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- Thread starter OSUBasketballJunkie
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
In open pool play, Spiece Indy Heat defeated New York Panthers, 77-63 and Spiece also defeated So Calif All Stars, 81-57.
Oden and Co......start Bracket play today at 1:00pm against Eastern Wash Elite Red.....<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Oden and Co......start Bracket play today at 1:00pm against Eastern Wash Elite Red.....<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
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By far this is his best attribute. He can score, pass and play D, but the kid just doesn't turn over the ball.wadc45 said:
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
ScoutHoops.com$
7/25/05
In the win over the New York Panthers, which featured Lance Thomas.....Conley had 25 points and 4-8 from behind the arc.
At the Big Time tourney on Sunday....
Spiece Indy Heat defeated Eastern Wash Elite Red 87-59 and in the evening Spiece defeated Philadelphia Crusaders, 69-56. Spiece Indy Heat will play Spiece Gym Rats Cent at 11:40pm on Monday in the #6 Bracket.
7/25/05
In the win over the New York Panthers, which featured Lance Thomas.....Conley had 25 points and 4-8 from behind the arc.
At the Big Time tourney on Sunday....
Spiece Indy Heat defeated Eastern Wash Elite Red 87-59 and in the evening Spiece defeated Philadelphia Crusaders, 69-56. Spiece Indy Heat will play Spiece Gym Rats Cent at 11:40pm on Monday in the #6 Bracket.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
rivals.com$
7/25/05
Spiece Indy Heat defeated Spiece Central 63-53 in a hard fought, physical game. Conley had 17 points, hitting 1-2 from beyond the arc in the win.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
7/25/05
Spiece Indy Heat defeated Spiece Central 63-53 in a hard fought, physical game. Conley had 17 points, hitting 1-2 from beyond the arc in the win.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Indy Heat defeated Texas Bluechips 71-42 late Monday, advancing to today's quarterfinals. The champion will be crowned tonight. Indy Heat will play the Michigan Hurricanes at 11:40am today.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
LINK
7/26/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Today: July 26, 2005 at 11:5:48 PDT
Big Time champs get big assist
Oden is the star, but point guard's game sparkles
By Steve Guiremand <[email protected]>
[size=-2]LAS VEGAS SUN[/size]
Defending Reebok Big Time tournament champion Spiece Indy Heat team took the floor at Foothill High School for a key matchup against the Southern California All-Stars and all eyes were focused on 7-foot center Greg Oden.
There's a good reason for that. Oden is probably the best prep center to come along since some fellow named Shaquille O'Neal and would have been the No. 1 pick of next June's NBA draft if not for the league's recent rule change requiring players to be at least 19 years old to be eligible.
But the Spiece Indy Heat is hardly a one-man team.
Although he doesn't get the national attention that Oden does, electrifying 6-foot-1 point guard Michael Conley also will probably merit McDonald's All-America status next spring. Like Oden, Conley has already verbally committed to play his college basketball at Ohio State.
"I think he's one of the best true point guards in the nation in making great decisions," said respected recruiting guru Bob Gibbons (bobgibbons.net) of Lenoir, N.C. "He's also an accurate 3-point shooter. He knows how to get the ball in to Oden when he has to. I'd rate him one of the top three point guard prospects in the nation."
Oden and Conley have led Lawrence North High School to back-to-back Indiana state titles. They've played together since sixth grade.
"He's the leader out there," Oden said. "He might be quiet but he knows what he's doing. We look to him. When he's having a good game, there's nothing you can do about it. Just sit back and let him do his thing."
Conley's "thing" is breaking down opposing defenses off the dribble and dishing off to Oden, who usually finishes with a dunk. He is also an outstanding defender who roams the backcourt like a free safety, frequently intercepting a pass to foil an opposing fastbreak.
Playing in the giant shadow of player like Oden doesn't bother Conley -- and for good reason.
He's used to it.
Conley is the son of U.S. Track and Field Hall of Famer Mike Conley, a three-time Olympic triple-jumper who won the gold in 1992 with a leap of 59-feet, 7 1/2 inches. He also won a silver at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"There really wasn't any extra pressure," Conley said of being the son of a star athlete. "The main thing was people were expecting me to run track. But I didn't have any extra pressure other than that because I played basketball, which is my own sport. In fact, it was kind of cool because a lot of people knew him."
