Maurice Miller

You can't argue with the caliber of talent that was put on display by teams like the Memphis Tigers, Memphis Magic, M33M Ballerz, Memphis Storm (TGAND Express) Memphis YOMCA and the Memphis Hoopers.com. At some time during the summer one of these teams was turning some heads with athlletic talent all over the court.

The Memphis Tigers seemed like a can't miss squad boasting the likes of the Hamilton duo Myron Strong and Broderick Gilcrest, two of the most tealented guards in the state. They made the trip to Real Deal, Houston and Dallas yet never made the splash we thought they would in July. They did however gather themselves and defeat the Ballerz in overtime for the AAU State Championship. Inside the Tigers ran with Class of 2007 sleeper Josh Street (Craigmont), Houston High School soon to be star Ryan Donald and William Green (Fairley), a 6-6 athlete who is primed for a huge senior campaign.

The Memphis Magic could be another team that would be classified as mysterious. The boys rolled to a 6-2 record at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions against heavy competition and won a good Battle at the Bluff tourney back home. The Magic man running the show was do-it-all point man Maurice Miller (Raleigh-Egypt). The ice-cold leader showed why he is one of the top point guards in the country with his calm demeanor in the face of havoc and his improved offensive skill set, including a much improved jumper. Good guard play was the Magic staple with Kelvin Lester (Wooddale), Derrick Grandberry (Raleigh-Egypt) and Ken Torry (Mitchell) sharing the load with Miller. Inside the Magic seemed undermanned but Jerry Hampton (BTW) held his own blocking shots and getting put backs while controilling the boards. As the summer rolled along the players were seen on other rosters and the Magic could only be great when they played.

One of the teams that stirred the drink of the country was the M33M Ballerz. The team made up of mostly Class of 2008 players made some big noise with huge efforts in some of the summers biggest showcases. White Station sharpshooter Jordan Miller was the most highly visible upperclassmen and played his way onto the recruiting lists of many D1 coaches. The players who lit up the eyes of coaches from California to New York were the youngsters Elliott Williams (St. George), Terrico White (Craigmont), Eric Buggs (White Station) and Lawrence Bowers, who will transfer this season to join Williams at St. George. Williams has one of the quickest first steps in the game and has good size as well. White can slash and has shooting skills also and Buggs may be the quickest guard from endline to endline in the state. Bowers has a long lean body and when he gains strength to prevent some of his nagging injuries he will be a high level recruit.

The Memphis scene has always been dominated by the group known as the YOMCA. This years version was fraught with player injury, defection and numerous other events. The 16 and under squad was forced to assume the role of big brother and some players rose to the occassion. Tim Ware (BTW) showed his all around point guard ability with good effort during the summer and Ricky Taylor (Haywood County) proved to be on the verge of becoming a household name. The injury bug bit hard on potential big timer Jason Jones (Ridgeway), the lean difference maker was forced to watch from the sideline as his classmates drew all the attention. He is primed for a huge high school season. Despite the lack of participation the legend of the Y allowed them an invite to the prestigious Peach Jam. The trip to Augusta proved tough as the Y accumulated talent from around the city statringwith Strong, Gilcrest, Hampton and Deveyon Hunter (Hamilton). The lack of chemistry and preparation proved the undoing of the Y at the Jam.

The Hoopers played in some tough events and always came to play. The Storm or Express had a solid squad but did not play the schedule to make themselves a well known commodity. They did feature one of my favorite talents in the rising senior class with Sergio Kerush, who rumor has it has transfered to Craigmont. The Overton guard tandem of Drrrick Warren and Ronald Sampson should have been more visible on the circuit.

Their may not have been a national caliber squad from the Bluff City this year but talent is not lacking, so stay tuned for the high school season to watch these guys shine.