Baton Rouge Community College 1st Annual Team Camp

The 1st annnual Baton Rouge Community College classic will be kicking off today and whil feature two defending state champions and a state runner-up. Riverside Academy and Christian Life will both be taking the floor today as defending champions. Scotlandville HS will be in attendance as well with the majority of their 5A runner-up team back minus 5A MVP J-Jay Thomas. Some of the top players to watch are:

Christian Life: Jr. Frank Bartley(Pictured below) and Freshman Will Jones and Johnathon Stove

Riverside Academy: Jr's Ricardo Gathers(below left), Louis Dabney(below right), Lucas Martin and Donald Thomas

Scotlandville: Sr. Levie Wright(pictured below left) and Jr's DeShawn Washington(bottom), Thaddeus Fortune(below center) and Zarif Basil(pictured below right)

Redemptorist: Jr. Gervaughn McGhee

Central: Senior LaQuin Turner

Istrouma: Senior Joel Jackson and Junior Darius Johnson(below)

BRCC 1ST ANNUAL TEAM CAMP GAME SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 4

COURT 1

3:00-3:45 CLA VS. PARKVIEW BAPTIST

3:50-4:35 REDEMPTORIST VS. DUTCHTOWN

4:40-5:25 RIVERSIDE VS. SCOTLANDVILLE
5:30-6:15 CENTRAL VS. REDEMPTORIST
6:20-7:05 DUTCHTOWN VS. RIVERSIDE
7:10-7:55 DUNHAM VS. ISTROUMA

COURT 2:
3:00-3:45 ISTROUMA VS. SCOTLANDVILLE
3:50-4:35 BRUSLY VS. BELAIRE
4:40-5:25 DONALDSONVILLE VS. DUNHAM
5:30-6:15 PARKVIEW BAPTIST VS. BRUSLY
6:20-7:05 BELAIRE VS. CLA
7:10-7:55 COVINGTON VS. DONALDSONVILLE



SATURDAY, JUNE 5

COURT 1
10:00-10:45 DUTCHTOWN VS. DUNHAM
10:50-11:35 COVINGTON VS. SCOTLANDVILLE
11:40-12:25 RIVERSIDE VS. REDEMPTORIST
12:30-1:15 CLA VS. DUNHAM
1:20-2:05 COVINGTON VS. DUTCHTOWN
2:10-2:55 ISTROUMA VS. RIVERSIDE

COURT 2:
10:00-10:45 CLA VS. BRUSLY

10:50-11:35 PARKVIEW BAPTIST VS. BELAIRE
11:40-12:25 ISTROUMA VS. DONALDSONVILLE
12:30-1:15 BRUSLY VS. SCOTLANDVILLE
1:20-2:05 BELAIRE VS.REDEMPTORIST
2:10-2:55 PARKVIEW BAPTIST VS. DONALDSONVILLE

Three of the Lafayette Area's Best Headed to Baton Rouge Community College

Foster in 2008 while  at Christian Life

Former Christian Life coach Todd Foster continues to get off to a fast start in building the Baton Rouge Community College's men's basketball program.

Foster is expected to sign arguably three of the top five players in the Acadiana area in first-team All-Acadiana selections Xavier Blackburn of St. Thomas More, Jacoby Colbert of Westgate and Keelon Lee of Abbeville on Wednesday.

Colbert was honored as the All-Acadiana Most Valuable Player with Blackburn being the runner-up to that award. Colbert and Blackburn were both second-team All-State selections on the Class 5A All-State team, while Lee was a first-team All-State selection on the Class 3A team.


Louisiana Basketball Report's Assessment on each player:
 

Jacoby Colbert- Westgate High School 6'3" Guard
District 4-5A MVP and All-Acadiana MVP
2nd Team 5A All-State 21 ppg. 5.5 rpg 3.6 apg

• Colbert is a quick, athletic wing that can handle the ball and has great range. One of the top shooters in the Lafayette area and has developed as a player each year he has been at Westgate. Colbert was dual-sport athlete and was also a star on the Westgate football team

Keelon Lee- Abbeville High School 6'7" Forward
District 5-3A MVP and All-Acadiana 1st Team
1st Team 3A All-State 17.2 ppg. 10 rpg

• A physical athletic post that beat you with athleticism, speed, quickness or just pure toughness. Lee is still a little raw offensively but can finish at or above the rim with ease. Very good shot blocker and defensive rebounder, Lee is a versatile big that can step out to hit an occasional jumper.