Conley did give track a shot as a freshman in high school and had a best in the long jump of 22 feet, 3 inches. He never competed in his dad's specialty, the triple jump.
"But it got in the way of my playing AAU (basketball) so I gave it up," he said. "My father let me do whatever I wanted to do. And I'm glad I picked basketball."
Conley's father is the coach of Spiece Indy Heat squad that includes another future Buckeye in 6-foot-5 forward Daequan Cook, as well as standout junior guard Eric Gordon. But most of the attention centers around Oden, who very well could have been the No. 1 pick of last June's NBA Draft if he could have come out following his junior year.
That's just fine with the younger Conley.
"People might think playing with him might hurt me and I might get overlooked or something," Conley said. "But I think it's perfect for me because I don't have any pressure on me. I don't know how Greg handles all the pressure and attention he gets."
On this night, the Heat dispose easily of the Southern California All-Stars, 81-57. Oden finishes with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in his showdown with 6-foot-9 junior Kevin Love, the son of former Laker Stan Love and the nephew of Beach Boys singer Mike Love. But it's also a big night for Conley, who has seven points, eight assists, three steals and zero turnovers in his battle against Brandon Jennings (11 points, two assists, five turnovers), a sophomore from Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., who is being hailed by some scouts as potentially the best point guard prospect to ever come out of Southern California.
"It was a good game for us but our goal is to win the tournament again," Conley said.
With a dynamic one-two punch like Oden and Conley, it will be a major surprise if they don't. The Heat played the Michigan Hurricanes in this morning's quarterfinals at Foothill High School with a rematch against the Southern California All-Stars likley in the semifinals at 3:20 p.m.. The championship game is scheduled to start at 6:20 p.m.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
7/26/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Today: July 26, 2005 at 11:5:48 PDT
Big Time champs get big assist
Oden is the star, but point guard's game sparkles
By Steve Guiremand <[email protected]>
[size=-2]LAS VEGAS SUN[/size]
Defending Reebok Big Time tournament champion Spiece Indy Heat team took the floor at Foothill High School for a key matchup against the Southern California All-Stars and all eyes were focused on 7-foot center Greg Oden.
There's a good reason for that. Oden is probably the best prep center to come along since some fellow named Shaquille O'Neal and would have been the No. 1 pick of next June's NBA draft if not for the league's recent rule change requiring players to be at least 19 years old to be eligible.
But the Spiece Indy Heat is hardly a one-man team.
Although he doesn't get the national attention that Oden does, electrifying 6-foot-1 point guard Michael Conley also will probably merit McDonald's All-America status next spring. Like Oden, Conley has already verbally committed to play his college basketball at Ohio State.
"I think he's one of the best true point guards in the nation in making great decisions," said respected recruiting guru Bob Gibbons (bobgibbons.net) of Lenoir, N.C. "He's also an accurate 3-point shooter. He knows how to get the ball in to Oden when he has to. I'd rate him one of the top three point guard prospects in the nation."
Oden and Conley have led Lawrence North High School to back-to-back Indiana state titles. They've played together since sixth grade.
"He's the leader out there," Oden said. "He might be quiet but he knows what he's doing. We look to him. When he's having a good game, there's nothing you can do about it. Just sit back and let him do his thing."
Conley's "thing" is breaking down opposing defenses off the dribble and dishing off to Oden, who usually finishes with a dunk. He is also an outstanding defender who roams the backcourt like a free safety, frequently intercepting a pass to foil an opposing fastbreak.
Playing in the giant shadow of player like Oden doesn't bother Conley -- and for good reason.
He's used to it.
Conley is the son of U.S. Track and Field Hall of Famer Mike Conley, a three-time Olympic triple-jumper who won the gold in 1992 with a leap of 59-feet, 7 1/2 inches. He also won a silver at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"There really wasn't any extra pressure," Conley said of being the son of a star athlete. "The main thing was people were expecting me to run track. But I didn't have any extra pressure other than that because I played basketball, which is my own sport. In fact, it was kind of cool because a lot of people knew him."
