Bringing a little bit of the annual Paradise Jam to St. Croix, a couple of dozen boys and girls, age 8 to 18, ran drills and got technique tips from certified coaches at a free basketball clinic Friday at St. Croix Central High.
Nels Hawkinson, a coach certified by the International Basketball Federation, and fellow coach Fred Williams run the 20 or so young men and women in drills on stance, turning in place with traveling, shooting and other fundamentals.
"Keep that elbow in and use the other arm to protect yourself!" Hawkinson said, leading the kids, some as young as 8, in dribbling drills. "If you can dribble well, there is a place for you. Every team needs somebody that can handle the ball really well," he said.
While the young would-be ballers were mostly boys, quite a few young women came out for some tips and practice too.
"I brought my twin nieces, Anna and Marie, my daughter, Shardae (Magras), and a friend, David Ascension," said Raquel Meade. The girls seemed to be really enjoying it, Meade said.
Her 13-year-old daughter, who plays for the John H. Woodson Jr. High basketball team, came to last year's clinic too, Meade said.
The kids at the clinic also received T-shirts, backpacks, water bottles and other prizes, including one X-Box video game platform for one lucky athlete, thanks to the Department of Tourism, which helps sponsor the tournament.
Zavion Langrin, 8, won that video game: NBA2K13 with Jay-Z, for doing the best on one of the drills.
"It's a really nice game, said his mother, Rabia Hendricks. It was already on his Christmas gift list, and these games are expensive, so that was wonderful for him."
He's really a soccer guy, but this summer he's really taken a keen interest in basketball," she said. He really loves the game.
The tournament is on St. Thomas because it has the only suitable facility in the territory, but Paradise Jam is meant for the entire territory, so they come over to run clinics and work with kids on St. Croix, said Williams, a former college ballplayer and coach who works with Hawkinson on the Paradise Jam tournament.
"It's a fun time. No one will become an NBA star today, but kids can come out and have some fun and learn some skills with the drills," he said.
The U.S. Virgin Islands has been the home of the Paradise Jam event since its inception in 2000, offering mens and womens college basketball teams a chance for excellent early season competition in an exotic island setting. The Paradise Jam mens and womens tournaments take place Nov. 18-21 and Nov. 24-26 respectively at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center on St. Thomas.
The Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation coordinated with the Paradise Jam organization and Department of Tourism to put on Monday's clinic.
By: Dudley E. Dawson Arkansas' basketball program hopes to hit the Motlow Daily Double this weekend as it hosts a first-team junior college All-American. Tullahoma, Tenn., Motlow State Community College forward Rashawn Fredericks(198-G-97) (6-6, 198) will begin his official visit with the Razorbacks on Thursday night. Fredericks was named a first-team junior college All-American after averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks this season for the same school that... [read more]
By: Dudley E. Dawson
Arkansas' basketball program hopes to hit the Motlow Daily Double this weekend as it hosts a first-team junior college All-American.
Tullahoma, Tenn., Motlow State Community College forward Rashawn Fredericks (198-G-97) (6-6, 198) will begin his official visit with the Razorbacks on Thursday night.
Fredericks was named a first-team junior college All-American after averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks this season for the same school that produced former Razorback Jaylen Barford, who was also a junior college first-team All-American.
He capped off the season with a 36-point performance on 14-of-26 from the field and 5-of-8 from the free throw line and also added 9 rebounds in Motlow's 86-82 loss to Vincennes in the second round of the NJCAA tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.
He's been really good for us the past two seasons,' Motlow assistant coach Zach Holt said Thursday afternoon. 'He shoots the ball really well, is a straight-line guy that can get to the rim and is a super athlete that can really score and rebound as evidenced by how he played this season and was named a first-team All-American.'
Holt, who recruited both Barford and Fredericks to Motlow for two different head coaches, noted that the Bucks' current star has already taken official visits to Cincinnati, South Florida and North Texas, where he decommitted last fall.