Xavier Blackburn- St.Thomas More 6'4" Guard/Forward
District 4-5A 1st Team and All-Acadiana First Team
2nd Team 5A All-State 17.8 ppg. 8 rpg.

• Blackburn is combo type player. A mixture of a wing and a forward. Blackburn has good enough handles to be a wing but has more natural skill on the low block as a post. A kid with a developing skill-set that once he gets in the gym with Coach Foster could be a heck of a player. A hard-worker that is coming from a great program and legendary coach in Danny Broussard

Breaking News: Ronald McGhee Commits to North Texas

Ronald McGhee with the TX D1 Ambassadors

at the Manhattan Classic May 2009 at Kansas State

Former Univ. of New Orleans commitment Ronald McGhee has now officially committed to North Texas. The 6'4" sharpshooting guard from Istrouma High in Baton Rouge, LA is going from one Sun Belt school in UNO to now the Sun Belt Conference tournament champs Mean Green of North Texas where he will play for former LSU coach Johnny Jones. McGhee will also get to join forces with Louisiana natives Josh White, also of Baton Rouge(Christian Life) and Kedrick Hogans of New Orleans(Edna Karr). Mcghee, the 2010 7-4A district MVP and 1st team All-State Selection averaging 22.4 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. McGhee led Istrouma to it's first quarterfinal berth in his high school career before falling on the road to eventual state champion Peabody. McGhee is the son of Ronnie and Cheryl McGhee. Stay tuned for a full article to come soon on Scout.com

Glen Oaks Rides Early Momentum to Win Over Istrouma

Last night was a big time game with Istrouma and Glen Oaks for the right to share the district title with one game remaining for each team. Istrouma now has Woodlawn on friday night at home and Glen Oaks finishes with St. Michael's on thursday. An IHS loss and a GOHS win would give G.O. the title. A G.O. loss and a IHS win would give IHS the title. However, neither should lose. With that said, Glen Oaks who was easily beaten by Istrouma the first time by 23 without Oklahoma State signee Brian Williams, won last night's game by 12 in front of his future head coach Travis Ford and Assistant Butch Pierre. Also in the building last night was Mark Bass and assistant coach from St. Joe's who was looking at junior Tre Drye of Glen Oaks and senior Ronald McGhee of Istrouma. St. Joe's has already signed Baton Rouge product Langston Galloway of Christian Life. An addition of McGhee would be a great combination in the Atlantic 10 conference in years to come. Nonethless, there was a game last night. Here is the article from the Baton Rouge Advocate and great sportswriter Robin Fambrough.

Glen Oaks Tre Drye had 13 boards in the win

By ROBIN FAMBROUGH

Advocate sportswriter
Published: Feb 16, 2010

The law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Sixth-ranked Glen Oaks provided a boys basketball version of this basic science principle Monday night.


The Panthers took control early on the way to a 71-59 victory over fourth-ranked Istrouma in a crucial District 7-4A game played in front of a capacity crowd at Glen Oaks.

Three weeks after Istrouma bounced the Panthers 65-41, it was Glen Oaks’ turn. GOHS (28-5, 12-1 in 7-4A) led by as much as 18 points in what was at times a dominating effort.

“Just a great team effort,” Glen Oaks coach Harvey Adger said. “These guys knew they had something to play for, and they believed that as a team everybody accomplishes more.”

Oklahoma State signee Brian Williams and Brandon Johnson each had 18 points to pace the balanced Panthers. Andre Scott added 16 and Tiron Brown had nine. Tre Drye pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Roy Knox Jr. finished with a game-high 22 points, including six 3-pointers for Istrouma (27-5, 12-1). Joel Jackson added 11 in a game that saw Istrouma standout Ronald McGhee finish with seven points before fouling out.

“We didn’t have one of our better shooting nights,” Istrouma coach Marvin Dotson said. “The big thing was, we didn’t match their intensity on defense. We got close in the third quarter, but we dug such a big hole in the first half that we were never able to get out of it.”

