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Oak Hill Academy mid year review

January 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
RJ Curington (center) is one of the top unsigned guards in the country. (PHOTO by Justin Young)

RJ Curington (center) is one of the top unsigned guards in the country. (PHOTO by Justin Young)Tro

Oak Hill moved into the Holiday break with a 17-2 record with losses coming to Paul VI (56-54) in double overtime and a loss to LaLumiere (70-67) at the Iolani Prep Classic in Hawaii. The Warriors will return to action on Monday, January 11th against Toronto Academy at Turner Gymnasium on the campus of Oak Hill Academy.

For most programs, 17-2 midyear record is impressive, but the goals and expectations each and every season at Oak Hill Academy are not “most programs.” That being said, it will be interesting to watch how Coach Steve Smith’s Warriors respond for another tough second half schedule.

Below is a midterm look at the 2012-13 Warriors with their most current statistics.

6’6 2013 Troy Williams (Indiana): The multi-talented WG is unique in his ability to play multiple positions. A natural wing, he can score from any spot on the floor and when his perimeter jumper is falling is a difficult match up for the opposing team. Without question, Williams is a relentless rebounder and his impeccable timing for defensive rebounds is impressive. Williams leads the team in scoring with 15.7 PPG and has connected on 114-220 shots from the floor for 52%. He has converted on 18-60 3-pointers for 30% and has connected on 41-58 FT for 70%. He leads the team in dunks with 49. More importantly, Williams is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.5 RPG and is third with 53 assists. Without question, Williams has been Oak Hill’s most consistent player the first half of the season.

6’5 2013 Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina): Thornwell is a truly gifted offensive player that has a vast arsenal of offensive skill sets. Thornwell is physically mature with long arms and we consider Thornwell the best defender on the team. He is a tough defender and his ability to put pressure on the offensive player is often under stated. Thornwell is averaging 15.3 PPG going 93-203 from the floor for 46%. He is shooting 22-65 from the 3-point line for 39% and has hit 83-109 FT for 76%. Thornwell leads the team in FT attempts and there are very few guards on the national level that possesses his strength and ability to get to the rim. He is a strong finisher and is a master of iniating contact for fouls. He averages 5.1 RPG and is second of the team with 57 assists.

6’5 2013 R.J. “Microwave” Curington (Unsigned): Curington is a member of the 2011-12 National Championship team and he brings experience and maturity to the team. Properly nicknamed “microwave” simply because he brings instant energy and scoring once he steps onto the court. Curington has a full throttle approach to the game and his effort, enthusiasm, and readiness is appealing. Curington is averaging 13.8 PPG and has shot 96-216 from the floor for 44% while connecting on 30-97 3-pointers for 31%. He has connected on 40-52 FT attempts for 77%. Curington has a strong work ethic and plays with 100% effort 100% of the time.

6’1 2013 Nate Britt (North Carolina): Britt is a true lead PG that knows how to facilitates and control the tempo of the game. Britt has been sidelined with a torn meniscus since the Paul VI game and his services on the court have been truly missed. While Britt has put up modest numbers, it is his calming demeanor and team leader approach that makes him so valuable. Britt is averaging 7.9 PPG going 36-90 from the floor for 40% while connecting on 11-32 3-pointers for 31%. The one stat is really surprised me was his FT shooting percentage. He has only connected on 20-37 FT for 54%. He leads the team in assists 5.3.

6’8 2014 Rokas Gustys: Gustys is a tough and physical player from Lithuania. He is a physically strong PF and is a two handed rebounder. While Gustys is not the most athletic player, he is fundamentally sound and possesses a high basketball IQ. He has nifty feet in the low post area and has extremely soft hands. While Gustys scored the majority of his points on the interior, he has the ability to step out and consistently knock down the perimeter jumper. Gustys is averaging 7.0 PPG going 57-108 from the floor for 53%. Although he has a nice touch, he has struggled at the FT line going 19-39 for only 45%. He averaged 5.7 RPG and look for Gustys to be a major target for his position in the 2014 class.

6’8 2013 Lennard Freeman (Unsigned) Freeman is a physically mature PF that is long and athletic. He is a relentless rebounder and has the ability to defend his position extremely well. He uses his strength and length to his advantage and will do all the necessary things for his team such as blocking shots and taking charges. He does lead the team in charges taken which is a luxury in the low post. Currently, Freeman is averaging 5.1 PPG going 41-77 from the floor for 53% while connecting only on 14-31 FT for 45%. He is averaging 5.6 RPG and should be a high priority of mid major schools.

6’2 2013 Ike Iroegbu (Washington State) Iroegbu is also a member of the 2011-12 OHA National Championship team. Iroegbu is an ultra athletic guard that can easily play both positions. Not many players in the country possess his athleticism and quickness on the court. His leaping ability is off the charts and has the ability to become a solid college prospect. He is currently averaging 5.4 PPG going 38-86 from the floor for 44% while connecting on 8-24 from the 3-point line for 24%. He has connected on 18-30 FT for 60%.

