gomerpyle

The Travelers start with a 14-u team, and have a 15-u, 16-u, and 17-u as well.

17's were 0-3, but lost 3 competitive games in a difficult pool, including a double-overtime game. Steve Cook, Robert Wade, Jalen Steele, William Moore, and Jordan Short all missed at least one full game and parts of at least one more due to injuries. They were in every game against Boo Williams 2, Houston Hoops, and Mean Streets (Chicago) despite the depleted roster. Should be a really good group when everyone gets healthy again. Probably in the toughest pool in the tournament - lost to the Bronze champion in 2 OT and a Gold semi-finalist. Played Mean Streets without all five players listed above. 16's were 1-2 with a big win against Georgia Blazers. 15's were 1-2 with a big win over Georgia Stars.

The Tennessee Travelers won the 14-u Eastern Substate this weekend in Knoxville. The bracket results are listed below: QUARTERFINALS Crossville Blue Devils 54, Cleveland Crossover 52 Tennessee Travelers 73, Knoxville Wildcats 42 Tennessee Ice 72, Nashville Elite 70 Ragin' Rhinos 56, Junior Toppers 43 SEMIFINALS Tennessee Travelers 64, Crossville Blue Devils 61 Ragin' Rhinos 54, Tennessee Ice 51 CONSOLATION Crossville Blue Devils 76, Tennessee Ice 70 CHAMPIONSHIP Tennessee Travelers 59, Ragin' Rhinos 40

AAU substates are still coming up in both Middle and East Tennessee (www.seaautnboysbasketball.org). Here is the info on the East. Don't have the info in front of me, but there are two options in Middle Tennessee, available on the website. AAU Eastern Substates 16-under (April 27-29) 17-under (May 2-4) Alcoa High School (near Knoxville Airport) 865-591-4868 matrines@yahoo.com

AAU Eastern Substate May 2-4 (Alcoa High School) matrines@yahoo.com 865-591-4868

The best thing about AAU is the fact there is a system of checks and balances in place to ensure kids are playing in their proper age groups. It is not too late to enter an AAU substate. If interested in playing in the East, call 865-591-4868. www.seaautnboysbasketball.org. 901-362-3009 (AAU state office)

10 former Tennessee Travelers will be participating in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. They are: JaJuan Smith (Tennessee) Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State) Terrance Oglesby (Clemson) Omar Wattad (Georgetown) Stuart Miller (Louisville) Justin Hare (Belmont) Shane Dansby (Belmont) Matthew Dotson (Belmont) Henry Harris (Belmont) Andy Wicke (Belmont) Also, the 2007 NCAA Tournament MVP (Corey Brewer) and career NCAA Tournament 3-point field goal leader (Lee Humphrey) are also former Tennessee Travelers.

Here are the former Tennessee Travelers now playing in Division I. Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State) JaJuan Smith (Tennessee) Terrance Oglesby (Clemson) Omar Wattad (Georgetown) David Palmer (Iowa) Stuart Miller (Louisville) - lived in TN, played high school basketball in KY Justin Hare (Belmont) Shane Dansby (Belmont) Matthew Dotson (Belmont) Henry Harris (Belmont) Andy Wicke (Belmont) Kenyona Swader (ETSU) Micah Williams (ETSU) Jonathan Adams (Old Dominion) Logan Johnson (Coastal Carolina) Tony White, Jr. (College of Charleston) Antwain Wiggins (College of Charleston) Kyle Groothius (North Florida) Also, Ron Mercer and Oliver Simmons played for Kentucky. Mercer played for two years before entering the NBA draft, where he was a lottery pick. Simmons later transferred to Florida State. The Arkansas team that won the 94 natiional title had several players from Memphis - Corey Beck and Dwight Stewart, and I think there were a couple of others.