Conley did give track a shot as a freshman in high school and had a best in the long jump of 22 feet, 3 inches. He never competed in his dad's specialty, the triple jump.
"But it got in the way of my playing AAU (basketball) so I gave it up," he said. "My father let me do whatever I wanted to do. And I'm glad I picked basketball."
Conley's father is the coach of Spiece Indy Heat squad that includes another future Buckeye in 6-foot-5 forward Daequan Cook, as well as standout junior guard Eric Gordon. But most of the attention centers around Oden, who very well could have been the No. 1 pick of last June's NBA Draft if he could have come out following his junior year.
That's just fine with the younger Conley.
"People might think playing with him might hurt me and I might get overlooked or something," Conley said. "But I think it's perfect for me because I don't have any pressure on me. I don't know how Greg handles all the pressure and attention he gets."
On this night, the Heat dispose easily of the Southern California All-Stars, 81-57. Oden finishes with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in his showdown with 6-foot-9 junior Kevin Love, the son of former Laker Stan Love and the nephew of Beach Boys singer Mike Love. But it's also a big night for Conley, who has seven points, eight assists, three steals and zero turnovers in his battle against Brandon Jennings (11 points, two assists, five turnovers), a sophomore from Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., who is being hailed by some scouts as potentially the best point guard prospect to ever come out of Southern California.
"It was a good game for us but our goal is to win the tournament again," Conley said.
With a dynamic one-two punch like Oden and Conley, it will be a major surprise if they don't. The Heat played the Michigan Hurricanes in this morning's quarterfinals at Foothill High School with a rematch against the Southern California All-Stars likley in the semifinals at 3:20 p.m.. The championship game is scheduled to start at 6:20 p.m.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
link
7/27/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">big time tournament
Indy Heat win championship
Oden named tournament MVP; Gordon, Conley provide key baskets in event's final.
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By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]
LAS VEGAS -- Led by the nation's top high school player, the Spiece Indy Heat put an exclamation point on a dominating summer basketball season by winning the Reebok Big Time Tournament.
In a heated final featuring seven of the nation's most highly regarded high school players, Spiece beat O.J. Mayo and the D-I Greyhounds 73-67 Tuesday night in front of a standing-room-only crowd that included hundreds of college coaches at Foothill High School's 4,000-seat gymnasium.
Indy Heat leaned on 7-foot center Greg Oden early and clutch plays from their guards late to finish with a 10-0 record. Their average margin of victory was 18.9 points.
Indy Heat became the first repeat champion in the tournament's 11-year history and Oden became the first two-time Most Valuable Player.
Even before the championship game, talk among college coaches and talent scouts was that Spiece Indy Heat is the best summer team ever.
"Now that this is over with, I think we are," coach Mike Conley said. "Not because I think our kids are better and more talented than (other) kids, but it's their history.
"They lost only one game in AAU nationals since sixth grade. They stopped playing AAU nationals and won two of these nationals. Bring out somebody else's record and compare."
Indy Heat also won tournaments in Miami, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Bloomington, Ind. They were second at the Real Deal on the Hill in Fayetteville, Ark. They lost two games all summer.
Indy Heat went 3-0 against the Greyhounds, led by Mayo, considered the No. 1 player in the 2007 class, and highly regarded Bill Walker and Keenan Ellis.
Oden finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. He blocked three dunk attempts, one by the 6-11 Ellis and two by 6-8 Alex Tyus.
Shooting guard Eric Gordon had 18 points, point guard Mike Conley had 15 points and three assists, and shooting guard Daequan Cook had 14 points.
Conley tied the score at 60 with two driving layups in traffic, then Cook followed with an old-fashioned three-point play and Gordon hit a 3-pointer for a 66-60 Spiece lead.
Oden shot 68 percent from the field and averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while playing 19 minutes per game.
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link
7/27/05
Quote:
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[font=Verdana, Arial]PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Heat pulls off title repeat[/font]
<!-- QUICKREAD -->
[font=Verdana, Arial]Star Oden leads squad's 10-0 run through Big Time[/font]
<!-- TEXT of COL1 --><!--plsfield:BYLINE-->[font=Verdana, Arial]By STEVE CARP
REVIEW-JOURNAL </B>
</B>[/font]<!--Sidebar2 Table--><!--startclickprintexclude--><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=5 width=150 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>[font=Verdana, Arial]
Players on the Spiece Indy Heat bench cheer as their team takes the lead late in Tuesday's 73-67 victory over the D1 Greyhounds in the Big Time Tournament's Open Division title game. Spiece Indy Heat became the first team to win back-to-back Big Time titles.