5’10 2014 Terrence Phillips: Phillips is the only sophomore on the team. He is one to put into your SIM CARD for future references. Phillips provides depth at the PG position, but his full throttle approach and game changing defensive prowess will be giving offensive players fits for years to come. He has an excellent shooting touch and proper fundamentals/technique and has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble.

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Oak Hill Loses in Double OT: 56 game winning streak comes to an end

December 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This past weekend, Oak Hill traveled to the Washington DC area to play a pair of games. First up, was a homecoming game for Troy Williams and the game on Saturday was a homecoming game for Nate Britt.

Last Thursday night, Oak Hill trounced Kecoughton HS by the score of 82-45. Leading the way was hometown hero Troy Williams who netted a double double. Williams scored 24 points going 11-17 from the floor (1-4 from the 3 point line) and had 4 monster dunks. He grabbed 13 rebounds with 10 being on the defensive end. In addition, he dished out 3 assists for another outstanding game. All this was done in 20 minutes of action.

Sindarius Thornwell continued his outstanding play by scoring 16 points going 6-11 from the floor (4-7 from the 3 point line) and had one dunk during the contest. Coming into the game, Thornwell had the reputation of a player that loved attacking the rim and not one of being a prolific 3-point shooter. That being said, Thornwell had improved his outside shooting touch and is becoming a more complete player. Thornwell did have only 3 rebounds but managed 4 steals for the game. We have often spoken about his defensive intensity and he again proved us correct.

Lennard Freeman was the only other Oak Hill player in double figures as he tallied 10 points going 5-7 from the floor. He grabbed 7 rebounds and had 2 steals and blocked shots for a solid performance in 19 minutes of play. Rounding out the scoring for Oak Hill was Ike Iroegbu with 9 points, Nate Britt with 7 points, Terrence Phillips and Rokas Gustys with 5 points apiece. RJ Curington had a quiet game with 4 points.

For the game, Oak Hill shot 35-69 from the floor for 50.7% while only netting 4-8 from the free throw line for 50%. Poor foul shooting has been a problem for the team and will need to improve. The team shot 8-21 from the 3-point line for 38% and collected 46 rebounds. Oak Hill dished out 25 assists as a team to only 16 turnovers, which is good but not great. Oak Hill now moves to 12-0 for the season and travels to Washington DC to play Paul VI.

56 Winning streak comes to an end

Oak Hill came into the game against Paul VI with a 56 game winning streak and just 9 games short of the Oak Hill record. Oak Hill lost a heart breaker in double OT to Paul VI by the score of 56-54. What makes the lost more depressing is Oak Hill probably played their worst game of the year and still had a chance to win the game. Oak Hill shot only 32.3% from the floor going 21-65 (while going 4-22 from the 3 point line for 18%) but the game was simply lost at the free throw line. Oak Hill went a dismal 8-18 for 44.4% and after looking at the stats; you can only imagine that the powerful Warriors were even in the game. In addition, Oak Hill had more turnovers (12) than assists (9).

RJ Curington led the way for Oak Hill with 21 points and 8 rebounds. He went 8-18 from the floor (3-10 from the 3 point line) Curington went 2-2 from the free throw line and was the one bright spot for the Warriors.

Troy Williams finished with 14 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the game. Williams went 6-15 from the floor (0-5 from the 3 point line) and went 2-6 from the free throw line. He did have 3 steals but had 4 turnovers as well.

The only other player in double figures was Sindarius Thornwell with 10 points. Thornwell went 4-14 from the floor (0-2 from the 3 point line) and 2-4 from the free throw line. Thornwell collected 4 rebounds but also had 4 turnovers for the game.

Curington, Williams, and Thornwell have been the BIG THREE all season for the Warriors and the supporting cast did little to help the cause. Nate Britt was playing injured and only tallied 3 points going 1-8 from the floor (1-4 from the 3 point line) Britt had 5 rebounds, 5 assists and only had 3 turnovers. It should be noted that Britt played with a torn meniscus and will be out for a minimum of 6 weeks.

Oak Hill will be off a week for exams before traveling to Columbia, SC to play a double header before heading off to Hawaii for a pre-Christmas tournament. Oak Hill is now 12-1 for the season.

