** Video Interview above with Hampton Crabbers Head Coach Eric Brown **
The Hampton Crabbers and Granby Comets reigned supreme at the Old Dominion University Basketball Team Camp last weekend, each capturing titles in their respective divisions.
Hampton, which qualified for the 5A State Tournament last season before losing in the quarterfinals at ODU to Albemarle, went 6-1 and won the Monarch Division. They defeated Norcom, winners of three straight state titles and last year's ODU Team Camp Champ, by a count of 21-13 in the 20-minute half that was the Championship game.
Point guard Mastadi Pitt, back in a Crabbers uniform after spending last season at Atlantic Shores, led the way with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and had three rebounds in the Championship game. A couple other D-1 prospects from the Class of 2017, University of Richmond commit Marquis Godwin and Jalen Ray, were instrumental in their run also.
Ray scored nine of the Crabbers' first 14 points in the semifinals against Southwest Guilford (NC), who they beat by one on Saturday, and hit a tie-breaking three-pointer in the quarterfinals vs. Northeastern (NC) in the quarterfinals. Godwin had the game-winner in overtime to hold off Southwest Guilford.
With 6-foot-6 starting forward Matthias Caver absent on Sunday, some of the Crabbers' lesser known role players - such as ball-handlers Corey Joyner and Quishon Harris along with forwards Khariq Grogins and Jacquez Yow - complemented the trio of Ray, Godwin and Pitt extremely well. Yow and Grogins combined for eight rebounds in 20 minutes against Norcom.
The Crabbers' lone blemish during the camp came against Landstown.
Meanwhile, Granby, who narrowly missed out on the 6A-South Region Tournament in their second season under Head Coach Mike Evans, finished with an unblemished mark of 9-0. His Comets beat Chapmanville (WV) twice during the weekend, doubled up traditional 2A contender Brunswick 22-11 in the quarterfinals and also notched a pair of victories over Deep Creek, who they beat by 10 in the Lion Division Championship held at the Constant Center.
Much like the case was with Hampton, the Comets got contributions from a host of players, most notably returning starters like Giovanni Jones, Jermiah Jenkins and Antwan Epps. Both Jones and Epps, a Class of 2019 guard, were named First Team All-Monitor-Merrimac Conference a season ago.
Mikah Blackwell, a 6-foot-4 forward from the Class of 2017, was key in the painted area, blocking shots and grabbing rebounds.
Earlier this month, Granby fell to Phoebus in the Championship of the Boo Williams Team Camp.
In the J.V. division of the ODU Team Camp, Southwest Guilford (NC) defeated Woodside.
*** Be sure to check back for 'What We Learned' from the ODU Team Camp right here on VirginiaPreps.com! ***
Matthew Hatfield serves as State Basketball Analyst for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM on ESPN Radio 94.1, plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.
