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Starkville T-Laws win Jackson Tournament |
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Monday, 21 May 2007 |
Junior AAU
edition receives
invitation to National tourney
By DON FOSTER
Starkville Daily News
It took a Herculean effort, but when it was all over, the Starkville T-Laws emerged with the championship trophy of the SAAU Jackson Tournament over the weekend.
The T-Laws, sponsored by former Starkville Yellowjackets and Portland TrailBlazers’ 6-9 forward Travis Outlaw, defeated the Picayune Tidal Wave 43-39 Sunday in the title game.
Following the game the Louisiana-Mississippi SAAU entry was invited to compete in the National ÅAAU to be held, July 6-8, in Hampton, Virginia.
Starkville coaches Zebedee Rice and Tony Minor were obviously very happy for the young team.
“I can’t say enough about the effort put forth by this group,” said Minor after returning from Jackson Sunday.
“They (the team) had to battle against a height advantage all weekend, but they wouldn’t give in against the bigger teams. They just kept battling all the way and came out a winner in the championship game,” he said.
Down the stretch, Starkville’s Nigil Randle (G) nailed some clutch free throws to keep the T-Laws ahead and help seal the triumph over the Tidal Wave, a team that had edged them earlier in the tournament but couldn’t hold back the Starkvillians in the rematch.
Starkville dropped a close encounter with Picayune, but stayed alive to eventually advance to the No. 2 slot to get a rematch with the Tidal Wave after a three-way tie developed. The T-Laws got the nod because of a larger margin of victory in pool play.
Brandon Sharp, first cousin of Travis Outlaw, was one of the mainstays along with Johnny Smith and Carnail Minor for Starkville as they defeated the Vicksburg Magic.
Charles Hughes and Darian King hit the boards hard and defended according to the coaches along with Jamario Jordan (G), David Blanchard (C), FonTavious Smith (G), Zeb Rice (G), and Joshua Norman.
“Charles (Hughes) and Darian King did an outstanding job on the boards,” noted Minor, adding “these kids play hard the entire weekend.”
The youth team was organized after Travis Outlaw checked into the prospects of “giving something back to the game” that he enjoys so much.
Minor remembers vividly Outlaw returning to Starkville during the All-Star break this past season and inquiring about plans to have a youth AAU team.
“I believe Travis had been to see his little sister play in an SAY Basketball game and proceeded to ask some of us about a off-season program for the boys,” recalls Minor.
“Travis said he ‘wanted to give something back’ because he remembered how he got his start when he was in the fifth grade,” noted Minor.
The young team has excellent leadership in Minor, who guided the Starkville Freshmen and the Armstrong Middle School Junior Jackets to twin Golden Triangle Conference titles during the winter, and Rice.
If Zebedee Rice sounds familiar, it is because he is the brother of NFL great Jerry Rice of B.L. Moor and now East Oktibbeha.
The T-Laws traveled to Vicksburg earlier this season and finished third among a crowded field in the River boat Classic while advancing to the championship game of the Leake County Classic.
The Starkville team divided a pair of games in the Mitchell Classic at Aberdeen.
Suddenly the T-Laws may may be taking on an NBA look with attractive dates looming in the National Invitational in Hampton, Va.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 May 2007 )
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