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The perfect season

February 29, 2012 by 3 Comments

Source: Instragram

The Record

Coming into the 2011-12 season, Coach Steve Smith and Oak Hill had won the mythical national championship seven times (1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2007).  In addition, Oak Hill has been runners-up six times (1990, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2009) and in 2009, the Warriors were 40-0 before losing the final game of the season. Ironically, Coach Smith and Oak Hill captured the most wins in school history with 40 wins in 2006 and 2009 but failed to win the national championship.  Overall, Coach Smith had an impressive 816-53 record for a winning percentage of 94% as Oak Hill continues to play one of the toughest schedules year in and year out. During this time frame, Coach Smith had recorded three 40 win seasons and was named the National High School Coach of the Year by USA Today in 1994, 1999, and 2004 and just recently was named the Naismith Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 season making it the second time he has received this prestigious honor and is the only coach to win the award twice.  And like any great head coach, he is surrounded by a high quality staff of assistant coaches such as Coach Bryan Meagher, Coach Wilbur Allen, and Coach Taylor Conn. Coach Meagher is in his ninth year as an assistant coach while Coach Allen and Coach Conn are in their fourth season with the Warriors. In addition, Coach Allen is a 2001 Oak Hill graduate and was a member of the Oak Hill national runner-up team in 2000 as well as the National Championship team of 2001.

 The Beginning

In our October 9th issue of the Phenom Hoop Report, we wrote the following: Last season, Oak Hill finished 29-4 and Coach Smith stated “that is totally unacceptable at Mouth of Wilson.” Coming into the 2011-12 season, the roster was solid but was missing some of the marquee names that had won the Warrior uniform. There was no Brandon Jennings, Carmelo Anthony, Doron Lamb, Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Smith, Rajon Rondo, Tywon Lawson, Kevin Durant, Rod Strickland, or Ron Mercer. We even stated, “They may not have any players that will make the McDonald’s All American team such as Quinn Cook of last year’s team and current member of Duke University.”  That being said, there seemed to be a “quiet optimism” on the “Hill” concerning this year’s 2011-12 team. Many scouting gurus stated this year’s team had more depth and quality than the prior year, but the idea of Oak Hill going undefeated wasn’t in the conversation early on especially with the difficult schedule Coach Smith had put together. While the backcourt was especially strong, very few thought this year’s team had the high elite level player on the roster to separate themselves from other nationally ranked teams in the country.

In this year’s Oak Hill Warriors media guide, the theme for the upcoming season was “Win as One” and they did exactly that! Aristotle once stated “the sum is greater than the individual parts” and this phrase could not have been more fitting than this year’s team. Going into the season, Oak Hill didn’t even have a “lock” player for the prestigious McDonald All American team. However, as the season progressed, the Warriors had three strong candidates in 6’5 Jordan Adams, 6’3 D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and 5’11 Tyler Lewis. Lewis was recently named to the McDonald All American team and became the 28th Warrior to be worthy of this honor. (And in our opinion, both Adams and Smith-Rivera equally deserved) That being said, no statement captured this year’s team better than Coach Steve Smith quote in the current media guide that stated “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships” and this philosophy could not be more fitting. Even current board member Marshall Frank wrote the following, “I have followed Steve Smith and his Oak Hill Warriors for many years first as a fan, second as a parent and now as a member of the Board of Trustees. I’m not an expert, but I do study people very closely and have a simple observation about the 2011-12 Oak Hill Team. My primary observation about this team is that it has the best team chemistry of any Oak Hill team observed over the past 15-20 years. These kids “have each other’s backs” and revel in seeing their teammates succeed. No wonder they have set a winning record.”

While many people think it is easy coaching a high profile team with talented players across the country, one of the most difficult jobs as a coach is to get players to “buy into the system” and make sacrifices for the sake of the team. This year’s team had an influx of new players and all of them “was the man” on their perspective high school team. While Oak Hill returned Jordan Adams, Damien Wilson, AJ Hammons, RJ Curington and Victor Ieronymides, Coach Smith brought in players like D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Tyler Lewis, Jordan Tebutt, Montarius Hall, Ike Iroegbu and Darion Clark.  You had a team of players from five different states and one foreign country. (Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia, California, Oregon and Cyprus).

Month of October

On the back of the Oak Hill 2011-12 media guide, the quote by former UCLA John Wooden stated “It’s amazing what can be accomplishedwhen no one cares who gets the credit” and his philosophy and mindset by the Oak Hill team enabled them to a perfect 44-0 and become the winnginest team in Oak Hill history and it all started in the preparation leading up to the month of October. Oak Hill open up the pre-season with scrimmage games against Fork Union Military Academy, Massanuttan Military and an early regular season game against Covenant Christian of Atlanta, Georgia. While Oak Hill cruised to wins over the FUMA, Massanuttan and Covenant Christian, the game that meant more to Coach Steve Smith, staff and players was the October 25th scrimmage against a loaded Hargrave Military Academy in Roanoke, Virginia. A year ago Hargrave dismantled Oak Hill and that devastating loss set the tone for a disappointing 29-4 record. However, this year would be different and the mindset of the players and the preparation of the coaching staff would set the tone for the perfect season. The Oak Hill vs. Hargrave Military Academy was a marquee game with plenty of talent on both sides. The teams would play two 20 minute halves and an extra period of a 12 minute running clock. The halftime score was Oak Hill 49 and Hargrave 44. The second half was a mirror image of the first half in terms of the score as Oak Hill outscored Hargrave 47-42 and won the scrimmage by the score of 96-86. (The final extra period of a 12 minute running clock ending up in a16-16 tie) Without question, the implications of this game was more than just a scrimmage as both teams played with intensity and passion as if the game was for the national championship. What’s more impressive is Hargrave Military has also gone undefeated this season. For Oak Hill, it was the beginning of something special!