First, regarding the "TT guy" on Buzz's staff: Sadly, you are misinformed. Had Chuck Benson not been at Tennseee, it's highly unlikely that Tyler Smith would have signed with Tennessee iinitially, and JaJuan Smith most likely would not be there either. If you read the article in ESPN The Magazine, you would know that the great relationship between Tyler and Chuck still exists. Chuck was also a highly successful small-college head coach for seven years. And before this discussion even starts, Chuck was not at Tennessee when Lee Humphrey signed with Florida and was hired after Corey Brewer had essentially committed to Florida. And while he was on Kevin O'Neal's staff, Chuck had a lot to do with the signings of Brandon Wharton, Shane Williams and C.J. Black. So I think it's obvious he has contributed greatly to Tennessee basketball. Moving on, Pat (Irish BB) is exactly right. Not all AAU programs are the same. For some kids, playing mutliple sports is the best option. And unless a kid truly loves a sport, I think elementary school is a little early to specialize. But if a kid truly desires to play college basketball and has a legitimate shot to do so, regardless of level, choices have to be made at some point. Each situation/setting is different. There isn't a whole lot of pressure in New York or Memphis for kids to play 2 or 3 sports. But I've been involved in AAU/Summer basketball for 17 years. After seeing over 200 players go on to play in college and seeing the best players this country has to offer year after year, I can tell you without reservation that almost every one of them reached such a high level by dedicating themsevles solely to basketball. Again, nobody seems to complain about the other sports. I know that at the high-school level these are non-revenue sports, but how is this any different than a golfer taking lessons and working year round on his/her game, or a cross-country runner giving up another sport to put in additional mileage?

I submitted before I finished this point... Good players have to master many skills - ball handling, shooting, free throws, offensive moves, etc. In some sports, speed, athleticism, and/or strength are the keys to being successful. And while these things are valuable in basketball, they aren't the be-all, end-all either. That is not meant to diminish other sports. Each sport is unique and requires a different set of skills. But just as some jobs and job skills are becoming more specialized, so are sports.

Couple of points: First, as a Nike program, we do have people to answer to. All coaches must submit to a background check. We don't force anyone to do anything. We simply look for players who are dedicated to basketball and basketball only. Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey would gladly point out that they would not have accomplished what they did if they had continued to play football. Ron Mercer would say the same thing about baseball and football. Basketball requires so much skill development. Good players have to There is nothing wrong with an athlete dedicating himself/herself to one sport. Seems to be working well with the Europeans.

As best I can tell, if a gifted runner runs AAU track and focuses on that sport, nobody complains. Jackie Coward, for example, could have been an excellent basketball player, but she really helped herself by dedicating herself to track. For her, dedication to one sport seems to have been an excellent choice. So what's the difference? Nobody complains about baseball or softball players who dedicate themselves to that sport. Volleyball has become year-round for many athletes as well. Those who complain about players focusing on basketball are misinformed at best and hypocritical t worst. According to the NCAA, only 3 percent of male high school seniors who play basketball will earn a college scholarship. Therefore it stands to reason the best way to earn a college scholarship is to focus on basketball. The competition is fierce. Nothing wrong with track or any other sport. But good basketball players must spend a great deal of time on skill development, and it's very difficult to do that if they are competing in another sport. Focusing on one sport is not for every student-athlete. Each situation is different. But we've (Tennessee Travelers) had over 200 former players sign college scholarships and over 100 play at the Division I level. Nearly every one of those players would tell you that it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to earn a scholarship if they had competed in 2 or 3 sports throughout high school. I don't think many, if any at all, of our former players have any regrets about dedicating themselves to basketball. With scholarship limitations due to Title IX and the influx of European/foreign players, it's more difficult than ever to earn a college scholarship. Certainly there are a few exceptions (Allen Iverson for example), but they are few and far between. Not all AAU/summer coaches mislead players. That's a common excuse and misconception, but it's just not true.

The district tournament is at South-Doyle. The region tournament is at Bearden.

Former Tennessee Travelers Jamont Gordon, JaJuan Smith, and Terrance Oglesby are making a huge impact this season in the SEC and ACC. Gordon (Mississippi State) is currently the #5 college point guard in the nation according to Rivals. He has surpassed the 1,000-point career scoring mark. He could be the fifth former Traveler to be selected in the NBA draft. Smith (Tennessee) is again averaging in double figures for Tennessee and is the Vols' best perimeter defender. Oglesby (Clemson) is averaging just over 12 points per game and is the second-leading scorer for the Tigers. He is shooting 42 percent from three-point range and has already earned one ACC Rookie-of-the-Week honor. All three are former Tennessee prep standouts.