The pace of the first half favored Glen Oaks even though the Indians’ Jackson actually scored the first basket. The fact that McGhee, who averages 20 points per game, did not score until the fourth quarter also favored the Panthers.

A 3-pointer and then a layup off an inbounds pass by Johnson gave Glen Oaks a 7-4 lead by the 4:18 mark of the first quarter.

“This is something we’ve been waiting for since the first time we played Istrouma,” Johnson said. “We knew we could play better than we did in that game. And we focused on every possession and followed the game plan.”

Glen Oaks was more deliberate, making 6-for-12 from the field to open the game. Williams, playing in just his third game since missing five weeks with a leg injury, gave GOHS a late boost. Williams’ jumper from the baseline a 3-pointer from the top of the key sent the Panthers into the second quarter with a 14-10 lead.

Istrouma made 4 of its 16 first-quarter shots from the field. Things didn’t get any better for the Indians, who were just 1-for-12 from the field in the second period.

Glen Oaks made its share of mistakes, including two late turnovers. But GOHS still led 23-14 at halftime.

The long range marksmanship of Knox got Istrouma back in the game. Knox connected on three long range jumpers in the third period, the third of which, got the Indians within six at 33-27 at the 3:34 mark.

Jackson then provided a three-point play by making a free throw and following his own miss with a layup make it a 33-30 game with 2:40 remaining.

That’s when Glen Oaks found another gear. The Panthers scored eight points in just over a minute. Scott had two baskets, Williams scored on a drive to the basket and Drye added a thunderous dunk. And GOHS led 41-31 going into the fourth quarter.

Williams provided another exclamation point a minute into the fourth quarter, rebounding a missed free throw and slamming it home to the delight of the crowd that included OSU head coach Travis Ford and former LSU and current OSU assistant Butch Pierre.

“I got in foul trouble early and I was a little rusty,” Williams said. “But I was fired up and wanted to do whatever I could for my team.”

Glen Oaks’ deliberate style soon forced Istrouma to foul. That put the Panthers in the double bonus with 5:04 to go in the game. By that time, GOHS led by 16. Istrouma never got any closer than the final margin.

“They (Glen Oaks) did a good job of running two people at McGhee every time he got the ball,” Dotson said. “Knox had a great and made some tough shots, but it wasn’t enough.”

Link to the Article

Great Video Feature from TheScoutVision.com featuring Christian Life Academy

Langston Galloway(left) Patrick Robinson (right) and Head Coach Carlo Maggio (below)

This is a great video feature from The Scout Vision featuring Christian Life Academy and their coach Carlo Maggio and two of their senior leaders in St. Joe's signee Langston Galloway and Northwestern State(La.) signee Patrick Robinson. This feature includes three interviews of the previous mentioned people along with some clips of shoot-around, the cheerleaders, pre-game warm-ups and highlights of Monday night's game featuring 1A Christian Life Academy vs. 2A The Dunham School.

Brian Willams Signs with Oklahoma State

As I reported last Wednesday that Brian Williams was expected to sign with Coach Travis Ford and Oklahoma State, Williams did just that in a 1:00 p.m. ceremony at Glen Oaks High School. The 6'5" 205 lb. senior from Baton Rouge signed his Letter of Intent to the Cowboys in the GOHS library among family, friends, teammates and his HS coach, the Legendary Harvey Adger. Adger who has coached McDonald's All-American Lester Earl and many other D1 signees, added another on Wednesday in Williams, last year's Class 4A Louisiana POY and the Baton Rouge Metro Area MVP as well. Williams averaged 25.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots and 3.5 assists for the Glen Oaks Panthers last season who finished with a 32-3 record and lost in the 4A semi-finals. Not only are these accomplishments outstanding for any player, but Williams just made 17 in September and will not make 18 until a few weeks into his freshman year at Oklahoma State. That makes his accomplishments more respectable.