 Month of November

Oak Hill then travelled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to play against a talented Quality Education Academy. Last season, QEA led Oak Hill by 18 before the Warriors rallied back to win by one.  The game was being played at Lawrence Joel Veteran Memorial Coliseum (home of the Wake Forest University) Oak Hill won in an impressive fashion by the score of 84-69. Leading the way for the Warriors were Jordan Adams with 23, Tyler Lewis with 19 points and 14 assists, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera with 18 points and AJ Hammons with 6 points, 9 rebounds and 9 block shots. Oak Hill moved to 2-0 on the season (not counting scrimmage wins over FUMA, Massanuttan Military and Hargrave Military) Oak Hill finished off the month of November with an 11-0 record before heading off to play in the 16th Annual Marshall County Hoopfest in Benton, Kentucky.

Month of December

This would be a big test for the Warriors as they would play back to back games against Hales Franciscan of Chicago, Illinois and then nationally ranked LaLumiere HS of Indiana. On Friday night, December 2nd, Oak Hill dismantles Hales Franciscan by the score of 108-66. Oak Hill broke open the game in the second quarter and went on to a 108-66 victory. 6’3 senior SG D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera led the team in scoring with 22 points. Jordan Adams chipped in 19 points. 7’0 center AJ Hammons continued his stellar play this season by having a monster all around game. He finished with 12 points and grabbed 9 rebounds and blocked 7 shots. Tyler Lewis enjoyed another double-double as he finished with 12 points and dished out 10 assists. While Oak Hill was winning in a convincing factor, LaLumiere enjoyed the night off and was sitting courtside with the luxury of scouting their opponent the following night. That being said, Oak Hill came out focused and came away with an impressive 77-59 victory. Oak Hill was led by D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera as he tallied 26 points while Jordan Adams chipped in 20 points. AJ Hammons finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 block shots while 5’11 PG Tyler Lewis tallied 13 points.

The next big challenge for Oak Hill was the marquee matchup at the 5th Annual Team Takeover High School Hoops Festival at the famed DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. This early season game was between nationally ranked power house teams in Oak Hill Academy and Grace Prep Academy. Grace Prep featured 7’0 Isaiah Austin who is considered one of the top players in the country.  Oak Hill entered the game with a 14-0 record while Grace Prep was undefeated with a 7-0 record. While Oak Hill came into the contest as the higher ranked team, the general consensus among many of the scouting services in attendance was Grace Prep had more individual talent and was clearly the more athletic of the two teams. While Oak Hill came away with a hard fought 68-59 victory, there were plenty of story lines associated with this game. PG Tyler Lewis led Oak Hill in scoring with 23 points, but also dished out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds. Jordan Adams finished with 19 points along with 8 rebounds while D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera chipped in 15 points. 7’0 Center AJ Hammons tallied 9 points but finished with 10 rebounds. Oak Hill moved to 15-0 and the next big challenge for the Warriors was against nationally ranked Millers Grove of Atlanta, Georgia. This game was being played at Morehouse College and was nationally televised on ESPN. Oak Hill hung on for the 82-79 win and was led in scoring by D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera with 20 points while Tyler Lewis chipped in 18 points and dished out 8 assists. Jordan Adams tallied 13 points while Montarius Hall came off the bench for 10 points. Oak Hill then moved to 17-0 and still had eight games remaining on their demanding December schedule.

The next challenge for Oak Hill was the Chick-Fil-A Tournament that was held in Columbia, South Carolina. Oak Hill entered the tournament with an 18-0 record and opened up against a solid West Town team from West Town, PA. Oak Hill was clicking on all cylinders and won going away by the score of 93-43. The next night, Oak Hill faced a scrappy and home town favorite and defending South Carolina 2A State Champions W.J. Keenan. Oak Hill survived a scare as they preserved a 68-67 victory. Leading the way for Oak Hill was Tyler Lewis with 18 points and 7 assists while backcourt mate D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera chipped in 14 points. In addition, Jordan Adams tallied 14 points. AJ Hammons did not play in this game and his inside presence was solely missed. Without question, Oak Hill dodged a major bullet in this game.. Oak Hill moved to 20-0 and faced another nationally ranked team in Paul VI for the tournament championship.  This time around, the Warriors played to their potential and won in an impressive fashion by the score of 76-55. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera led the way with 17 points, Darion Clark chipped in 16 points while Jordan Adams finished with 12 points. Tyler Lewis scored 6 points but broke the single game assist record at the tournament with a game high 15 assists. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera was named Tournament MVP. Oak Hill moved to 21-0 and had a few days off before heading out to Portland, Oregon to play in the Les Schwab Invitational. Oak Hill steamrolled in their first three games before playing yet another nationally ranked team in Jesuit of Portland, Oregon. Oak Hill played well enough to win and came away with a 57-50 victory. In the championship game, D’Vauntes Smith came up big with 23 points while backcourt mate Tyler Lewis chipped in 10 points and his play in the three previous games were enough to earn him Tournament MVP. After a brutal 15 game December schedule, Oak Hill finished the 2011 calendar year with a 25-0 record. The team headed home for a well deserved 10 day break.