Congratulations to Terrance Oglesby for being named ACC Rookie of the Week. Oglesby is off to an outstanding start for Clemson. He has led the Tigers in scoring multiple times and has emerged as one of the most dangerous shooters in the ACC. He has multiple 20-point games already this season.

These former Tennessee Travelers have played on either national or local TV this year. All are former Tennessee prep standouts. Corey Brewer ITimberwolves) David Harrison (Pacers) JaJuan Smith (Tennessee) JaMont Gordon (Mississippi State) Terrance Oglesby (Clemson) David Palmer (Iowa) Omar Wattad (Georgetown) Tony White, Jr. (College of Charleston) Antwain Wiggins (College of Charleston) Justin Hare (Belmont) Shane Dansby (Belmont) Henry Harris (Belmont) Matthew Dotson (Belmont) Andy Wicke (Belmont)

This is Andy Rines, and I have been with the Travelers for 17 years. You can reach me at 591-4868 if you wish to discuss this further. We wish Jason nothing but the best. He sounds like a good kid.

Actually, Jason Seymour was invited to one of our (Travelers) practices so that we could evaluate him and talk with him. Either he chose not to come, or Mocs30 advised him not to do so. Regardless, he didn't get "screwed."

Douglas makes a big difference for many reasons: He can score in the post, and he is a tremendous defensive force down low. They already have Reynolds, who is improving offensively but is very advanced defensively (good habits, timing, doesn't take many ball fakes). He also makes them deeper and more flexible. The fifth starter, whoever that is, can now come off the bench. So they will have more fouls to use, etc. And if they start both Douglas and Reynolds, now they will have a little more depth on the perimeter. Damron isn't "lightning" quick, but he is well above average in that regard, which makes him quicker than most high school players in East Tennessee. He's a very good ball-handler. If he is shooting well, like he did the other night and he did in the state tournament, he is very difficult to contain. He is certainly a scholarship player somewhere. And according to statisitics released by the NCAA, that puts him in the top 3 percent of high school seniors in America. If you look at the numbers, only 3 of every 100 senior boys that play high school basketball will play at the next level, including D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO. I think he will be one of that select 3 percent. He also has a lot of other positives (good kid, good grades, etc.) that will really help. At his size (5-10, 5-11) you have to be "other-wordly" quick and/or athletic (like the Porter kid at Oregon) to play in the SEC, PAC 10, etc. In this day and age, you have to be an excellent player to even play at a Carson-Newman or Maryville.

Irish is right. There are really good players at every level. I think a lot of people would be surprised to see how good many of the small college players really are. You have to be very, very good to play at any level in college. That being said, Jordan is certainly a good small-college prospect. I think he will have some good options. Most smaller schools do not extend a lot of early offers. Many of these players sign in the spring. Jordan will be fine. He brings a lot to the table. If he gets stronger, I think he has a chance to really excel.

Rodney still teaches at Maryville High School and helps Coach Lambert at Maryville College.

Regarding Tony White - He is from North Carolina. I believe he played in high school in or around Charlotte. He did not play high school basketball in Knoxville.

Here is one from Holston - Tony Oglesby. 6-8 forward, started at Carson-Newman for some national tournament teams in the early 80's - led the team in rebounding. Then he played overseas for several years. Father of Terrance Oglesby, who is playing major minutes as a freshman at Clemson. The Spurling brothers (Greg, Kevin, Wes) from Doyle. They all had pretty good small college careers. Greg later played in the CBA and briefly in the NBA. Kevin played overseas some and in the CBA.

Indiana State thinks differently, and rightly so.

Congratulations to former Tennessee Traveler players Justin Hare, Matthew Dotson, Henry Harris, Shane Dansby, and Andy Wicke for their efforts in leading Belmont to an 85-83 upset over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Hare scored 15 points and hit the game-winner with 2.2 seconds left to play. Dotson chipped in 12 points and Dansby 11. Harris added 6 and Wicke had 2. Hare was also recently named a pre-season mid-major All-American by a panel of college coaches and NBA scouts.