Photo by John Locher.
Aaron Pogue of Spiece Indy Heat drives to the basket against D1 Greyhounds' Alexander Tyus in the Big Time title game.
Photo by John Locher.
[/font]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--plsfield:STORY-->
</B>Defending champion Spiece Indy Heat entered the Big Time Tournament with much of last year's lineup intact, including star 7-foot center Greg Oden, and a big question:
Could the team do something that hadn't been accomplished in the basketball tourney's previous 10 years, repeat as champion?
The Heat was tested on occasion, but Oden and his teammates capped a 10-0 run in the Open Division by defeating the O.J. Mayo-led D-1 Greyhounds 73-67 Tuesday at Foothill High School to retain the Big Time title.
"It's a great honor. We played together, all five guys working as one," said Oden, who had 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks and was named Outstanding Player.
The Greyhounds were looking to avenge Friday's 69-67 loss in the first round of pool play.
Led by Mayo's 18 points, the Greyhounds stayed close throughout the title game, which was tied at 60 with three minutes left. But Daequan Cook converted a three-point play and Eric Gordon followed with a 3-pointer to give the Heat a 66-60 lead, and the Greyhounds were unable to answer.
"It's very hard to go undefeated," said Cook, who had 14 points. "But we had a lot of determination. We wanted to be the first to repeat."
Coach Michael Conley said: "This team had a lot of pressure on it, but they're mature kids. They never took anyone for granted, and to go undefeated is a tremendous accomplishment."
The Greyhounds reached the final by defeating the Oakland Soldiers 79-63 and Team Danny Williams, 87-76.
In the win over Team Danny Williams, Billy Walker of Greyhounds had a team-high 27 points, including two dynamic dunks in the second half. <!-- TEXT of COL2 -->
On the first dunk, Walker left the player guarding him, Davon Jefferson, with a crossover dribble, accelerated through the lane and finished with a tomahawk slam.
On his second dunk, Walker beat a double-team, sliced through the lane and finished with another one-handed slam.
Jefferson had signed with UNLV but failed to qualify academically and will attend prep school in Texas this fall. He had 26 points in the loss.
Spiece Indy Heat had little trouble in its first two games Tuesday. Five players scored in double figures in its 85-46 quarterfinal win over the Michigan Hurricanes. Oden then dominated in the semifinals against the Southern California All-Stars, scoring 18 points in a 71-47 win.
After helping his team successfully defend its title, Oden said he was ready to celebrate.
"I want to ride the roller coaster at New York-New York," he said. "I just hope he (Conley) will let us."
• NOTES -- There were four other division title games Tuesday. In the High School bracket, Spirit Got Game defeated the Panthers of Fort Wayne, Ind., 74-73 to finish 8-0, the only team other than Spiece Indy Heat to finish undefeated. The NW Ohio Basketball Club beat the Idaho Hoosiers 56-45 to win the C Division title, and AFE Wizards Detroit defeated the Houston Jr. Hardballers 79-64 in the B Division. Spiece Indy Red beat the Indy Stars 61-51 for the A Division championship. ... The Las Vegas Dynasty, which enjoyed the longest run among the eight local teams, fell to the Indy Stars 80-62 in the A Division quarterfinals.
<!--endclickprintinclude-->
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rivals.com$
7/27/05
More coverage of Indy Heat's win over D-1 Greyhounds......<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
7/27/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">big time tournament
Indy Heat win championship
Oden named tournament MVP; Gordon, Conley provide key baskets in event's final.
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• Oden stays grounded as summer flies by
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By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]
LAS VEGAS -- Led by the nation's top high school player, the Spiece Indy Heat put an exclamation point on a dominating summer basketball season by winning the Reebok Big Time Tournament.
In a heated final featuring seven of the nation's most highly regarded high school players, Spiece beat O.J. Mayo and the D-I Greyhounds 73-67 Tuesday night in front of a standing-room-only crowd that included hundreds of college coaches at Foothill High School's 4,000-seat gymnasium.