Month of January

The team returned back to school and had a game against Christian Faith Academy. Oak Hill won easily by the score of 87-57 and was gearing for its next marquee game against another nationally ranked team in Prestonwood High School of Texas led by 6’9 Julius Randle and 6’10 Zach Peters. Like previous games against nationally ranked competition, the Warriors were clicking on all cylinders by winning in a convincing matter. Oak Hill won easily by the score of 85-55 and the buzz surrounding this year’s team was growing. Jordan Adams led the team in scoring with 23 points while D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera chipped in 16 points. In addition, Tyler Lewis enjoyed another double-double by scoring 15 points and dishing out 10 assists. Oak Hill then moved to 27-0 and went on to finish out the month of January with an impressive 32-0 record.

Month of February

The next challenge on the Oak Hill schedule was against Arlington Country Day and after a tight first half, the Warriors turned up the defensive intensity in the second half for a 77-52 victory. The backcourt trio of Smith-Rivera, Adams and Lewis led the way once again as they tallied 55 of the 77 points scored. The Warriors then played on back to back nights but the game that decided the fate for the balance of the season was against Christ School when Oak Hill won in overtime by the score of 71-63. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a monster game as he tallied 37 points while Jordan Adams contributed 14 points while Tyler Lewis chipped in 8 points while battling a stomach virus. The Warriors showed tremendous resiliency and moved to 35-0 for the season and the once “quiet optimism” back in October was starting to grow. It was no longer a “quiet optimism” but one of anticipation and excitement. With nine games remaining, the staff and players all knew they had a chance and opportunity to do something special. One roadblock was a road trip to Red Springs, NC to face a dangerous Flora McDonald team that eventually went on to win the NCISAA State Championship in their classification. The Warriors entered the contest with a 40-0 record with a possibility of breaking the single season win record. That being said, Oak Hill came ready to play and won going away by the score of 73-51 as Jordan Adams and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera both scored 24 points while Tyler Lewis chipped in 12 points and 10. With this win, the 2011-12 Oak Hill Warriors became the winningest team in school history with three more home games. Oak Hill went on to win in convincing fashion as they etched their names in the history books at the storied high school program.

Win as One

The team that started the season with no marquee names came together to “Win as One.” The hard work and dedication by the players and coaches all started from day one when the team arrived on campus in late August. Coach Smith often stated he really liked the work ethic and togetherness this year’s team exhibited. The togetherness carried throughout the season and Coach Smith’s quote “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships” will be the torch for the 2011-12 Oak Hill Warriors team. Coach Smith won lost record now stands at 860-53. Earlier in the season Coach Smith stated “he really liked this team and hoped he would still like them comeFebruary.” Well, February has come and gone and my guess is he likes this team even better.

2011-12 Roster

Tyler Lewis
Ike Iroegbu
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera
RJ Curington
Jordan Adams
Damien Wilson
Victor Ieronymides
Jordan Tebutt
Darion Clark
Montarius Hall
AJ Hammons

Head Coach Steve Smith
Assistant Coach Bryan Meagher
Assistant Coach Wilbur Allen
Assistant Coach Taylor Conn

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Oak Hill Moves to 35-0

February 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There’s an old saying, “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger” and after a brutal four day stretch the Oak Hill Warriors were able to escape the Roy Stanley Memorial Shootout with an overtime win over the Christ School by the score of 71-63. It was the 3rd game against nationally ranked teams in four days for the Warriors. Oak Hill started the week with a national showdown with Arlington Country Day in Beckley, West Virginia on Wednesday night. The Warriors were victorious with a 77-52 win.  The team then traveled to Bristol, Virginia to play undefeated West Oak Academy on Friday night. West Oak Academy featured several high major prospects and the Warriors were able to win by the score of 93-73. Unfortunately, for the Warriors they had to travel back to Mouth of Wilson since they had school on Saturday before making the trip to Salem, Virginia to play Christ School in the finale of the Roy Stanley Memorial Shootout.