Williams, a consensus top 130 player by ESPNU, ScoutHoops.com and Rivals, is a 6-5 205 lb. guard that is super-athletic and quick. Williams averaged 25.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots and 3.5 assists per game as a junior last season, pacing Glen Oaks to a No. 1 ranking in Class 4A before falling in the semi-finals. Williams led Glen Oaks to a Top 28 finished in 2008-09. He was named Class 4A’s Outstanding Player by the Louisiana Sports Writers, and one of two juniors named first-team All-State for Class 4A(the other was Markel Brown another Oklahoma State signee). He was also named the District 6-4A Most Valuable Player. Coach Travis Ford had this to say on Brian:

“Brian’s game is a lot like Obi's,(OSU senior Obi Muonelo)” Ford said. “He's 6-4 to 6-5 and much more athletic. He can jump over the rim. He averaged 30 points a game last year in high school. He can step out and shoot it, he's very athletic and has a great in-between game.”

 Williams was also recruited by LSU, Oregon State and Baylor, Minnesota, Memphis, Texas A&M and others.



ONE ON ONE WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS:

Here is a one on one with Brian on his signing to OSU and how he see's himself contributing early along with his expectations on his upcoming high school season.


1. How excited are you on signing with Oklahoma State?

   I am very excited about the Oklahoma St. signing, it was on my mind all week.

2. In your opinion, what makes Oklahoma State the right place for you?

   Oklahoma St. is the right place for me because I love their style of basketball, and I feel that I can be very successful in a system like Oklahoma State.

3. What set Okie State apart from the rest of the school's recruiting you?

   Oklahoma State stood out to me more than any other school because they treat me like family, and the style of ball they play is perfect for me.

4. What school's did you have legitamite offers from?

   Baylor, UNO, Tulane, Oregon St., LSU, Southeastern, Memphis, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, UL-Lafayette, North Texas and Harvard.

5. What do you think of Coach Travis Ford and the OSU family?

   I love all the coaches and the staff at Oklahoma St....they are all cool people and care about the players, and winning ball games.

6. What has being at a program like Glen Oaks done for you and your recruiting if anything?

   Being at Glen Oaks made me a lot tougher on the court than I was when I was younger. I took that to AAU and travel ball and my recruiting mostly came from the summers. I did get alot of press from the Glen Oaks vs. Strake Jesuit Game from espn last year.

7. What has it been like playing for a GREAT coach in the legendary Harvey Adger?

   Its been a roller coaster playing for Coach Adger because you never know what you are going to get from him (practice, workouts, speeches, etc)....He is a good coach and i wish him the best when im in Oklahoma. I will miss my time playing for him

8. Who do you want to thank for supporting you throughout your career at GOHS?

   First I want to thank my family, My mom and my dad for the support they give me at every game, and scrimmage. They are the best. I love you guys.

   I also want to thank Coach Adger, Coach Jones, and Coach Crump for everything at Glen Oaks, Also the Glen Oaks fan base, they are the best, especially the front row crew, I am going to miss the "Oak-Town.......You KNOW" chants. They are great.

9. What are your expectations now that you have signed, how do you plan on helping OSU win and how do you see yourself contributing as a freshman?

   Now that I signed I expect to win state, and possibly snatch the MVP award again. I plan on helping OSU win by knocking down shots, playing solid defense, and getting better every game. As a freshman, I am shooting for significant playing time throughout the season, and I want to eventually work my way into the lineup.

10. What will you miss most about being in HS and the recruiting scene?

   I will miss how easy everything is in high school, from basketball to school, because I know in a few months my life is about to be a lot of hard work. Its all for the better of my game so I will just make the most of it. I will miss all the letters and mail from random colleges and from the big times. I will also miss all the scouts and attention from different coaches. I'm about moving foward so I'm ready for OSU...GEAUX COWBOYS!!!!


Quotes on Brian Williams' Game:

Williams is a very athletic wing who is a strong finisher in transition or off offensive rebounds. He is a good 3-point shooter off the catch. Williams is a strong defensive rebounder; he crashes the boards on a regular basis and snatches the ball at rim level. Williams also displayed a nice midrange pull-up going either way. He plays the power forward position at times for his high school team, and he does a great job of working to deny the ball from entering the post with his excellent quickness. Williams plays with heart and urgency and has tremendous upside. - Reggin Rankin, ESPNU

Brian Williams is athletic and versatile enough to play guard or out on the wing. He played the two, three and four spot as a sophomore and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. - Dave Telep, ScoutHoops.com