Indy Heat leaned on 7-foot center Greg Oden early and clutch plays from their guards late to finish with a 10-0 record. Their average margin of victory was 18.9 points.
Indy Heat became the first repeat champion in the tournament's 11-year history and Oden became the first two-time Most Valuable Player.
Even before the championship game, talk among college coaches and talent scouts was that Spiece Indy Heat is the best summer team ever.
"Now that this is over with, I think we are," coach Mike Conley said. "Not because I think our kids are better and more talented than (other) kids, but it's their history.
"They lost only one game in AAU nationals since sixth grade. They stopped playing AAU nationals and won two of these nationals. Bring out somebody else's record and compare."
Indy Heat also won tournaments in Miami, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Bloomington, Ind. They were second at the Real Deal on the Hill in Fayetteville, Ark. They lost two games all summer.
Indy Heat went 3-0 against the Greyhounds, led by Mayo, considered the No. 1 player in the 2007 class, and highly regarded Bill Walker and Keenan Ellis.
Oden finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. He blocked three dunk attempts, one by the 6-11 Ellis and two by 6-8 Alex Tyus.
Shooting guard Eric Gordon had 18 points, point guard Mike Conley had 15 points and three assists, and shooting guard Daequan Cook had 14 points.
Conley tied the score at 60 with two driving layups in traffic, then Cook followed with an old-fashioned three-point play and Gordon hit a 3-pointer for a 66-60 Spiece lead.
Oden shot 68 percent from the field and averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while playing 19 minutes per game.
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link
7/27/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">
[font=Verdana, Arial]PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Heat pulls off title repeat[/font]
<!-- QUICKREAD -->
[font=Verdana, Arial]Star Oden leads squad's 10-0 run through Big Time[/font]
<!-- TEXT of COL1 --><!--plsfield:BYLINE-->[font=Verdana, Arial]By STEVE CARP
REVIEW-JOURNAL </B>
</B>[/font]<!--Sidebar2 Table--><!--startclickprintexclude--><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=5 width=150 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>[font=Verdana, Arial]
Players on the Spiece Indy Heat bench cheer as their team takes the lead late in Tuesday's 73-67 victory over the D1 Greyhounds in the Big Time Tournament's Open Division title game. Spiece Indy Heat became the first team to win back-to-back Big Time titles.
Photo by John Locher.
Aaron Pogue of Spiece Indy Heat drives to the basket against D1 Greyhounds' Alexander Tyus in the Big Time title game.
Photo by John Locher.
[/font]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--plsfield:STORY-->
</B>Defending champion Spiece Indy Heat entered the Big Time Tournament with much of last year's lineup intact, including star 7-foot center Greg Oden, and a big question:
Could the team do something that hadn't been accomplished in the basketball tourney's previous 10 years, repeat as champion?
The Heat was tested on occasion, but Oden and his teammates capped a 10-0 run in the Open Division by defeating the O.J. Mayo-led D-1 Greyhounds 73-67 Tuesday at Foothill High School to retain the Big Time title.
"It's a great honor. We played together, all five guys working as one," said Oden, who had 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks and was named Outstanding Player.
The Greyhounds were looking to avenge Friday's 69-67 loss in the first round of pool play.
Led by Mayo's 18 points, the Greyhounds stayed close throughout the title game, which was tied at 60 with three minutes left. But Daequan Cook converted a three-point play and Eric Gordon followed with a 3-pointer to give the Heat a 66-60 lead, and the Greyhounds were unable to answer.
"It's very hard to go undefeated," said Cook, who had 14 points. "But we had a lot of determination. We wanted to be the first to repeat."
Coach Michael Conley said: "This team had a lot of pressure on it, but they're mature kids. They never took anyone for granted, and to go undefeated is a tremendous accomplishment."
The Greyhounds reached the final by defeating the Oakland Soldiers 79-63 and Team Danny Williams, 87-76.
In the win over Team Danny Williams, Billy Walker of Greyhounds had a team-high 27 points, including two dynamic dunks in the second half. <!-- TEXT of COL2 -->
On the first dunk, Walker left the player guarding him, Davon Jefferson, with a crossover dribble, accelerated through the lane and finished with a tomahawk slam.