'He has one more official visit left if he wanted to use it, but does not have plans to do so right now,' Holt said.
Fredericks is a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands and finished up high school at Tampa (Fla.) Chamberlin.
During his sophomore season for the Bucks, Fredericks shot 46.7 percent from the floor, 32.9 perfect from 3-point range - with a high of eight made in one game - and 78.7 percent from the line.
He ended his Motlow career in the top 10 scoring with 1,001 points (a 15.2 ppg career average), is second on the school's career rebounding list with 769, seventh in steals (124), fifth in 3-pointers made (113) and fourth in blocked shots (84).
'He played the 3 and 4 for us because of the way that we play,' Holt said. 'I see him playing the 3 in college.
'I think he would fit in great at Arkansas. Coach Anderson does a great job with his kids. I've obviously watched a lot of their games because of Jaylen being there and I think it is a system that he would thrive in because he can take people off the dribble, can really shoot it, is also a very good passer and gets after it on defense.'
Holt has watched with joy how Barford played over his two seasons at Arkansas as he scored over 1,000 points and led the Razorbacks to a 49-22 record and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
'That's been a lot of fun to watch,' Holt said. 'Jaylen is one of the best players that I have ever been around. He is such a tough matchup and has such a will to win. He is a proven winner, can shoot it and is fun to watch get to the rim.
'He's also a really good rebounder, especially on the offensive end.'
Fredericks played last summer on the Virgin Islands national team, which played exhibition games against a pair of college teams in Vanderbilt and James Madison, and finished fourth in the 2017 FIBA Americup in Argentina to advance to the 2019 Pan American Games.
The United States, featuring a group of NBA G League players, won the gold medal in the FIBA Americup.
Arkansas inked six high school seniors in the November early signing period and added Warner, Okla., Connors State guard Mason Jones (6-5, 205) - who will have three years of eligibility for the Razorbacks - on the opening day of the current April 11-May 6 late signing period.
Barford topped Arkansas in scoring (17.9) as a senior and led the SEC in 3-point shooting at 44.3 percent (87-of-201).
Last week, he was named MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament - which includes the 64 best college seniors - while averaging 19.3 points and 6.7 rebounds and shooting 38 percent from 3-point range while leading his team to a championship with a 3-0 record.
'He had a great showing at Portsmouth and I think he is going to have a great professional career,' Holt said. 'He just keeps on proving people wrong and we are very proud of him.'
Walter Hodge selected the top Virgin Islander playing abroad in last week's games - 1 day ago
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We bring you last week's top performances from Virgin Islanders who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level. This week's number one is an international point guard Walter Hodge (183-86). Heto a victory against the third-ranked Louaize in the Lebanese LBL in Thursday night's game.
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WALTER HODGE
We bring you last week's top performances from Virgin Islanders who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.
#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Walter Hodge (183-86, college: Florida, currently plays in Lebanon). He led Homenetmen to a victory against the third-ranked Louaize (8-18) 94-83 in the Lebanese LBL in Thursday night's game.
Hodge scored 15 points and added 6 assists in 26 minutes on the court.
It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group A. Homenetmen Beirut (21-5) is placed first.
Hodge has individually a very good year with high stats. He averages: 19.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 7.4apg, 1.4spg, 2FGP: 60.2%(142-236), 3FGP: 38.3% and FT: 85.3% in 29 games he played so far.
Hodge has a dual citizenship: U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican.
He is currently a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team.
#2. Second place goes to former international center Frank Elegar (208-86, college: Drexel, currently plays in EuroCup). Elegar could not help Lokomotiv (6-0) to beat Darussafaka (5-1). He did not impress in that game on Friday.
Elegar scored only 2 points and blocked 2 shots.
The first-placed Lokomotiv (6-0) was defeated 67-59 on the road by the leading Darussafaka in the group G of Eurocup.
It's Elegar's first season with the team.
His overall stats this year are: 9.9ppg, 6.2rpg, 2FGP: 68.0%(70-103) and FT: 69.8%.
