Jumpshot

GoMab

Hate you missed the game. Raleigh Egypt won by score of 53-39. Lawrence Kinnard dominated Sean Cromwell and Michael Joyner dominated Reginald Owens. Carlton Peete, the Raleigh junior was the best player for either team on the floor. By the way, he was named to the first team all-tournament team at the YBOA National tournament this summer and his team won it. Why isn't he even mentioned on your list of juniors?

Fairley has a good young team, but no sophomore on that team should be ranked ahead of any of the four Raleigh Egypt sophomores. Oh well, guess you had to have been there to see for yourself. Hope you can see the Pharaohs play this year. I think you will be duly impressed.

Today, Raleigh Egypt beat Fairley in a game scrimmage 53-39. Raleigh starts 3 sophomores and 2 juniors with a junior and two sophomores coming off the bench. Who's the up and coming team?

Who did you say won the scrimmage game between Bolivar and White Station? What was the score? Is Fairley that good?

GoMab

Raleigh Egypt and Fairley will be scrimmaging Tuesday at 4:30 at Raleigh Egypt. Since 8 of the top 70 Sophomores on your list will be going headup, thought you might like to see it. Might open your eyes a little bit.

The ZONE that is referred to is the Memphis City School zone. There is nowhere they can run and hide. The rule is specific and applies to everybody. It's a shame they couldn't be happy where they were. It will cost them a year now. Young people beware; know the rules and be VERY careful who you listen to.

OK Everybody,

The TSSAA rule that applies to Jordan and all other athletes that transfer from a private to a public school...

"A student who attends a member private, parochial, or public school other than the school to which he or she is zoned and participates in athletics cannot transfer to another school within the territory served by these schools without losing his or her eligibility FOR A PERIOD OF TWELVE MONTHS-even though there is a change of residence."

Sounds pretty plain to me...Jordan WILL NOT PLAY this year!!!

GoMab2

Where did you get the idea that Jordan Mincy would be eligible at Mid-term at Ridgeway. Since he transferred to Ridgeway at the beginning of the school year from a private TSSAA school, he MUST sit out for 12 calendar months. This is clearly and plainly spelled out in the TSSAA rules under Section 13 of transfer situations. Ridgeway has been the beneficiary of a number of transfers from all over the city this summer, but according to TSSAA rules, none are eligible with the exception of Rory Lawrence. Believe me, all of the schools that lost players to Ridgeway are monitoring these kids eligibility like a hawk. Don't expect to see Jordan play this yea

I am also curious about this recent development between Ben and Coach Smith. Must have been something serious for Hubie to take the kid's senior year away. Hope they can work things out for both of their sakes. Alot of time has been invested by both Ben and Hubie; it would be a shame for it to go to waste.

Ego

Obviously you have not seen Rico play lately!!! He's taller, 15 lbs heavier and can score with ANYBODY. Why do you think he was invited to the NIKE camp? He is always in control, has a coach's mentality (3.8 GPA), can go right or left, can score the three, the pull up jumper, and go to the hole. You need to see him before putting him down. J.P. is a good 10th grade player...but FAR from the best in the city, much less the state. He's a great kid and will do well but you are not evaluating him objectively at this point.

Sorry about the mix-up on Stafford. Thought he was the #2 guard at Sheffield. What is his name? Stocky shooter...maybe lefthanded. Since you mentioned Ron Huery, I remember seeing Stafford play and he was a quick little player. Need to see him lately to see if he's improved just like you need to see Rico.

Rico Seay will grade out as the best sophomore point guard by season's end! Mincy is not eligible at Ridgeway and will have to sit this season. He should not even be considered a factor since he will NOT be playing.

J.P. is a #3 man trying to play point. He cannot go to his right, has a linedrive knuckleball shot and does not pass well enough to cover up these weaknesses. Maybe he'll get better, but I doubt Terry Tippett is going to base his season on J.P.'s ability to play point.

Stafford is a #2 guard. He likes to score first and pass second. He does not have the traditional point guard mentality. Good athlete and can score, but not a point guard.

There was no put-down intended Ego, I always enjoy your posts and think you are pretty perceptive to be a young guy. If it wasn't for your description of the private school players, many of them WOULD go unnoticed and that certainly isn't fair to them or the private schools in Memphis. Many of the private schools have excellent programs, coaches and players, and should do well in the State every year. Many were highly competitive with the public schools until the split, and I think that competition level drove them to a higher level than they seem to have against each other. Would like to see the private division abolished and bring everyone back together again. I also would like to see Cocky play sometime. Bet he is a good one!

Opinions are a dime a dozen about who the best sophs in Memphis will be this year.

Coach 1999 seems to be stuck on Fairley and Sheffield players, but he seems to know the Memphis area players. Just wonder what his bias is? Egohaslanded usually writes that White Station, Ridgeway, and private schools have the top players. They do have some, but don't have a corner on the market. Opp, you and TJ are always touting Bartlett and Coach Smith, but otherwise, you are pretty realistic about the Memphis scene. Haven't read enough posts by Cocky to know if he's seen everybody yet, but he also seems knowledgeable. Hoopscoopdre, how are you so in touch with "the Memphis scene" when you don't even live in Memphis?

