January 9
Tournament Preview

This weekend, January 11th and 12th, Raines High School in Jacksonville will be hosting the MLK Classic. This two-day event will bring together some of the best teams, not only from Florida, but from three other southern states as well. Here is the schedule and a profile of each participating team.

Friday, January 11, 2008

• 5:30 PM - First Coast vs John Carroll (AL)
• 7:15 PM - William M. Raines vs Calhoun County (SC)
• 9:00 PM - Andrew Jackson vs Dunwoody (GA)

Saturday, January 12, 2008 Saturday, January 12th

• 1:00 PM - Jean Ribault vs Lake Howell
• 2:30 PM - Bishop Kenny vs Eastside (Gainesville)
• 4:00 PM - Robert E. Lee vs Dunwoody (GA)
• 5:30 PM - First Coast vs Savannah HS (GA)
• 7:15 PM - William M. Raines vs John Carroll (AL)
• 9:00 PM - Andrew Jackson vs Calhoun County (SC)

Team Profiles

First Coast (Jacksonville) - A young and athletic team is led by 6’5 sophomore Dwight Williams and guard Avis Komack who is an FSU football commitment at wide receiver. Seniors Torrie Laidler and Tracy Frazier provide First Coast with additional fire power.

William M. Raines (Jacksonville) - Another young team with a very bright future. The Vikings are led by 6’6 junior Rickey Lamb and 6’3 sophomore Stacey Poole, Jr. Poole is considered one of the top sophomores, not only in Florida, but the country as well.

Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) - This team has surprised many observers with how quickly they reloaded from last year’s senior dominated team. Guards James Wesley, Ron White, and Bernard Nugen have played very well this season. Sophomore 6’8 big man Milton Geddes patrols the paint.

Jean Ribault (Jacksonville) - A team still learning a new system after the sudden death of Coach Bernard Wilkes at the end of last season. Another young team, they are lead by 5’8 Jeremy Wright at point guard and 6’4 sophomore forward Bernard Griffin.

Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) - This is a fundamentally sound team that will not beat itself. They have a rising star in 6’0 sophomore point guard Keith McDougald who can score either by knocking down shots from behind the arc or taking it strong to the rack.

Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville) - One of Jacksonville’s best teams, last year’s 5A final four participant returns all five starters. The best of that core are 6’2 guard Shaquille Johnson, 6’0 guard Ronnie Weston, and 6’6 big forward Alex Smith who had a great tournament in Tampa after Christmas.

Lake Howell - This team didn’t rebuild, it simply reloaded from last year’s state titlest and nationally ranked team. Senior 6’2 guard Brett Chance is the leader, buy he has great support in senior Tavaryus Gray, junior Dominick Robinson, and sophomore big man Christian Jones.

Eastside (Gainesville)- This team had a pretty good showing at the Kingdom of the Sun tournament after Christmas. They are led by 6’8 sophomore Tylisman Armstrong and 6’1 sophomore point guard Dennis Mavin. The Mavin-McDougald match-up should be very entertaining.

Savannah HS (GA)- Led by 6-2 senior guard Norris Rumph and 6-0 guard Kevin Williams, Savannah is a sleeper on the radar of the Peach State’s best teams. The area has a load of talent and looks to prove it at the MLK.

John Carroll (AL) - Led by 6-3 point guard and Alabama signee Andrew Steele, this catholic private school is traditionally one of the powers in Alabama. They prefer an uptempo and are entertaining to watch.

Calhoun County (SC) - This school has won back-to-back state titles in South Carolina’s class 1A and is looking to do so again. Four years ago, Calhoun County played in the City of Palms so you know these guys know how to get it done on the court.

Dunwoody (GA) - Possibly the most talented team in the field, Dunwoody boast 3 division one signees. 6-8 forward Chris Singleton is a top 25 player nationally, can play inside or out and has signed with Florida State. 6-6 Delwan Graham was a revelation to high majors this past summer out in Vegas and that earned him a scholarship to FSU. The point guard, 6’1 Pierre Jordan, is also going to Florida State in the fall. The team is talented but will have its hands full with Jackson and Lee. If you are anywhere near the Jacskonville area, make plans to attend this tremendous event.