Elegar is another player who holds two passports: U.S. Virgin Islands and Guyanese.
He played for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team in 2016.
#3. The U.S. Virgin Islands player who performed third best last week abroad was an international guard Deon Edwin (190-92, agency: Interperformances, college: Kent St., currently plays in Finland). Edwin was not able to help KTP-Basket (17-23) in their last game. Despite his very good performance KTP-Basket lost 69-77 in Salo to the leading n Vilpas.
Edwin was the second best scorer with 16 points. He also added 4 rebounds in 30 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it's only Edwin's third season in pro basketball. It was KTP-Basket's fourth consecutive loss in a row.
Edwin has very impressive stats this year: 15.4ppg, 6.2rpg, 2.2apg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 54.4%, 3FGP: 35.3% and FT: 77.5% in 44 games.
He is also a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team.
#4. Center Craig Williams (206-89, college: TCU, currently plays in Japan) was not able to secure a victory for Sendai 89ers (20-33) in their game against Kagawa FA (18-33) in the Japanese B2 League.
Williams scored 8 points, had 8 boards, handed out 5 passes and blocked 2 shots.
Sendai 89ers (#4) were defeated 79-70 in Takamatsu by the lower-ranked Kagawa FA (#5) in the East group.
They ended the series of three consecutive victories.
Williams has relatively good stats this season: 13.9ppg, 8.8rpg and 2.8apg.
He used to play for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team
back in 2016.
#5. International forward Ivan Aska (201-90, college: Murray St., currently plays in France) contributed to an easy victory against the league outsider Charleville-Mezieres (6-22) crushing them 90-58 in the French ProB (second division) last Saturday.
Aska recorded 6 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Sluc Nancy Basket Pro (17-11) is placed seventh in the ProB.
This year Aska has relatively solid stats: 11.8ppg, 6.0rpg and 1.6apg in 28 games.
He has both U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican nationalities.
Aska plays currently for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team.
Other top U.S. Virgin Islands players, who play abroad:
Notice: The list above includes only some of the U.S. Virgin Islands playing currently abroad. Go to U.S. Virgin Islands Abroad Page to see completed list.
By Tony Jones INTERVIEW Oklahoma City Unknowingly, Royce O'Neale (198-SF-93, college: Baylor)<'s road to becoming an NBA defensive stopper began before he hit middle school. On Wednesday night, the man who was playing overseas last season will once again be given the large task of containing Oklahoma City star Paul George when the Jazz face the Thunder in Game 2 of a Western Conference first-round series. But, 16 years ago, O'Neale was an 8-year-old who had never played organized basket... [read more]
By Tony Jones INTERVIEW Oklahoma City Unknowingly, Royce O'Neale (198-SF-93, college: Baylor)<'s road to becoming an NBA defensive stopper began before he hit middle school.
On Wednesday night, the man who was playing overseas last season will once again be given the large task of containing Oklahoma City star Paul George when the Jazz face the Thunder in Game 2 of a Western Conference first-round series.
But, 16 years ago, O'Neale was an 8-year-old who had never played organized basketball. On the day his life changed, he had just played hoops with friends in gym class at school and couldn't wait for the ride home with his mother, Deborah, to talk about it. For much of the drive, however, he remained quiet, containing his thoughts.
'I want to join a club team. I want to play basketball,' O'Neale said.
Deborah Kingwood was a single mother who was a three-sport star in high school. Basketball was her favorite and she wanted her son to participate, though she didn't want to force him into it. But Kingwood did want her son to be active, to be a part of something. She was raising a young man in Killeen, Texas. Every decision would be critical.
'His father wasn't around,' Kingwood said. 'I was raising him by myself, and I wasn't going to lose him to the streets.'
So, she challenged him. She'd let him play, but only if he played defense. Scoring was easy, she told her son. Anyone could score. Defense was unique, and defense was what would set players apart.
