Flashback Post: Notable Moments in ABR Live Action (2012-13)

***This "flashback post" features several players and teams I am tracking during the 2014-15 season.  For this reason and because I like the trip down memory lane, I added it to the new blog.***

The NBA season just began.  Georgia's high school teams just finished tryouts.  And our GAIS Eagles homeschool basketball teams are in Missouri for the NCHBC Tip-Off Tournament.  The beginning of hoops season caused me to reflect on some of the memorable moments and topics from ABR Live's coverage of last season's high school games.  Before we get the 2013-2014 season fully underway, let's take a look at last season...

We didn't get to see as much of these teams as we would have liked in the 2012-2013 season. But the Bulldogs and the Golden Hawks are always worth watching. And with Felton Hatcher and Malik Gibbons returning for Thomson and AJ Gray entering his junior season at WACO, we look forward to catching up with these teams in the 2013-2014 campaign.



The Evans Knights went 9-0 in sub region play in the 2012-2013 season. Coach Kenny's squad established itself early as a team that would be tough to beat... especially at home. Early home wins versus area powers Aquinas (shown here) and North Augusta set the tone for a crowd pleasing 2013 run to the state tournament.



Glenn Hills may have been our area's best team in the 2012-2013 season. The Spartans began the season 16-0 (or something like that!). Coach Travis Mcrae sure drew up a great play for his son Aubrey on this play to defeat Laney in OT right after the Christmas break!



Austin Crown and Matt Miller were two players from our area on a very short list: 2013 graduates who received full basketball scholarships. See why in these highlights as the dynamic backcourt mates combined for 61 points in a loss to one of the south's best post graduate teams: Gray Military of Columbia, SC.



Before the season, Will Avery picked this game as the one most likely to be the area's most entertaining contest. He was right!



Our area's best player is so good in so many ways. See some of his highlights here.



Butler's Dontae Coleman may have had more huge nights than anyone in our area last season. But his 39 point outburst versus rival Laney (featured here) may have been our favorite.



Westside's Frank Booker (Oklahoma Sooners) may have had his most impressive game versus Laney in the final regular season home game of his senior year. The win over its cross town rival clinched Westside's regular season sub region first place finish. Booker is shown in these highlights torching the Wildcats from all angles.



250+ players competed in the first ABR Live Showcase in March, 2013. Frank Booker (Oklahoma); Marcus Stroman (South Carolina); Kyle Doyle (Georgia Southern); Austin Crown (Wingate); and Matt Miller (Merchant Marines Academy) were among the top seniors. And a host of impressive underclassmen participated. Virtually every basketball player in our area competed.



In 2013, four years after the team's first season, the GAIS Eagles finished as one of the nation's ten best homeschool teams. Highlights from the team's run at the national championship tournament in Missouri are shown here.

Flashback Post - Booker Explodes in Final Home Region Game

***This "flashback post" was lifted from a much bigger post about some of the standout moments in the 2012-13 high school hoops season in our area.  To see that whole post click here.***

The NBA season just began.  Georgia's high school teams just finished tryouts.  And our GAIS Eagles homeschool basketball teams are in Missouri for the NCHBC Tip-Off Tournament.  The beginning of hoops season caused me to reflect on some of the memorable moments and topics from ABR Live's coverage of last season's high school games.  Before we get the 2013-2014 season fully underway, let's take a look at last season...

Westside's Frank Booker (Oklahoma Sooners) may have had his most impressive game versus Laney in the final regular season home game of his senior year. The win over its cross town rival clinched Westside's regular season sub region first place finish. Booker is shown in these highlights torching the Wildcats from all angles.

This Week in Jags Hoops: Episode 1

***In this "flashback post" Jags great and good friend Keenan Mann joins me in the first of only two "This Week in Jags Hoops" episodes at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.  We planned to do more.  But our plans didn't result in action.  2014-15 will be different!***

In part one of our first episode of "This Week in Jags Hoops," Keenan Mann, Will Avery, and I talk about the 2013-2014 GRU Jaguars.  Keenan and I give our impressions of a practice we recently visited.  And we all have fun talking about coach Dip Metress's dance and AJ Bowman's dunk (in street clothes) at the recent GRU Jaguars Madness event.



During part two we bring in the man of the hour, GRU head coach Dip Metress, fresh off his performance of the "Tootsie Roll" Thursday night.  Dip takes a few shots from Keenan and Will before giving it right back to Keenan, providing the evidence needed to give the AC/ASU/GRU legend a new nickname.  Enjoy these videos and recent articles about the Jaguars.  And expect Keenan, Will, and me to keep the basketball community updated throughout the season with all the news from the local basketball community!

GRU Pep Rally: Dip Baby Dip

***This "flashback post" takes us back to the GRU's 2013-14 pre-season "pep rally."  Lots of fun as we see coach Dip Metress dance and Jags legend AJ Bowman steal the dunk contest show in jeans!***

Metress, A.J. Bowman
and Keenan Mann

"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is a quote coaches use to stress the importance of passion and hard work in effective leadership.  I have always pictured a coach sweating it out on the court with his players when thinking about this idea.  But Dip Metress's performance at Thursday's "GRU Jaguar Madness" is a better application of this message.

Many of my fellow former Jaguar players and I know what it is like to play in front of a small crowd.  Dip has long since changed that for the current GRU crew.  Winning consistently has certainly helped.  But Dip has also engaged the community with his passion for his team, his school, and his sport.  I know with certainty that it does not come naturally for Metress to "Dip baby Dip" while doing the "tootsie roll" (see video below).  But his dance ignited a fun evening at Christenberry Fieldhouse Thursday.  Jaguar students and supporters followed suit by cheering (and buzzing about Metress's dance!) during the various shooting competitions before Augusta native Harold Doby captured the dunk contest crown.  Doby jumped over his young daughter and threw down a two handed monster dunk.

But second only to Metress's dance was former two time NCAA All American and Jaguar legend A.J. Bowman's late entry into the dunk contest.  Dressed in jeans, Bowman decided to grant the crowd its wish and throw one down after serving as one of the "celebrity judges."  Bowman stole the show by throwing down a one handed windmill dunk off of one bounce and no warm up!

Passionate Jaguar Fans!

The number of Jaguar players with their jersey retired can be counted on one hand.  And Bowman was not the only one in attendance Thursday.  Keenan Mann, who will join me in following the Jags and the greater Augusta basketball community throughout the next several months, was also in attendance Thursday.  Coach Metress's passion and leadership creates good teams.  But it also creates excitement.  Thursday's event proves there is plenty of built up excitement for the inaugural GRU basketball season.  Keenan and I, along with the rest of the Augusta basketball community, will surely enjoy the ride!

This Week in Eagles Hoops: Special Guest Matt Miller

***This "flashback post" was originally posted at AugustaEagles.blogspot.com (my "old" blog).  It is still there but I no longer post there.  I moved it to this blog because Matt is someone I am tracking, and pulling for.***



This post made me think of former Eagle Matt Miller, who during the past four seasons scored over 3000 points, won nearly 100 regular season games, and led the Eagles to two national top ten finishes, a southeast regional championship, a southeast regional runner up finish, and an East Coast championship.  Matt embodies everything we hope to inspire and develop in the young people in our program.  He takes every opportunity available to make himself extraordinary in everything he pursues.  During the time I've known him, he has become a truly exceptional student, basketball player, and person.  And I am confident he will continue to excel in whichever activities he pursues in the years and decades to come.  It was great to talk to him in the interview above during his first break from a tough first year of college.