My take on Memphis is that it is too early to predict much about this sophomore class until they are truly tested against each other and proven to be #1, #2, #3 etc. There are several excellent players in this class FOR THEIR AGE. It has been my experience that players develop at different ages and in different ways, and the process is ever ongoing.

Its seems that once a player gets a label as "the best" or "#1", he can do no wrong and no one can catch up or surpass him. We ALL know this is wrong. Andre is a perfect example of that. His reputation far exceeds his performances. Many of these sophs are overrated, and several are definitely underrated. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

If you're interested in watching some of the head to head competition in this class, come to Raleigh Egypt's gym on Nov. 5, to see the scrimmage between Fairley and the Pharaohs, or to BTW on the 7th to see BTW and Ral-Egypt. Bartlett will also be scrimmaging Ral-Egypt on Nov. 9th. As I previously stated, you can tell more from head to head competition than mere guessing so some of these games should be interesting.

I sincerely hope all of you "predictors" and "gurus" will remember that these are kids that we are talking about, and they are going to constantly be changing and in different stages of development. Please don't lock someone "in" and someone else "out" until they've had their chance to fully develop.

How did Nathaniel Calhoun for Memphis Bellevue play in the tournament? He will be a ninth grader at Raleigh Egypt this next year, and will join an already strong young team.

Can Anyone fill me in on the Memphis team/teams in this tournament and how they did? I believe one of the teams won the championship and Carlton Peete, a junior from Raleigh Egypt, was named to the All Tournament team? Can anyone verify this?

Deputydog,

I well remember the Hampton team of which you speak. They beat Union City in the championship game. Union City was 31-0, and ranked #1 in the state. Had John Ed Miller (Vanderbilt fame), Charlie Forrest (UT football fame), Hardy Graham (Ole Miss), Jerry Spencer (Freed Hardeman) and Gunther Eichorn. Lee Grasfeder (Army) and John Tanner (US Congressman) were also on that team. It was one of the biggest upsets in the state.

I got to know Buck Van Huss later on in life, and there has never been a more colorful coach in the game. Loved to hear him tell stories and he had a million of them. He is truly a ledgendary coach not only in Tennessee but in the nation. We miss him.

I have to go along with OPP on this one!

District 16AAA: All of the schools in this district have won a state title, (The only exception is Craigmont). Hamilton, East, Central, Whitehaven, Northside, Fairley, Melrose have all won titles in the last twenty years with some winning it more than once. District 15AAA has White Station and Kirby with titles.

You have to have a really, really good team in 16AAA to even have a WINNING SEASON!!! To get out of this region is murder and there isn't a region anywhere in the state that is tougher. You'd just have to see it to believe it.

I am very interested in your new basketball academy. Where is it located and who is running it? Sounds like a good idea. Am curious about how it fits in with TSSAA rules governing middle schoolers? Will they be able to participate without penalty?

The talent level at East will be incredible this year and they definitely have the size. If they play hard and together, (things that have been lacking in the past), they have a good chance to be the team to beat in Memphis. Only Hamilton will be able to match their size and athletic ability. Don't count either of these teams out come tourney time.

Remember, guys, White Station graduated EIGHT seniors last year and each of them were keys to their season in some way. They will have Dane, Travis Strong, Jonathon Ball, Quinton Marion and a couple of others with real battle experience back, but the bulk of their team will be young. They win by committee, playing 14 players each game, and that worked for them this past year. This will be a different team for them this year and will be talented again, but definitely beatable. They have a transfer, the Shaw kid, 6'9" from Conway, Ark., which will help in the post, but their success depends on what kind of year Bradshaw, Strong, Ball, and a few others have.

Bolton and Bartlett should battle it out again in the suburbs and that is usually a toss-up. Bartlett wins because of sound play and hardnosed defense and they are always well coached. This team may not have the talent to survive in the tournaments and make it all the way to the state, but don't overlook them either.

I don't know much about middle or east teams in AAA but there are only 5 or 6 teams in Memphis that have a preseason legitimate shot at the title. Could be some surprises cause there always are.

Raleigh Egypt also competed at the Summer Hoops Classic in Murray and finished 9-2, losing its first game to Murfreesboro due to trip lag (1 hr. after arriving) and then reeling off 9 straight wins before losing to White Station in the quarterfinals of the tourney by 8 points. It was a knock-down drag-out game as usual between these two, and Raleigh missed 9 free throws in 2nd half.

The Pharaohs went 7-2 at the Steamboat without their leading scorer, Carlton Peete, losing to an Illinois team by 6 pts., and in double overtime to Huntsville Lee.

The Pharaohs have two rising juniors and three rising sophomores in the starting lineup, so I would say they had an excellent summer!