'I can play defense!,' 8-year-old Royce O'Neale said.
So, Kingwood tested him the only way she knew how. When mother and son got home, they laced up the sneakers and played an impromptu game of one-on-one in the family driveway.
'I scored on him,' Kingwood recalled with a laugh. 'But he did play good defense.'
O'Neale is now 24 years old. He now stands 6-foot-6 with springy legs, excellent anticipation and the toughness of a wrestler. In his first and only season with the Jazz, his defense has earned him a permanent spot in coach Quin Snyder's rotation.
Technically speaking, his NBA future isn't clear. His contract for the next two seasons is contingent on the Jazz exercising team options. But O'Neale has emerged as perhaps Utah's best defender. He can switch through four positions. He's adept at stopping guys on the perimeter and in the post. He's pretty clearly Utah's best hope at slowing down George, even if he's not a starter.
'Royce is huge for us,' Jazz star rookie Donovan Mitchell said. 'When we played Houston, he gave James Harden trouble. He played big against the [San Antonio] Spurs. He's a huge part of what we do. He's got to play well for us going forward. He's important.'
O'Neale's defensive success this season, his meteoric rise from 15th man to first wing off the bench, all of his previous years of locking opponents up, none of that mattered against George on Sunday night.
To put it mildly, PG gave O'Neale, and anyone else who guarded him on that evening, the business. He put up 36 points and hit eight 3-pointers, many of those makes with O'Neale draped all over him. He put O'Neale on 'SportsCenter' with a crossover that sent him stumbling to the floor. George then stepped back and hit a three. It didn't matter that O'Neale contested many of those shots, George hit them anyway.
That was frustrating to O'Neale. It also served as a basketball lesson, much in the way that Utah's regular-season finale loss to the Portland Trail Blazers served as a lesson to Mitchell. With every rung he leaps on the basketball ladder, the challenges get stiffer. On Sunday, O'Neale ran into 'Playoff P.'
How will he respond in Game 2 on Wednesday?
'Growing up, playing ball in the Houston area, you have to be tough,' O'Neale said. 'So, I have to take the challenge. I have to watch film, see what I did wrong. I have to limit his touches and try and take away some of the shots he was getting.'
O'Neale said it was frustrating to defend George well and see him make shots regardless, but acknowledged that's what great players do. After Game 1, he and his mother had their usual postgame conversation.
When watching her son, Kingwood is reminded of everything it took for O'Neale to get to this level. How he was lightly recruited out of high school. How he asked out of his scholarship at the University of Denver to transfer close to home to be near his ailing grandfather.
How he once lost a tooth during a competitive workout, grabbed the tooth, tossed it to the side and kept playing. How he had signed with a team in Lithuania for this season when the Jazz called.
'I don't like the cold,' Kingwood said. 'When I Googled it, I realized it got real cold out there.'
All of the hardship, the uncertainty, both Kingwood and O'Neale believe it will help on Wednesday. O'Neale got knocked down in Game 1, and when he's been knocked down before, on or off the court, he has always found a way to get up.
For Utah, the hope is O'Neale can find a way to get up once again.
'I just have to make him take tough shots,' O'Neale said of slowing George. 'A lot of his scores were on good basketball plays. I just have to keep my head and not let anything get to me. If he scores on me, or if he doesn't, I have to keep my confidence and keep playing.' NBA PLAYOFFS JAZZ AT THUNDER
At Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
Tipoff Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET
TV NBATV
Radio 1280 AM, 97.5 FM
Series Thunder lead, 1-0
Last meeting Thunder 116, Jazz 108 (April 15)
ROYCE O'NEALE UPDATE
His favorite player growing up was Kevin Durant. He once received an autograph from Durant and wanted to play at Texas because Durant starred for the Longhorns.
Played collegiately at Denver and Baylor
Signed a three-year deal with the Jazz last summer. The first year of the deal is guaranteed, with team options on the final two seasons.
Recently switched representation, signing with Donovan Mitchell's agent.
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