Brian is a solid outside shooter who can get up and throw it down. Showed this summer that he can handle playing a wing and has the ability to jump over a defender and knock down the 3. Also has nice weakside shot blocking ability.- Mike Kuhn, CenterCourt Basketball's The Roux

In my opinion Oklahoma State is getting a highly talented players. I have seen players that are ranked in the top 50 such as Joe Jackson, Adonis Thomas, Chris Crawford, Casey Prather, Travis McKie, and many others and Williams is just as talented as any of these players. Brian can shoot the 3, handle the ball off the dribble, attack the rim and finish with the best of them. He has as a quick a first step as there is. He has a solid mid-range game that continues to get better. He is also an underrated defender. Coming from a system that thrives on defense at Glen Oaks HS, Williams is a very good defender. Williams also just made 17 and has his best basketball ahead of him. He will do very well in the OSU system under Travis and can end up being a all-conference player in the Big-12.-Bobby Sibley, Louisiana Basketball Report

Brian Williams Profile:

High School: Glen Oaks High School
High School Coach: Harvey Adger
Height: 6'5" Weight: 205 lbs.
Position: Guard

Notes/Awards:

-2009 Louisiana All-State 4A MVP, 2009


-Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches 4A Player of the Year, 2009 4A

-Louisiana 1st Team All-State, 2009 LHSBCA All-State MVP, 2009 6-4A

-District MVP, 2009 1st Team All District 6-4A, MVP 2008 East Baton Rouge

-Team MVP 07-08, Best Offensive Player 07-08, 1st Team 6-4A -All District 07-08, 2nd Year Letterman Award 07-08. 2007


-All Tournament Team -Inner City Classic, 2007 All Tournament Team - Woodlawn Shootout. 1st Year Letterman Award 06-07, Most Improved Player 06-07.

-East Baton Roug Parish All Tournament – All Tournament Team & MVP 2008

-J.L. Haynes Tournament, Ranked #23 SF by ESPN, 2008 Oakerland Classic - All

-Tournament Team, 2008 Elite Action Sports Classic – Outstanding Performer,

-2008 Woodlawn Shootout - All tournament Team, 2008 Inner City Classic -


* Honors/Awards (Academic): 3.4 GPA Academic Award 07-08, Young Leaders

07-08, Beta Club, Class Rank 11/250, 3.4 GPA Academic Award 06-07

* Camp Honors: John Lucas SWIC (Top Performer),

Southern California Elite Camp at USC (Top Performer)
University of Texas at Arlington Top Performer

Harold Boudreaux (LSU) Elite Camp Top Performer,

I10 Elite Camp, Baton Rouge, LA Louisiana's top 75 camp 



ONE ON ONE WITH MICHAEL WILLIAMS, Brian's father:


1. How excited are you on Brian's signing with Oklahoma State?


As a family we feel very blessed and we are so excited for Brian. We are so grateful to the "Cowboy" family for giving Brian this opportunity. It is a result of his hard work, dedication and sacrifice. He will realize one of his goals which is to play at the College level.

2. In your opinion, is Oklahoma State the right place for Brian and what makes it the right place?

Oklahoma State is a great "fit" for Brian. The uptempo offense and the pressing defense is a perfect compliment to Brian's style of play. Oklahoma State's system does quite a bit of isolation on the offensive side of the ball which allows players to highlight their skills. I see Brian developing into a go to player as a result. If you have seen "B" play you know that one of his strengths is taking defenders off of the dribble. Coach Ford is a great Coach and given Butch Pierre's track record of developing players(Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas, Stromile Swift, Brandon Bass) I think this is a great opportunity for Brian. On the academic side OSU has a very good graduation rate. They have all of the tools to help make you a successful student/athlete.

3. What set Oklahoma State apart from the rest of the school's recruiting Brian?

Definitely the facilities, Coach Ford , his staff and the players . They welcomed us and made us feel like "family". Brian knew that this would be his choice on our unofficial visit. The facilities are top notch. The campus was just beautiful and the people made us feel at home. Even when Brian and I went into the city of Stillwater the people were so friendly.

