009
NJCAA HOF 2010
28 year overall record 563-242
20 year MCTC record 452-115.

A MESSAGE FROM TOM NORLAND

Swish Shooting Clinics in Minnesota latter July (or later)?Dear friend of the Swish Method,Greetings to you and your family. I hope you're handling well the economic woes we're all subject to. My sales are very slow, but they're still trickling in and that's encouraging. Got to find better ways to market myself in this tight economy.

This is being sent to over 300 contacts up there who have sponsored clinics, asked about hosting, or attended clinics in the Upper Midwest. Minneapolis is my home state, and I wanted to ask if you want to help me organize a clinic or two this spring or summer in the Twin Cities area and within a 100-mile radius. First, a comment about my coaching.

MY COACHING IS EVER EVOLVING!

I've been at this shooting stuff for over 20 years, yet I keep seeing new things. My discovery of Inertia over four years ago was in time to be included in Swish 2, but it was so new I didn't even use the word "Inertia." I called it only "Newton's First Law of Motion," about the tendencies of an object in motion.

TODAY INERTIA IS A MAJOR THING I TEACH!

It sets up the whole shot. Without it, shooting is much more difficult. Dipping is, as I see it, the body's instinctive way to generate Inertia, yet some coaches are saying Dipping is bad. But if you watch the better shooters, they ALL dip ... all the time! If there's no time or space to dip, then, of course, do not dip, but it might be better not to shoot in such a circumstance because the shot becomes much more difficult.

FIRST HALF VS. SECOND HALF OF A SHOT

And from experimenting and observing the new distinction of Inertia, I got a new insight just a couple weeks ago. I saw that we can break the Release action into two "sections" (just the simple idea of a "First Half" and a "Last Half") and how critical both halves are.

I think most players are pretty oblivious to what they do before the moment of Release. Getting the ball ready for the Release includes footwork and body motion to generate power and get the body aligned, and then there's some kind of motion to bring the ball up to the Set Point so the Release can be fired off. But I think it's often not thought about much. I see a lot of players bringing the ball up off line or taking it way overhead, positions that inhibit the best shooting.

My coaching discovery is that, "The First Half of a shot is critical and ALMOST as important as the Last Half!"

Why do I say, "Almost?"

I say that because a great Release can correct faulty and off-line setting and weak or nonexistent body/leg action, but if the Release is AWOL (inconsistent and/or not accurate with distance and direction), no matter how wonderful the First Half was, the ball ain't going to go into the basket! The Release is still the most important element, but if the ball is on line and moving before the Release action, it just makes everything easier. Read the testimonial at the bottom of this email*** from a dad describing what he sees in his son's quick improvement. I'll be incorporating this idea of the two halves and how important they are into all of my coaching. In clinics and camps, I'm now introducing it early and often, and the result is more effective shooting by everyone. See what the understanding does for your own shooting.

IF YOU COULD HOST A CLINIC ... I'LL BE THERE!

If you have access to a gym and would like to consider hosting a clinic or two , please contact me (call 888/794-7422). If you can host one clinic or more, other people in the area will also respond (once dates are worked out) to host their own session(s) or send kids to yours. See my Clinic Guidelines.

One of my venues is the amazing Colin Powell Leadership Center in So. Minneapolis (they have four big courts, 8 smaller courts if run crosswise), and the director of basketball there, Kelby Brothen, said that two open periods for him are: July 15-21, or July 22-28 During these two periods, I'll have some clinics at the Powell Center, but I will also be available to come to your gym for clinics and/or camps. These dates are just an overall timeframe. I can later consider dates more into late summer or fall, but let's try to make one of these periods work for now.

With this Swish Shooting Tour you would expose a number of your kids and coaches to this simple and powerful way of shooting. As I think you know, my approach is the way of the great shooters, not just something I thought up and works for some kids. (Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, and whom I recently met, shoots exactly the way I coach it ... as does/did Taurasi, Kerr, Nash, Hornacek, Schrempf, etc.) This can work for everybody!!!

TIME AND FEES -- LET'S FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK!My half-day "Clinics" are typically 4 hours long, and my 2-day "Camps" are 7 hours, and I can coach up to ~24 kids at a time. My Clinics have typically been priced at $60/person** and Camps at $90/person,** including one of the Swish videos. I also offer Swish 2 at a 67% discount, just $10, to enrollees. You would probably need to increase my fees to cover facilities costs and any fund-raising needs.