On his second dunk, Walker beat a double-team, sliced through the lane and finished with another one-handed slam.
Jefferson had signed with UNLV but failed to qualify academically and will attend prep school in Texas this fall. He had 26 points in the loss.
Spiece Indy Heat had little trouble in its first two games Tuesday. Five players scored in double figures in its 85-46 quarterfinal win over the Michigan Hurricanes. Oden then dominated in the semifinals against the Southern California All-Stars, scoring 18 points in a 71-47 win.
After helping his team successfully defend its title, Oden said he was ready to celebrate.
"I want to ride the roller coaster at New York-New York," he said. "I just hope he (Conley) will let us."
• NOTES -- There were four other division title games Tuesday. In the High School bracket, Spirit Got Game defeated the Panthers of Fort Wayne, Ind., 74-73 to finish 8-0, the only team other than Spiece Indy Heat to finish undefeated. The NW Ohio Basketball Club beat the Idaho Hoosiers 56-45 to win the C Division title, and AFE Wizards Detroit defeated the Houston Jr. Hardballers 79-64 in the B Division. Spiece Indy Red beat the Indy Stars 61-51 for the A Division championship. ... The Las Vegas Dynasty, which enjoyed the longest run among the eight local teams, fell to the Indy Stars 80-62 in the A Division quarterfinals.
<!--endclickprintinclude-->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
rivals.com$
7/27/05
More coverage of Indy Heat's win over D-1 Greyhounds......<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
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bucknut11
Defense still wins Championships
With all the excitement following the commits of these guys (Conley and Oden in particular, but also Cook), I think the biggest factor that's being underlooked is the fact that these guys have been playing together for at least 6 years (3 for Cook by the time they get on campus). It took UNC and all their talent 3 years to mesh and it resulted in a Nat'l Championship. It's scary what these guys can accomplish since they already know one another's games inside and out.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
yahoo.com
7/29/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>One classy class</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews
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When Thad Matta was hired at Ohio State in July 2004, he was in a position to take advantage of the personal relationships and reputation he had developed while in Indianapolis and Cincinnati as the head coach at Butler and then Xavier. Matta and his staff already had been recruiting some of the top players in Ohio for Xavier, and Matta had continued to nurture contacts developed across the border in Indiana.
That helped the Buckeyes land commitments from four elite players in the class of 2006. Though that class may not be complete -- it eventually figures to include six players -- it already has enough star quality to rank with Michigan's "Fab Five" in 1991 and Duke's class of '97 as one of the best collections of talent in the past 25 years.
Greg Oden, 7-0/240, C, Lawrence North, Indianapolis. The Buckeyes gambled that the NBA would install an age minimum for draft entry. They were right.
Daequan Cook, 6-5/190, SG, Dunbar, Dayton, Ohio. He has the smooth, upright shooting style of Sonics star Ray Allen, but Cook probably is a touch more athletic and a touch less accurate from the perimeter. Matta had been recruiting Cook for Xavier and made him the Buckeyes' top recruiting priority after getting the Ohio State job.
David Lighty, 6-5/180, SF, Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland. He is an excellent athlete who plays above the rim but needs to improve his jump shot and perimeter skills. Lighty has been missing from the summer scene because he is recovering from knee surgery.
Mike Conley, 6-1/160, PG, Lawrence North, Indianapolis. He is considered a slight step below point guard classmates Tywon Lawson and Sherron Collins, mostly because of their bulk and strength. But Conley is an excellent athlete, has deep shooting range and plays a cerebral game.
The best ever? <TABLE class=v10 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="50%" bgColor=#cccccc border=0><TBODY><TR style="COLOR: #ffffff" bgColor=#000000><TD>Player </TD><TD>*Ranking </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Ohio State 2006 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Greg Oden </TD><TD>1 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Daequan Cook </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>David Lighty </TD><TD>18 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Mike Conley </TD><TD>23 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Duke 1997 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Shane Battier </TD><TD>4 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Chris Burgess </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Elton Brand </TD><TD>7 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Will Avery </TD><TD>45 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Michigan 1991 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Chris Webber </TD><TD>1 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Juwan Howard </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Jalen Rose </TD><TD>9 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Jimmy King </TD><TD>39 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Ray Jackson </TD><TD>79 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>*National rankings by talent scout Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com (and of FutureStars magazine in 1997 and '91) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. E-mail him at [email protected].
