Heritage of Flight Cruise-In
Homecomings of the past
Team Xtreme in Kettering
Huggins among college coaches at Flyin' tourney
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
NCAA rules prevent college basketball coaches from commenting on players they're after during the season. Besides, their in-season schedules prevent them from blazing the recruiting trail.
So they flock to events like Flyin' to the Hoop, where there's plenty of games at one setting and a ton of potential talent to review.
Extras
"It's a great opportunity to see more than one game, more than one person and more than one team," said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins on Monday while watching the third of three days of Flyin' at Fairmont High School's Trent Arena.
"I think it's a great event."
Like many of the 40-plus college coaches in attendance, Huggins' Mountaineers played on Sunday, beating South Florida 69-52.
Huggins was forced out at Cincinnati and spent one celebrated season at Kansas State before landing at his beloved West Virginia last year.
• Count Cleveland State associate head coach Jason Gee a believer. Like Huggins, the former Springfield South standout and Charleston head coach is a frequent Flyin' observer.
"If you can pluck a couple kids out of a tournament this high-caliber, you're going to be in good shape," Gee said.
• Toledo St. John's assistant coach Shane Komives never saw a 3-point opening he didn't take. And no wonder. His father is high-scoring former Bowling Green State University and Toledo Woodward great Howard Komives.
St. John's fell 54-49 to Westbury Christian on Monday.
"Really, the only pressure that would come was from me," said Shane, who starred at St. John's and played briefly for Huggins at Cincinnati before transferring to BGSU.
"I was always hard on myself whether I was Komives or whether I was Joe Schmo."
Shane and his father were both sharp-shooting lefties. Shane donated a kidney to his father in '05. Howard suffered a stroke 10 years ago and has been plagued by health issues of late. Like Shane, he also resides in his native Toledo.
"He always talks about not having a 3-point line," Shane said. "He said if that arc would have been there, he'd have averaged 47 (points)."
• Nine area schools have committed to this event next year: Alter, Centerville, Dayton Christian, host Fairmont, Lakota East, Marshall, Middletown, Sidney, and Trotwood-Madison.
Among the national programs interested are Brother Rice (Brooklyn, N.Y.) DeMatha (Md.) and Bishop Luers (Ind.). Rice and DeMatha are hoop-rich programs that have sent scores of players to great college programs and the NBA.
Luers of Fort Wayne should entice Ohio State fans. Buckeyes coach Thad Matta reportedly has been relentless in securing the inside track on 6-8 all-world sophomore DeShaun Thomas.
• Centerville's Matt Kavanaugh was named to the All-Flyin' team. Joining him were Kentucky recruit DeAndre Liggins of Findlay Prep (Nev.), Gerardo Suero of Our Savior New American (N.Y.), A.J. Davis of Harmony Prep (Ohio) and B.J. Mullens of Canal Winchester. Mullens' 62 points in Monday's defeat of Our Savior surpassed the school record of former Dayton gunner and CW grad Shawn Haughn (46).