There were two major story lines for the number one ranked Oak Hill Warriors. First of all, SG D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera simply put together two of the best back to back performances of the season. On Friday night, Smith-Rivera scored 29 points going 10-14 from the floor (4-4 from the 3 point line) and a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line. On Saturday night, he was sensational once again as he tallied 37 points with 11 of them coming in the overtime period. Smith-Rivera went 11-19 from the floor (2-5 from the 3 point line) and 13-15 from the free throw line. He also had 3 rebounds and had 5 steals while dishing out 3 assists.  Without question, Smith-Rivera two game performances against West Oak Academy and the Christ School were simply spectacular.

The next story line was the play of PG Tyler Lewis. Lewis scored 10 points Friday night and dished out 7 assists and on Saturday night he had 8 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 big steals down the stretch for Oak Hill. While these are modest numbers for Lewis, he battled and fought through the weekend with stomach virus. Going into Saturday’s game against Christ School, he was up the entire night throwing up and spent the majority of Saturday morning in the school infirmary and was unable to eat anything in the past 24 hours. Prior to the Saturday night game, Lewis had less than two hours of sleep and was still sick with a fever and was questionable for the game. Jordan Adams of Oak Hill finished with 14 points and collected 9 rebounds. He also had 2 steals and dished out 2 assists. Others that got into the scoring column were Damien Wilson and Darion Clark with 4 points each while Montarius Hall and AJ Hammons tallied 2 points. Hammons was also nursing an ankle injury and was not 100% and did not have the same mobility on both ends of the court.

For Christ School, the story line was the play of 6’6 junior PF Will Weeks and 6’5 sophomore WF Josh Level. Weeks finished with 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Level finished with 14 points but knocked down key three pointers during the last minutes of the game when the Greenies of Christ School trailed Oak Hill 57-45. In addition, Jerome Hairston also enjoyed a solid game with 12 points while Alabama commit Shannon Hale finished with 8 points. Weeks is a strong, active and aggressive power forward and his inside play was key for Christ School throughout the game. His play was impressive and should see his stock continue to climb. More importantly, he plays the game with passion and purpose and his work ethic on the court was impressive. Sophomore Josh Level continues to make monumental strides in his game. Level has been known as an elite level athlete with his explosive leaping ability, but he has worked extremely hard on his perimeter game and his three pointers were big time in the rally for Christ School. If he continues to improve in the next two years as he as in the past year, high major schools will be knocking on his door. Jerome Hairston is a strong and aggressive guard that is a major steal for Towson State.

In overtime, it was the Smith-Rivera show as he used his size and strength to score all 11 points for Oak Hill and the Greenies had no answer for him.  He used a vast arsenal of offensive moves either to score or get fouled and he was almost automatic from the free throw line.

In the game Friday night against West Oak Academy, there were several players that deserve mentioning for the team from Florida. 6’6 sophomore Boubacar Moungoro is one of the elite level athletes in the 2014 class. He finished with 15 points against Oak Hill but he has a nice blend of elite level athleticism combined with a nice skill set that will make him a high priority of high major schools. He is extremely long and explosive and is absolutely fantastic in transition. 6’9 junior Demba Konate finished with 15 points and already has an offer from Florida according to Coach Tony Atkins. Konate is a strong and active rebounder and is relentless on the boards. He is quick off his feet and will be a player to watch in the 2013 class nationally. 6’2 senior SG Sheldon Hagigal (Cincinnati) chipped in 17 points while 6’5 Kedar Edwards (South Carolina signee) chipped in 15 points.

Oak Hill is now 35-0 for the season and will resume action this week as they play Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

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Oak Hill Moves to 32-0

January 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

After an impressive win over Blue Ridge Prep Friday night, the Oak Hill Warriors hosted Imani Christian Prep of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Saturday night in Turner Gymnasium before a standing room only crowd.

Imani Prep entered the game with a 10-5 record and is led by 5’11 185 lb junior PG Kasim Chandler who is currently averaging 23.2 PPG. Chandler has great speed and ball handling skills and is currently being recruited by several Big East schools. 6’4 215 lb. senior WG Bernard Francis is averaging 15.8 PPG and has good size, strength and skill at the WF position. Also, 6’3 195 lb. senior WG Nehemiah Fisher is averaging 12.2 PPG and the southpaw is extremely long and bouncy. Francis and Fisher are definitely mid major prospects while Chandler is getting attention from Seton Hall and other schools in the Big East.

Oak Hill prevailed with an 86-54 victory and the story line for this game was simple. The dynamic duo of Jordan Adams and D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera enjoyed one of the best shooting nights of the season. Adams finished with 31 points going 12-16 from the floor (5-8 from the 3 point line) and 2-4 from free throw line. Adams also collected 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and dished out 3 assists for his single best performance in an Oak Hill uniform.

