Published Jul 2, 2009
Norcom Wins ODU Team Camp
Matthew Hatfield
VirginiaPreps.com Basketball Analyst
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color:black'>Despite graduating two Division I guards in Darius
class=SpellE>Theus (VCU) and Deshawn Williams
(Air Force), the Norcom Greyhounds appear to be in good shape for the upcoming
season after completing an undefeated run in the Old Dominion Team Camp this
weekend.  Norcom capped it with a 22-13
Championship win over Bethel on Sunday, avenging a loss to the Bruins in the
Boo Williams Team Camp.

color:black'>"We've got some inexperience and a lot of guys are changing
roles.  When you lose Darius
class=SpellE>Theus and Deshawn Williams,
you're talking about two guys that meant a lot to this program.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Therefore now, Jeremy Canty,
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Decarlos Anderson, Dorian
Finney-Smith, Tre
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Theus and
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Paul Nicholson are trying to find new
roles as well as play together as a team," commented Norcom Head Basketball
Coach Leon Goolsby.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  "It's a learning experience.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  I'm proud of these guys and they played
hard.  I saw them grow up a little bit in
this team camp, and we still have work to do."
color:black'> 
color:black'>Anderson, one of three Norcom D-I prospects from the Class of 2011
along with Dorian Finney-Smith and Jeremy Canty,
scored a game-high 9 points in the final and was named the Team Camp MVP.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Perhaps Anderson's finest stretch came on
Friday night versus Wakefield, where the Greyhounds went from up two to leading
by 23 as he scored or assisted on 19 of 25 Norcom points.

color:black'>"He actually wants to be a leader on the team.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  He's trying to play a new position, so he's
learning.  He gets frustrated at times,
but like I told him, you're going to have ups and downs, just try to find a
level of consistency," said Goolsby of Anderson.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  "We try to keep it simple with him now so
that he gets more comfortable with what he's doing.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  As he goes along, then we can add things to
his game.  Right now he's really stepped
up [and] had a real good team camp."
color:black'>
To reach the Championship, Norcom beat a much improved Annandale team led by
rising juniors D'Angelo Boyce and Melvin
Robinson, 40-30 in the semifinals.  Bethel
topped Tallwood in the semifinals.
color:black'> 
color:black'>For the reigning three-time Eastern District Tournament Champions,
the ODU Team Camp title doesn't exactly ease the sting of losing to Great
Bridge in the opening round of the Eastern Region Tournament this past
February, but it is a step in the right direction for a team trying to build
chemistry without two seniors starting in the backcourt.
color:black'> 
color:black'>"Our goal is get better every year, make it farther each year and
still be competitive each year," remarked Goolsby,
whose Greyhounds have gone 57-21 over the past three seasons for the best
winning percentage of any team in the highly competitive Eastern District
during that span.  "They're playing
together and playing the right way. 
There are going to be some adjustments. 
They're going to be asked to score a lot, play more minutes and
defend.  And it's not how you start; it's
how you finish."
color:black'> 
color:black'> 
color:black'>*** Look for a 'Breakdown' of the top teams and players from the
ODU Team Camp in
href="http://virginiapreps.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=914&CID=881954">Hatfield's
Hoops Scoops! ***
color:black'> 
color:black'> 
Matthew Hatfield has
covered Eastern Region Basketball & Football since 2004 for
VirginiaPreps.com – the #1 High School Sports Site on the Rivals Network.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  Check out Hatfield's website –
href="http://www.matthewhatfield.com/">www.matthewhatfield.com – for more
on the pro and college sports scene.  To
contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com.