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7/29/05
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>One classy class</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Mike DeCourcy - SportingNews
<TABLE id=ysparticleheadshot cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="5" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>When Thad Matta was hired at Ohio State in July 2004, he was in a position to take advantage of the personal relationships and reputation he had developed while in Indianapolis and Cincinnati as the head coach at Butler and then Xavier. Matta and his staff already had been recruiting some of the top players in Ohio for Xavier, and Matta had continued to nurture contacts developed across the border in Indiana.
That helped the Buckeyes land commitments from four elite players in the class of 2006. Though that class may not be complete -- it eventually figures to include six players -- it already has enough star quality to rank with Michigan's "Fab Five" in 1991 and Duke's class of '97 as one of the best collections of talent in the past 25 years.
Greg Oden, 7-0/240, C, Lawrence North, Indianapolis. The Buckeyes gambled that the NBA would install an age minimum for draft entry. They were right.
Daequan Cook, 6-5/190, SG, Dunbar, Dayton, Ohio. He has the smooth, upright shooting style of Sonics star Ray Allen, but Cook probably is a touch more athletic and a touch less accurate from the perimeter. Matta had been recruiting Cook for Xavier and made him the Buckeyes' top recruiting priority after getting the Ohio State job.
David Lighty, 6-5/180, SF, Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland. He is an excellent athlete who plays above the rim but needs to improve his jump shot and perimeter skills. Lighty has been missing from the summer scene because he is recovering from knee surgery.
Mike Conley, 6-1/160, PG, Lawrence North, Indianapolis. He is considered a slight step below point guard classmates Tywon Lawson and Sherron Collins, mostly because of their bulk and strength. But Conley is an excellent athlete, has deep shooting range and plays a cerebral game.
The best ever? <TABLE class=v10 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="50%" bgColor=#cccccc border=0><TBODY><TR style="COLOR: #ffffff" bgColor=#000000><TD>Player </TD><TD>*Ranking </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Ohio State 2006 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Greg Oden </TD><TD>1 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Daequan Cook </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>David Lighty </TD><TD>18 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Mike Conley </TD><TD>23 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Duke 1997 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Shane Battier </TD><TD>4 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Chris Burgess </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Elton Brand </TD><TD>7 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Will Avery </TD><TD>45 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Michigan 1991 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Chris Webber </TD><TD>1 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Juwan Howard </TD><TD>5 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Jalen Rose </TD><TD>9 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>Jimmy King </TD><TD>39 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee><TD>Ray Jackson </TD><TD>79 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff><TD>*National rankings by talent scout Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com (and of FutureStars magazine in 1997 and '91) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. E-mail him at [email protected].
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
link
7/31/05
7/31/05
Scouts rate Conley among elite prep point guards
Once seen as teammate Oden's shadow, Lawrence North senior has honed his talent.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD>Grip and grin: Lawrence North's Mike Conley (center) has demonstrated superior decision-making during summer games. -- Mike Fender / The Star
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By Jeff Rabjohns
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--document.write(''+'jeff.rabjohns'+'@'+'indystar.com'+'');//--></SCRIPT>[email protected]
LAS VEGAS -- After watching Mike Conley take apart one highly ranked point guard after another over the summer, one Division I college coach summed up his opinion.
"You could give the ball to Gary Payton and ask him to bring it up the court, and he'd struggle against Conley," the coach said.
Conley, who will be a senior this fall at Lawrence North, established himself this summer as one of the top high school point guards in the country. The 6-1 son of three-time track Olympian Mike Conley displayed suffocating defense, shooting touch from outside and midrange and a smart passing game.
Early in his high school career, Conley was best known for being Greg Oden's point guard. Conley still trails his teammate in headlines, but in basketball circles he's no longer in the shadow of the nation's top-ranked player.
"He'll be a great college player. He's a candidate to be a McDonald's All-American in his own right," said Bob Gibbons, who has been scouting high school players for more than two decades.