D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera chipped in 23 points going 7-13 from the floor (3-6 from the 3 point line) and 6-8 from the free throw line. Smith-Rivera also collected 3 rebounds, 2 steals and dished out 3 assists. Adams and Smith-Rivera combined for 54 points which matched the total by Imani Christian Prep and out of the 50 shots taken by Oak Hill; the dynamic duo took 29 or 58% of the shots and combined for 8-14 three pointers.  As the old saying goes, when player/players have a hot hand, you continue to feed and reward them and that’s exactly was the game plan for the Warriors. The only other Warrior to take more than 3 shots for the game was RJ Curington as he went 2-8 from the floor.

PG Tyler Lewis had a quiet night in the scoring column with 2 points going 1-3 from the floor but dished out 8 assists and collected 3 defensive rebounds and had 1 steal. 7’0 AJ Hammons returned to action and he tallied 6 points going 2-3 from the floor and 1-2 from the free throw line. Hammons collected 5 rebounds and blocked 6 shots for the game. RJ Curington and Montarius Hall contributed 6 points each while Ike Iroegbu and Damien Wilson chipped in 5 points apiece while Jordan Tebbutt had 3 points.

Oak Hill shot 29-50 shots from the floor for 58% while connecting on 11-23 3 pointers for an impressive 48%. In addition, the Warriors connected on 17-23 from the free throw line for 74%. The Warriors finished with 18 team assists while only committing 9 turnovers. Oak Hill traveled to Beckley, West Virginia this coming Wednesday for a national showdown with nationally ranked Arlington Country Day.

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Annual Hoops Classic Oak Hill vs. Blue Ridge Prep

January 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

After a lackluster performance by the Oak Hill Warriors in the Inaugural Penny Hardaway Hoop Fest last weekend, Coach Steve Smith had a week back in the gym making adjustments and fine tuning things prior the Friday night contest with Blue Ridge Prep. Blue Ridge Prep entered the contest with a solid 10-4 record with nice wins over the Miller School, IMG Academy and Fork Union Military Academy with tough losses to New Hampton Prep, Massanutten Military Academy, Calvert Hall of Baltimore, Maryland, and Virginia Episcopal.

The week of preparation was exactly what the doctor ordered for the road weary Warriors. After some big time wins over nationally ranked teams, Oak Hill ventured into Memphis for the Penny Hardaway Tournament and played well enough to win, but played without the same passion and effort displayed earlier in the season and especially against Prestonwood at the Hoop hall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. Oak Hill won easily and impressively by the score of 91-64 and their lead stretched to 30 points on several occasions. Entering the game, Blue Ridge was led by 6’5 junior Ahmad Fields. Fields was averaging 17 PPG and the long and athletic WG has gotten interest from mid to high major schools. 6’3 junior SG Jarod Williams came into the contest with a 14 PPG scoring average. In addition, 6’7 sophomore PF Corbyn Jackson is an absolute physical specimen and he and 6’9 junior center Sando Feng provide a solid front court that possessed excellent size and athleticism.

That being said, Coach Smith had his #1 ranked Warriors ready from the opening tip and never looked back. They looked sharp on both ends of the court and exhibited the overall defensive intensity that has been missing in the pass several games. 6’5 senior SG Jordan Adams led the way for Oak Hill with a game high 20 points. Adams went 8-15 from the floor (2-6 from the 3 point line) and 2-2 from the free throw line. Adams also collected 3 rebounds while having 2 steals. 6’3 senior SG D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera also enjoyed a solid outing as he tallied 15 points going 6-12 from the floor (3-5 from the 3 point line) and went 1-1 from the free throw line. Smith-Rivera also grabbed 3 rebounds and dished out 6 assists. 5’11 senior PG Tyler Lewis enjoyed another double-double as he tallied 15 points and dished out a team high 10 assists. Lewis went an efficient 6-10 from the floor (2-4 from the 3 point line) and 1-1 from the free throw line. More importantly, Lewis had 6 steals for the game as he anticipated well on the defensive end of the floor. AJ “Microwave” Curington came off the bench and provided instant offense once again with 16 points. Curington went 3-5 from the floor (2-4 from the 3 point line) but went 8-9 from the free throw line. 6’7 senior PF Montarius Hall stepped into the starting lineup for 7’0 AJ Hammons and played exceptional. Hall finished with 11 points going 5-8 from the floor and 1-3 from the free throw line. He led the team in rebounding with 7 but also dished out 4 assists for a complete all around performance. Others that got into the scoring act was Darion Clark with 6, Ike Iroegbu with 4 including a drive down the middle of the lane for a thunderous dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Victor Ieronymides chipped in 2 points while Damien Wilson added 1 point for the commanding margin of victory.

Oak Hill shot an impressive 34-61 from the floor for 55% while connecting on 9-21 3 pointers for 43%. In addition, Oak Hill connected on 14-18 free throws for 78%, but the biggest single factor for Oak Hill was the total unselfish play by the entire team. Oak Hill scored on 27 assists while only committing 12 turnovers for the game. Oak Hill now moves to 31-0 and will play Imani Prep of Pennsylvania Saturday night.