4. What school's did he have legitamite offers from?

Baylor, Oregon State, UNO, Tulane, SLU, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, UL-Lafayette, North Texas, LSU and Harvard. Ready to make an offer but waited too late: Alabama, Texas A&M, Memphis and VCU.

5. What do you think of Coach Travis Ford and the OSU family?

We love Coach Ford. He is such a genuine guy. He is also a family man. When you talk to him it doesn't take long for you to see his passion for the game and the love that he has for his players. Also, Butch Pierre is just the best. He is all about the players. He will be like having an extension from home. Coach (Steve) Middleton and Coach (Chris) Ferguson are also very good people. It is a great mix. All of the remaining staff are very accommodating to the players. I watched them drop what they were doing during their busy schedules to help the players with school work assignments, etc. They are all about the development and success of their players on and off the court. That got my attention immediately. During our home visit Coach Ford came with Coach Pierre. My wife was taken at how sincere they both were about Brian's College development. It wasn't a Sales pitch. We really appreciated that.

6. What has being at a program like Glen Oaks done for Brian and his recruiting if anything?

It has definitely helped Brian's recruiting. Coach Adger instills toughness, confidence, focus and a work ethic in all of his players. As a result of being in a program like a Glen Oaks when Brian played AAU/Travel in the summers he was able to highlight his skills against the nations top players. That success reflects back on his School, his Coach and his Basketball program.  I also want to thank Coach Max Ivany of the Texas D-1 Ambassadors with who I played a few travel tournaments with this summer.

Christian Life, Riverside Ranked in Pre-Season Rivals 100 Rankings

Rivals 100 Complete Rankings
Click here to Talk about it on our Message Board

With 3 Division 1 signees led by Langston Galloway(St. Joseph's) (pictured right) Patrick Robinson(Northwestern State) and Kaleb Knight(Grambling State) the Crusaders of coach Carlo Maggio enter the 2009-10 season the highest rated team in Louisiana for 2009 at 77. Last season Christian Life under former coach Todd Foster, now the Baton Rouge Community College coach, lost in the state semi-finals to LSU-signee Matt Derenbecker and current LSU player Eddie Ludwig which ended a string of 3 straight 1A titles for the 'Saders.  CLA has also revamped the roster with the addition of former University High star McCall Tomeny and former McKinley High starter Marlon Bell. They also return point guard Corey Self and 3-year starter Avery Prince. To start the season CLA will get heavily tested as they will be in a tournament in Shreveport on November 18th that features teams such as Riverside Academy, Richwood(last season's 3A State Champ) and Loyola,  a top team in 4A the Bossier Bearkats. Those are just 5 of the 8 teams.

With that said let's move on Riverside Academy and Coach Timmy Byrd who have also been recognized as a nationally ranked team coming in at 96. The Rebels have truly came into their own. Last year, a team that didn't even make the 2A playoffs got really good, really fast. Reserve Christian, the tiny Class C school that has been a powerhouse in Louisiana since 1999 closed down. This move landed Coach Byrd and his Class C state champions at Riverside. With this move almost all of the players followed Byrd to Riverside to make the Rebels a highly unknown team to a nationally ranked squad with load of talent. That talent is lead by senior's Cedric Jenkins (pictured above), Kyle McClue, and Ed Gallina all of whom will sign in the late signing period with division 1 schools. The anchor of this group though is the most important, that would be 6'6" 225 lb. man-child Ricardo "Rico" Gathers (pictured right) Gathers, the nation's 9th rated prospect on Rivals.com's 2012 rankings will have a lot to do with the Rebels success. Last year, this RA team that was at Reserve Christian won their 5th straight state title. This year could also end the same way but they will get tested in 2A which is a lot tougher than class C but if any team can make the jump 3 classes and still win, it will be Riverside. They are well coached, talented, disciplined and deep. They will be able to play about 10 players consistently and not lose a beat. Other teams that got mentioned for the national rankings but got caught on the outside looking in are Glen Oaks HS, St. Augustine HS and Richwood. Do not be surprised if these teams make noise as well and get in the rankings at some point during the season.

Riverside Coach Timmy Byrd(below)

With this being said, congratulations to Christian Life and Riverside on your national rankings. Let's make Louisiana proud and represent that ranking well. Stay humble and do well. Good Luck on your season.