"He has developed his game to the point he is no way on the coattails of Greg Oden. He's one of the top four point guards in his class. He's an outstanding shooter. He's a pure point guard, which is rare in itself. He's a passer. He plays defense."
Last week, Conley quarterbacked Spiece Indy Heat to a 10-0 record and the championship of the open division of the Reebok Big Time Tournament, the deepest and most talented of any team tournament this summer. The open division featured 112 teams -- more than in Indiana's Class 4A in the high school season -- and 37 players ranked in the top 30 in either the Class of 2006 or 2007.
Playing 10 games in five days, Conley, ranked No. 18 in the nation in the 2006 class by Gibbons, had 31 assists, 12 turnovers and averaged 11.3 points while playing 22 minutes per game.
"Conley's game stands on its own two feet," said rivals.com's Jerry Meyer, who has seen Conley multiple times this summer. "What he does with that Spiece team, with it being so talented, it's like being on a top-level college team.
"He has a great feel for the game, picking points to be aggressive and attack the basket and when to distribute the ball to other players. He might be the best pure point guard in his class because of those things."
Earlier this month at the invitation-only ABCD Camp in New Jersey, Conley went head-to-head with O.J. Mayo, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2007. Conley scored a game-high 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting while holding Mayo to nine points on 3-for-13 shooting.
During the same event, Conley held Oklahoma recruit Scottie Reynolds to one point and shut down two other top-10 point guards, Willie Kemp (two points) and Edwin Rios (scoreless).
At the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in San Diego in June, Conley's team was losing when he entered the game. He shut down D.J. Augustin, a highly ranked point guard from New Orleans, and his team took the lead for good.
In Las Vegas, Conley shot 49.3 percent from the field, with nearly half of his shots being 3-pointers. At ABCD, he led all players in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.0-to-0.7).
"What makes him special as far as a true point guard is his decision-making ability," Meyer said. "He knows when to get the ball inside to the big guy, when to get the ball to the shooter. He can push the tempo with the dribble and he can push the tempo by passing the ball upcourt.
"I really believe he's going to get stronger and even a little taller. He has a nice upside physically, which you usually don't see. Usually with point guards, there's not a lot of room for improvement at 17 (years old). I don't think that's the case with Conley. I think he has room for improvement physically."
Conley, listed at 170 pounds, is a natural right-hander. He shoots left-handed from long range but with either hand close to the basket.
In Las Vegas, Conley was his team's leading scorer twice, including a game-high 25 points in a 77-63 victory over the Long Island Panthers, one of the top teams from the New York area.
Conley said this summer he's enjoying shutting people down more than putting up points.
"Holding somebody to next to nothing feels a lot better," Conley said. "It makes you feel like you were a big part of the game. Holding a big part of their team to zero points or causing them to commit six turnovers, you know you were a game-changer."
Now everyone knows.
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Just in case you guys missed the key sentence IMO:
"You could give the ball to Gary Payton and ask him to bring it up the court, and he'd struggle against Conley," the coach said.
"You could give the ball to Gary Payton and ask him to bring it up the court, and he'd struggle against Conley," the coach said.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
scout.com$
8/1/05
Conley is starting to get some recongnition for how talented he really is.
8/1/05
Conley was considered the best backcourt defensive player, best playmaker/floor general and #5 in the top 25 players at the camps this past month. Spiece Indy Heat was considered the #1 team at the events.<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Five Days Of Viewing Left A Lot of Impressions
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
Mike Conley
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Frank Burlison National Basketball Columnist
Date: Aug 1, 2005
Five days of nearly non-stop viewing in Las Vegas didn't make trying to rate three events' best players any easier. But, armed with a few days' worth of perspective as cushion, Scout.com columnist Frank Burlison decided to give it his best shot, anyway. Some of the choices were obvious. But if you don't see a name you think belongs on the Top 25, there's probably a reason for the omission.
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Conley is starting to get some recongnition for how talented he really is.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
rivals.com$
8/4/05
Conley is considered the #26 prospect in the Rivals.com Top 150 August update.
(This is a joke to say the least, he outplayed everyone he faced this summer)
8/4/05
Conley is considered the #26 prospect in the Rivals.com Top 150 August update.
(This is a joke to say the least, he outplayed everyone he faced this summer)
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