(**If you feel the prices are too high for families in these troubled times, let me know and we can adjust them. Don't let lack of money deter any young player from this exciting coaching! I also freely give full- and partial-scholarships.

TRAINING COACHES IS BECOMING A BIG DEAL! I think you know that a big part of my future is in training coaches to teach this approach around the world. To that end, I'm closing in on an eBook on coaching the Swish Process, and it should be available within a month. It will detail all the things I coach and explain things, step by step. It will have photos and video clips to support the words. I expect we'll be offering at least one Coaches' Training when I'm in Minnesota, hopefully early in the time frame so the coaches can then observe/assist with the kids' clinics to see what I do and learn by helping out a bit. Stay tuned for this.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU! Thanks much for checking into this and contacting me. I can see that the main thing I'm doing (and teaching others to do) is coaching kids "to be able to coach themselves" in these simple principles. The "technique" is the starting point, but then what's important is for the kids to learn to be aware of how they do things and thus become independent of me. It's in the "Practice" that they will ultimately master this approach to shooting, and what and how to practice is what I teach.

HELP ME PROMOTE THE SWISH METHOD I'm working to raise the bar on getting this shooting method out to the basketball world. The game is still suffering from poor and mediocre shooting at all levels. The Swish Flyer PDF (see below) does a nice job of describing the Swish Renaissance. You can help by promoting the videos and website to your friends and fellow coaches/parents. Tell them about the free Newsletters, now numbering 117! The video clips linked to below exist on my website on the "Shooting Gallery" page.

Get clinics going as a way to build a nucleus of players and coaches who can carry the coaching and the message further. Consider becoming a shooting coach yourself. Wouldn't THAT be something?

As clinics or camps get planned, I'll keep you informed. I hope you can be a "leader" for me in the Upper Midwest area. Thanks for your support.

Cheers,

Tom NordlandBoulder Creek, Calif. (near San Jose)

Tom Nordland,

Basketball Shooting CoachSwish International, Inc. Swish WebsiteTel: 888/SWISH-22 (888/794-7422)For a Basketball Shooting Renaissance

P.S. PEOPLE MUST BE SEARCHING The game of basketball must still be searching for a more effective way to perform and coach shooting. Seeing Kentucky miss their first 20 3-Pt shots and miss 13 Free Throws in a loss to West Virginia is a wake-up call (WV didn't run away with the game because, despite making 10 of 23 3's (43%, pretty good) they missed 11 Free Throws, themselves. I would think players and coaches know something is very wrong with the skill. We see a few really good shooters on some teams, but the great majority of players are still are streaky, at best! Sometimes the level of shooting is so bad, doesn't it make you want to change the channel? Yet the same thing exists at all levels, high school, college and the pros. You can't escape it if you want to watch basketball!

Coaches and shooting coaches are still emphasizing the old obsolete instructions like "Square up" and "Flip the wrist" and "Elbow under the ball." You know the greatest shooters we've had don't/didn't do it that way. But it's become the "Party Line." Help me change that. With your own experience as a guide, tell others there's a different way that totally makes sense. Everything I say and write can be proven by experience. Send me ideas for promotion, marketing, Internet exposure, etc.

If you haven't visited my website for awhile, you have a treat in store. In June of last year we completely revamped it: See URL below.

Thanks for your help! To shift the direction of the massive boat we call basketball shooting will take a clear goal and a lot of tugboats, like you and me. We must persevere.

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THESE BEFORE -- THREE EXAMPLES OF EXTRAORDINARY SWISH SHOOTING!

1) Here is video footage of 14-year-old "Swish" shooter, recorded three years after learning the Swish Method from Tom in Maryland. To this day he and his dad continue using the tools and methods they learned, and Gavin here brilliantly demonstrates the technique. Look at the beauty of his shooting! Gavin shooting

2) Here's a shooting clip I got recently of a 12 year old boy (93 lbs, says his dad) named Joe from Palo Alto I've coached a few times. Just see the control and confidence this young boy has. It's the confidence of "knowing." He recently won a shooting championship at a big sports academy in Florida, beating boys up through high school, some of whom are committed to Division 1 schools. Joe #1

3) NEW: Here is the latest of Joe from Palo Alto, draining 3's. Joe #2

Anybody can learn to do this. And then you learn to do it faster and quicker, and then with a defender in your face, and, voilà, you're "A SHOOTER!"