  • Team statistics are furnished by the Oak Hill coaching staff
  • The class of 2012 Top 150 will be released on Monday, January 31st

 

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Player Profile: A.J. Hammons

January 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

PHENOM HOOP REPORT FEATURE PLAYER: A.J. HAMMONS 

Our feature player today is 7’0 AJ Hammons of Oak Hill Academy. We will examine the future Boilermaker with earlier evaluations and today’s evaluation of the talented center. The first time we observed AJ Hammons was the summer of 2010 at the Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis, Missouri.

June 23rd, 2010 Issue
Player: 6’11 A.J.  Hammons
High School: Carmel HS
City: Carmel, IN
Class: 2012
Phenom Hoop Report: HM

6’11 big man that runs the floor and has good hands is truly a blessing.  Hammons has solid fundamentals and has good moves in the paint.  He displayed a jump hook using either hand. Hammons has the ability to step out and knock down the mid range jumper, and displays a rather nice soft shooting touch. On the other hand, Hammons needs to improve his “toughness” and play at a higher level on a more consistent basis. Hammons has all the physical tools and a compliment of fundamentals and skill, but definitely needs to develop more passion and heart during an event. Hammons started off the event with a bang, but his play definitely tampered off after each camp game. Hammons best game was his first & second game.

September 2nd, 2011 Issue
Player: 6’11 A.J. Hammons
High School: Oak Hill Academy
Hometown: Carmel, IN
Class: 2012

Phenom Hoop Report: We first watched Hammons two summers ago at the Nike Top 100 camp in St. Louis, MO. Without question, Hammons has tremendous size. He is a wide body center that can occupy a lot of space on the low block. Hammonds has a “super soft” shooting touch around the basket and has the ability to use either hand. In addition, one of his strongest attributes is his “soft hands.” Over the past 2 years, Hammons’ rankings have dropped due to his “perceived lack of effort” at times. It is very difficult to argue that his young man has a tremendous upside when he is motivated to being as good as his potential. Simply put, this young man is a “sleeping giant” and once the “light bulb” goes off on a consistent basis, Hammons has the ability and potential to be as good as he wants to be. If yesterday was any indication, he looked motivated and played with the ability many expect out of his young man. He was dominant in the post as he continually used his wide body and big frame to post up on the low block. He worked hard to gain an advantage and if the opposing player plays behind him, he has an excellent shooting touch around the basket. Definitely a top 100 prospect or higher in the 2012 class!

When asked what schools were his favorites, he mentioned he was “wide open.” He did state Purdue, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Wake Forest have all showed a lot of interest in his services. While we currently have Hammonds ranked #77, he does have the ability to be much more of an impact at the college level if he brings it every game and if his determination matches his skill set, watch out!

October 27th, 2011 Issue
Player: 7’0 AJ Hammons
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
School: Oak Hill
Class: 2012
Verbal: Purdue
Evaluation: The best way to describe Hammons is “Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Hammons tallied 7 points, 8 rebounds, and blocks several shots. He just needs to give 100% effort 100% of the time. He has the physical presence to dominate high school games and at times shows glimpses of stardom

November 29th, 2011 Issue
Player: AJ Hammons
Grade: 168
PPG: 7.7
RPG: 7.2
FG%: 63%
FT%: 68%
Comment: Hammons has shown signs of dominance especially on the defensive end of the floor. He is averaging 5.1 shots per game and has gone 32-51 from the floor for 63% while hitting 13-19 from the free throw line for 68%. He leads the team in rebounds (72) and blocked shots (45) Hammons has developed a nice jump hook shot on the low block and has been efficient and effective. The next step in his development is to continue to play with passion and purpose for the entire game. His presence in the middle will be crucial to the overall success of Oak Hill this season against bigger and more athletic teams.

January 19th, 2012
Player: AJ Hammons
PPG: 7.5
RPG: 7.9
BPG: 3.6
FG%: 64%

Evaluation: With the exception of the game against Miller Grove on national TV, Hammons has excelled in all of Oak Hill’s key match-up games against nationally ranked teams. Against Millers Grove, he got whistles for two quick “nickel dime” calls and his foul problems prevented him from playing his normal game. While Hammons does have a tendency to play down to the competition, but he also has a tendency to play up against the best competition and it has been his steady improvement and development that has projected Hammons into a Top 50 player nationally in our opinion. While his overall stats will not “wow” you, it is his presence on the defensive end of the court that is impressive. In the blowout win over Prestonwood, his sheer presence on the interior set the tone for the Warriors of Oak Hill and his play on the second half of the season will help determine the chances/opportunity of giving Coach Steve Smith and Oak Hill its 8th National High School Championship. 

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