Cross Creek and Evans are among the 6 area teams participating in next weekend's NCAA certified team camps. Here are all the relevant details:

Christian Chambers - 6'2" Sr. (Evans)

For as long as I can remember, June has been the busiest month of the entire off season for high school coaches and their players when it comes to preparing the team for the following year. Cross Creek coach Lawrence Kelly provided an example of the chaotic schedule a team can keep in the first month of the summer when he described to me last Wednesday his squad's plans to play 13 games in 6 days last week.

"Outside of the (Butler) summer league... we went to Blythewood (SC) to play Blythewood and White Knoll last night," coach Kelly explained. "We are going to the University of South Carolina team camp this Friday and Saturday, and we are also going to McCormick tomorrow."

For Cross Creek, Evans, Burke County and Washington County, this month will include an opportunity that for the longest time was never available to high school programs at all during any summer month. That is the opportunity to play in front of Division I coaches. Believe it or not, for at least 30 years, the only chances to play in front of coaches of schools belonging to the NCAA's highest level were in AAU and individual camp settings. If you can find the logic in that policy, please share it.

Apparently the committee that was appointed to address the concerns about corruption in the sport that surfaced after the FBI indicted several assistant coaches and others on felony charges last year decided reducing the role of AAU tournaments, and increasing that of high school coaches and team camps, was tool logical an idea to ignore. Which brings us to next weekend's #NCAAGeorgia GHSA Team Camp, which will include roughly one-third of the nearly 450 high school teams in the Georgia High School Association, including Cross Creek and Evans from our immediate area.

Both of those teams, which each reached the second round of the state playoffs last season after finishing as the runner up in their respective regions, are poised to take advantage of the opportunity to play in front of the college coaches (of all levels) who will flock to the campuses of the three Atlanta area schools that will host the mega camp. Before the Razorbacks and the Knights faced off last Wednesday in a summer league game at Butler, I interviewed both of their head coaches to find out what they expect to get out of this new experience. And I captured video proof that games involving both teams will make for a worthy stop on the itineraries of recruiters visiting the Peach State next weekend.

Breakdown: Cross Creek and Evans - Wednesday, June 12

Coach Kelly stated the obvious when asked what he expects to get out of the NCAA Division I certified event next weekend:

“It's about exposure. We're trying to help players get college interest," coach Kelly quickly responded. "They have a bunch of interest at this moment. So we are trying to increase that interest."

Kobe Stewart - 6'6" Sr. (Cross Creek)

Kelly's 6-6 left handed senior guard Kobe Stewart should attract attention for his interesting set of tools, which includes a soft stroke that extends to the three point line, and a smooth handle that allows him to get to the basket even against smaller guards.

"My phone last year was ringing off the hook," said Kelly about his three year starter.

Stewart showed his array of skills Wednesday in Cross Creek's 45-42 win over Evans when he scored 18 points and buried 3 three pointers.

Cross Creek's victory was its fourth in four tries at Butler, and it came after an impressive second half comeback. Evans had built a lead that ballooned to as many as 12 points behind a barrage of buckets by its own Division I prospect, senior Christian Chambers. Chambers scored 28 points in the contest, including 15 in the first half when Evans took complete control.

It was an impressive stretch by Chambers, and it was the second time in two weeks that he ran off a dizzying string of points in a short period of time, the first being the prior Wednesday when he scored 18 points in 13 minutes against Thomson in a 39-23 win by Evans.

In addition to the two lefties, both teams include several more players who will be worth evaluating at next weekend's "exposure camp." Cross Creek's 6-4 junior forward Corey Trotter springs to mind:

In addition to those three players, there are at least that many more worth a close look whom I haven't mentioned here, but can be seen in this full game highlight video from last Wednesday's game:

"Exposure" is not the only benefit of next weekend's team camp

Evans coach Kevin Kenny identified another good reason coach Kelly and he were wise to make sure their teams were among the 150 teams that will participate in Georgia's first NCAA certified high school team camp.

"I think number one, you get the opportunity to play different teams. The schools we are playing are mostly from the Atlanta area," coach Kenny explained before Wednesday's matchup. "I've been doing this for 30 years. I always say Georgia has some of the best talent in the 50 states."

These are the schedules for the teams from our area that will participate in next weekend's NCAA Division I certified high school team camps, including two local teams that will play in South Carolina's version of the event:

***Link to official schedule for Georgia's event:***
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/1963e0_e0431a1e2bc2420ab0db0ce50b6e7499.pdf

Evans

vs Dacula at Marietta Middle School

- Saturday, June 22 at 10:00 A.M.

vs Cherokee Bluff at McEachern High School

- Saturday, June 22 at 7:00 P.M.

vs Hiram at McEachern High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 10:00 A.M.

vs Pelham at McEachern High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 2:00 P.M.

Cross Creek

vs Alcovy at Wheeler High School

- Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M.

vs Apalachee at Wheeler High School

- Saturday, June 22 at 3:00 P.M.

vs Arabia Mountain at Wheeler High School

- Saturday, June 23 at 7:00 P.M.

vs Whitfield at Wheeler High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 3:00 P.M.

Burke County

vs Locust Grove at Marietta Middle School

- Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M.

vs Perry at Marietta Middle School

- Saturday, June 22 at 4:00 P.M.

vs Lakeview at McEachern High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 10:00 A.M.

vs Carver at McEachern High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 1:00 P.M.

Washington County

vs Lambert at Marietta Middle School

- Saturday, June 22 at 9:00 A.M.

vs Westover at Marietta High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 8:00 A.M.

vs Statesboro at Marietta High School

- Sunday, June 23 at 12:00 P.M.

vs Fayette County at Marietta Middle School

- Sunday, June 23 at 3:00 P.M.

***Link to official schedule for South Carolina's event:***

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MlJ2IbTTA1UDTvwwSa0lV93mMlTVJEj7VzzpLb1XgOM/edit#gid=0

Aiken

vs Andrew Jackson at Westwood High School

- Friday, June 21 at 7:00 P.M.

vs Ridge View at Richland Northeast

- Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M.

vs Fort Mill at Richland Northeast

- Saturday, June 22 at 5:00 P.M.

Fox Creek

vs Chesnee at Westwood High School

- Saturday, June 22 at 4:00 P.M.

vs Marion at Westwood High School

- Saturday, June 22 at 6:00 P.M.