NEW SWISH FLYER TELLS THE WHOLE STORY!This two-page PDF tells the story of the need for more effective coaching of shooting and how the Swish approach to shooting solves that need. The answer is a simple, easily learned approach anyone can learn and most can master:
Swish Flyer PDF

TEACHING THE WORLD TO SHOOT A BASKETBALLAs some of you know, I was honored in 2007 in the Minnesota Boys State Tournament Program with a great article entitled "Teaching the World to Shoot a Basketball." The writer did a great job with the interviewing, writing and layout. Here is a link to a pdf of the 1 1/2 page article:

Minnesota State Tournament Program from 2007

TESTIMONIAL FROM A DAD IN MICHIGAN: "Hi Tom: My son and I watched all or part of Swish 2 a couple of times over this past weekend. Fortunately, the weather here in Michigan (you never know in March) was nice enough that we could get outside and immediately work on what we learned.

"I took your advice and had my son (12 years old) teach me the Swish 2 method which really reinforced the concepts for him.

"The results were quite remarkable. He has always struggled with a flat shot (I probably had him shooting over his head at too young an age) resulting in a low shooting percentage. Reinforcing the basics (which were pretty solid) and then just concentrating on ball flight and Upforce had an immediate impact. His set and jump shots were so much smoother and most importantly he just couldn't miss. It really was quite amazing to watch.

"While he still has a ways to go, practice is so much more fun now that he is making such a high percentage of his shots.

"Also, the one thing that resonated with my son more than any other (and had the biggest impact on his shot) is keeping the ball in-line with the eye and basket from beginning to end of the shot. We really worked on how he moved the ball from dribble or catch up into his set point. When he finally got it, his accuracy increased dramatically.

[Ed's note: This is what I mean by the importance of both halves of the shooting process!]

"Thank you for your help. "

Grant S.Rochester Hills, MI

THE GREATEST LIE IN SPORTS

One final thing: A coach put out a Youtube video called "The Greatest Lie in Sports." It's about the error of squaring up the feet, and you can view it at:Greatest Lie

I've been saying this about shooting for over 20 years!

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: I use one of the top email services, Constant Contact. To unsubscribe so you will never again get an email via this service, click on "SafeUnsubscribe" below. They will add you to a database that says "No" to all emailings in the future. If, later, you want to be added back, there is a process for that. And "Thank you" for all your support in the past!

THE HOWARD PULLEY PANTHERS ARE HOSTING THE 2010 SABES FOUNDATION TOURNAMENT AT BLOOMINGTON JEFFERSON THE WEEKEND OF MAY 7 Th

The Howard Pulley Panthers are hosting the 2010 Sabes Foundation boys’ basketball tournament at Bloomington Jefferson the weekend of May 7th-10th.

The tournament brings together some of the best AAU programs from across the country.

Check out Steven’s Sports Report throughout the tournament as I will be there updating my site.



GET TO KNOW JACK CHARLES HOULTON

Jack Charles Houlton played football at Minnetonka High School. He is going to be playing in this year’s Minnesota State High School Football Coaches Association All Star Game. He said, “It's a great honor and it gives me a chance to play in one last high school game.” He said that he is “relaxed and easy going (when not playing football).”

In his free time he likes to hang out with friends and listen to music. He also likes the outside and fishing.

Houlton plans on playing offensive guard while he is studying Criminal Justice at St. Cloud State University. He started playing football in the fourth grade. He also does track and field in the spring. He throws the shot put and the discus. His favorite memories of high school football are the thrill of a huge game where there are 8,000 fans at the stadium.

He said that football has taught him dedication, leadership, toughness and the desire to achieve any goal.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

BRETT ERVIN HAS SIGNED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH

Brett Ervin from Eden Prairie Senior High School has signed a basketball national letter of intent to play at the University of Minnesota of Duluth.

He joins Peter Crawford of Benidle-St. Margaret's and Dan Kornbaum of Little Falls who have also signed national letters of intent to play at UMD.