Green Run Wins Team Camp
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The Green Run Stallions of Virginia Beach completed a
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perfect 9-0 sweep at the Fifth Annual Boo Williams Team Camp held at the Boo Williams
class=SpellE>Sportsplex in Hampton, VA this past weekend.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Green Run defeated the Bethel Bruins, 62-49
in the Championship after ousting Nansemond River 70-61 in the semifinals and
Norview 76-66 in the quarterfinals.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Several players from last season's team that lost to
class=SpellE>Menchville in double-overtime in the Eastern Region
Tournament return for Green Run as well as a couple of newcomers.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We definitely we feel made a lot of progress this
weekend," said Green Run assistant Rod
Cooper, who with assistant Shane
Clements coached the team the final two games while Head Coach
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Kenneth Harris was at a family
function. Harris was on hand coaching
the previous seven games, however.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>Green Run was led by junior guard
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Tyler Blount's 21 points and four
three-pointers in the Championship. Another
junior, Jamaal Matin,
also chipped in 13 points and three treys, and Class of 2013 point guard
class=SpellE>Lequan
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Thomas, nicknamed 'Laybay,'
added 12 points and five assists.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Tyler, Jamal and Laybay have
been together since the beginning when Coach Harris took over," Cooper added.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> "These are actually our kids that have come
up from future league and now they're starting to see that hard work pay off
for them."
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>Outside shooting played a huge part in the
Stallions' success throughout the weekend, and in particular in the
Championship round. They knocked down
eight shots from three-point range compared to only one for Bethel, which came
courtesy of point guard Rakeen
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> 'Roc' Brown.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Shaun
James
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>, Marquise
Williams and Koty
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Buchanan, all of whom will be juniors
next year for Green Run, combined to chip in 12 points versus Bethel and are
part of a supporting cast that continues to improve.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
style='color:black'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>There's plenty to feel good about for Green Run while
they prepare for next season with three starters back and a host of reserves
and players who were on J.V. returning that will play significant minutes in
2012-13 and beyond.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I think with the group we have, they're starting to
understand their roles. That first five
knows they've got to set the tone and if they don't then that second five we
trust will come on, contribute and give us whatever we don't get out of the
first group," Cooper said.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It's always good when our second group can get an
opportunity to gain some confidence, build some rapport with a few guys from
that first group and get some experience against the kind of quality competition
we saw here. We feel that the second
unit can give us a spark at any moment's notice."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>A major plus for Green Run is they managed to survive despite
not being at full strength. Talented swingman
Keon
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Buchanan, a Class of 2014 prospect, suffered
a hip pointer in the team's first game on Friday night and sat out the rest of the
weekend. In addition, they played four
games on Saturday without Thomas and James, both of whom were at a school
event.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"One of the most important things about this group is
we've built that family type of relationship where we stick together no matter
what. We could be down 18 or down
two. It doesn't matter to them, and they
stick together like brothers."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The Stallions trailed by 11 against Nansemond River in
the semifinals and rallied for victory behind 22 points from Blount, 15 from Thomas
and 14 by Matin.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Both losses for Nansemond River, which finished 6-2 on
the weekend, came at the hands of Green Run.
On Saturday night, the Stallions came from behind and beat the Warriors,
59-55. Forward
normal'>Ed Drew was Nansemond River's top scorer with 22 points in the
semifinal loss.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>Bethel, which finished 7-2 on the weekend,
got 10 points apiece from
normal'>DaShawn Barton
and Brandon LaRose
in their Championship loss to Green Run.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The Bruins edged Heritage, 74-57 in the
semifinals and Peninsula District rival Phoebus 82-72 in the quarterfinals.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Barton averaged over 18 points per game
during the tournament, putting up a team-high 25 points in the win over
Phoebus, which was led by James Daniel
III's 39 points.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>In the Silver Bracket Championship, the
class=SpellE>Kellam Knights topped the Deep Creek Hornets, 46-37 behind
21 points from Ramone
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Snowden.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The Menchville
Monarchs routed the Warwick Raiders, 60-39 in the Championship of the Bronze
Bracket.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>While the Stallions are months away from getting a
chance to achieve some of their goals and the season beginning, Green Run can
take comfort in the fact that previous winners of the Boo Williams Team Camp
have fared mighty well during the postseason.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Last year's winner of the Team Camp, Hampton, went on
to win the state title, and the year before that Phoebus was the Eastern Region
Tournament runner-up and a State Playoff participant.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"This is a confidence boost and something we needed,"
Cooper admitted. "You want to establish
some things this time of year and grow.
But we've got a long way to go and there's still a lot of work to do."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
*** Be sure to check back all week for more coverage from the Boo Williams Team
Camp, including Top Performers! ***
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
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