Kellam Wins Boo Williams Team Camp
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Going undefeated in a
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three-day basketball camp with 12 teams participating is no easy task.
style=> However, with their textbook execution that
consisted of sharp ball movement, dead-eye outside shooting and all-around
unselfishness, the Kellam Knights from Virginia Beach
made it look that way at times.
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Kellam
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:black;background:white'> outlasted a quality field in Hampton to win the
Championship of the Gold Bracket in Sunday's Seventh Annual Boo Williams Team
Camp held at the AAU pioneer's Sportsplex in Hampton.
style=> The Knights went a perfect 7-0 over the
48-hour stretch that proved to be quite the battle of attrition, rallying to
edge the Hampton Crabbers - - winners of the 2011 Boo Team Camp on their way to
a state title the following season - - by a count of 69-63 to complete an
improbable unbeaten run.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"They were definitely
tired, but they sucked it up. Once we
got in the Championship, I told them this won't even be like real
basketball. It's just going to be who's
going to suck it up and who won't," declared Kellam
Head Basketball Coach Norman
class=SpellE>Hassell, who has 107 wins in his eight seasons at the
helm of the Knights.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Leading the way for
class=SpellE>Kellam was Class of 2015 point guard
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Janai
normal'> Raynor-Powell, a First Team All-Atlantic
Conference performer as a junior who averaged 19.6 points per game in the six
contests over the weekend. That was
highlighted by a whopping 29 points with 20 in the second half to beat Hampton.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>No bigger than 5-foot-9,
class=SpellE>Raynor-Powell caused disruption with his active hands
defensively, and on the offensive end showed off an improved jumper.
style=> Kellam outscored
the Crabbers by nine from behind the three-point line.
style=> His three long distance makes were the
difference, the last one coming with 2:16 to play to put his team up 64-62 and
for good.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"Two years ago, he was taking
a backseat to Ramone [Snowden] and rightfully so, and then last year he was
trying to be a facilitator, not really understanding how to take games over,"
pointed out Hassell.
style=> "We have just talked to him so much about his
role. Janai
plays his role, but he understands the game and knows he has shooters all
around him. We told him if you can be
one of those guys too, we'll give teams a fit."
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Kellam
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:black;background:white'> jumped out to a quick 20-10 lead against Hampton
behind three treys from Class of 2016 forward
normal'>Noah Singer. The 6-foot-4
Singer ended up with 16 points, his third double-digit performance of the
weekend, and also providing a lift were Alex
Ratajczak (Class of 2015) and
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Jashawn
normal'> Shelton (2016) with eight points apiece.
normal'>
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Hampton, which finished
the weekend out at 5-2 overall, battled back to take a 37-36 lead at half-time
as seven different players scored. Rising
sophomore point guard Mastadi
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Pitt led the way with 18 points with
help from fellow Class of 2017 guard Jalen
Ray with 15 and rising senior guard Roy
Coleman with 11. Pitt's three-point
play with a little more than four minutes to play gave Hampton a 62-57 lead
before Kellam rattled off ten unanswered points.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Both Pitt and 6-foot-4
shooting guard Marquis Godwin,
another Class of 2017 prospect already drawing interest from schools at the
next level, appeared to be at less than 100%.
Godwin sat out most of the Championship with a bruised tailbone, while Pitt
fought through a sore ankle.
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
style=>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Hassell's
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:black;background:white'> Knights were able to overcome some adversity of
their own. In the quarterfinals, they
trailed Heritage - - the reigning Boo Williams Team Camp Champs - - by a count
of 56-47with 6:09 to play when a small scuffle between a couple of players on
the court occurred. While nobody left
class=SpellE>Kellam's bench, every player left the bench and onto the
court for Heritage, resulting in eight members being ejected.
style=> That left the Hurricanes with four players to
finish the game out.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Guard
normal'>Chris Schulz (2016) made 10-of-12 free-throws to take
class=SpellE>Kellam from down nine to up one with no time expiring off
the clock. They went on to prevail,
71-64.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Just when
class=SpellE>Kellam looked to be finished, they were given new life and
took advantage.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"We were dead.
style=> It was over," Hassell
admitted. "I've never been through
anything like that in my life. That was
the most bizarre scenario I've ever seen, and it turned out in our favor.
style=> We took advantage of it and kept it moving."
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Another challenge awaited
them with Norview, awarded a bye for the Gold Bracket semifinals by virtue of
their undefeated record before Kellam knocked them
off, 49-45 in a much lower scoring battle than the fast-paced, athletic Pilots
would've preferred.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"We try to bore everybody
to death. We definitely slowed it down and
put heavy pressure on the perimeter," noted Hassell.
style=> "More than us, I just think they were
cold. It looked like they were a little tight
and their legs were a little tired. I
won't take credit for us doing something against them; I just think their shots
were off, and the whole key after that was rebound and try to get out in
transition."
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>To go with
class=SpellE>Raynor-Powell's masterful play, Kellam
received consistent play from its supporting cast of Singer,
class=SpellE>Ratajczak, Shelton, Schulz and others, such as 6-foot-5
rising senior Chase Carroll and
5-foot-10 rising junior Connor Campbell.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"What Connor does is give
class=SpellE>Janai a break. He
was my backup point guard last year. He
can push the issue just like Janai and
class=SpellE>Janai does not always have to have the ball.
style=> With the way Janai's
shooting, it gives him the opportunity to spot up," commented
class=SpellE>Hasesell.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"We lost Kobe Copeland,
Colten Ward and Will Shook, all my tough guys.
But then Noah, Jayshawn and Chase have come in
and they're three taller guys. When Noah
can hit the outside shot, that's a big deal for us.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Winning the Silver Bracket
of the Team Camp was Green Run, a 50-31 winner over a Grafton team that they
rallied to beat two days prior in a 65-64 thriller when Class of 2017 guard
class=SpellE>DeShaun
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Wade was fouled on a three-pointer at
the buzzer and made each free-throw.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Despite a solid 14-9
overall record last season, Kellam was denied a
regional berth because only two teams from their conference move on to the 5A-South
Region Tournament. That bids went to
Maury and Green Run.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>Even though Maury, Green
Run and Norview all finished ahead of them in 2013-14, the Knights are evolving
into a cohesive group that nobody may want to see come playoff time next
winter. Already, this squad has
accomplished something that previous squads didn't.
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>"They know that even the
undefeated team never won a Boo Williams Team Camp.
style=> They are confident and this only skyrockets
it even more," stated Hassell.
style=> "Since Summer League, we were 9-1 and we've
now won 15 in a row in the off-season, which means nothing.
style=> It just means that it's a great confidence
builder and chemistry."
"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black;background:white'>
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>
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