MANASSAS  2013-2014      

      Averaging over 20 wins a season since the 2007 high school basketball season that also includes a TSSAA State Championship 2009 and a TSSAA State  Runner up 2008 with the school being rebuilt in 2008. You might consider Manassas one of the most solid and definitely winning high school basketball programs in the city. This iconic North Memphis high school who boast many distinguished alumni from Isaac Hayes to many more comes in at Number 5 in MemphisHoopers.com preseason high school basketball poll. Coach Gerald Harris with his long time assistant since 2001 Jerry Anthony have something special going on in North Memphis once again with the eye of the Tigers focused on Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Division AA is a little down this year with several schools going down in classification to Division A. With a very solid senior group led by scoring guard guru Rayford Albright & dynamic Courtney Smith to go along with one of the strongest freshman classes in school history plus a deep bench that includes some important transfers, it sounds like a good recipe in the making. While we are talking on the subject regarding the boys, lets not forget the Manassas girls who have accomplished very much in the last three years with three straight Division AA MIAA City Championships, going to the TSSAA State Tournament 2 out of the last 3 years respectively.

      Also two of my all time favorite players to go to Manassas and play for MemphisHoopers.com was Reginald Buckner  (Ole Miss - Denver Nuggets) in Atlanta at Wallace Prather 2008 and Dontavious Sears (Eastern Oklahoma College) winning Real Deal in Little Rock (2011) as seen in throw back pictures.

      Senior Rayford Albright (5'10 - 175 lbs., espn  # -) had a good summer circuit season playing for Team Nashville putting up good numbers all spring and summer long. Albright is one of those tough North Memphis kids who plays multiple sports and on football he plays on defense and offense. Definitely has a knack for scoring from the guard position with strong drives to the goal, extra quick - cat like speed, shots from the 3 pt arc in good form, runs the floor with court vision, finds the open spots, and much more with his offensive prowess at hand to compliment a good high school basketball season parlaying into postseason.

    Another very solid senior is Courtney Smith (6'3 - 185 lbs., espn - #) who also had an good summer circuit season with Memphis Falcons. Smith has the build with his long reach plus the tools to be a very good guard on the next level with his high elevated jump shot who can stop on a dime and shoot it from anywhere on the court. Possesses good ball handling skills while he runs the court extremely well and will dunk on you in strong fashion in many opportunities. His services will be extremely important for a good high school basketball season and  postseason run.

     Senior Fernando Wilkins (6'0 - 175 lbs., rivals #) who got my attention last year in Regionals at Douglass High School with one of the most thunderous dunks I have seen in postseason action. Wilkins play around the rim is very strong especially when he uses both hands extremely well in that department, defense is always intense with decisive moves and is the most athletic on the team hands down.  Another senior is Marco Gilmore (5'10  - 160 lbs., rivals #) who posses an very good outside shot and might surprise some folks during the high school basketball season as one of the better shooters in the city.

     Senior Dedric Brown (6'1 - 190 lbs., rivals #) work ethic is highly competitive as being the best defender on the ball club. Brown goes the rim as hard as anyone in the city and will be very vital as the season moves along. Another transfer is senior DeShun Bell (6'5 - 205 lbs., rivals #) from Raleigh Egypt who Coach Jerry Anthony states, "will be the best big man in Division AA in the city of Memphis". Bell rebounds extremely well and for being 6'5 and playing the big man position alot he handles the ball pretty well in that regard.

     Manassas will participate in some Hall of Fame starting with Middle College @ Middle College on November 12, 2013. November 15, 2013 they host Wooddale in the last Hall of Fame game. They go to BTW in a North - South Memphis rival matchup December 9, 2013. They participate in the 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Thanksgiving Tournament at Melrose High School. December 23-26, 2013. They finish off their extracurricular schedule with a trip up north to their regular holiday event destination and one of the oldest and prestigious high school basketball tournaments in the country at Carbondale, Illinois for the Carbondale Christmas Tournament December 26-28, 2013.

      Senior Tony Atkins (5'10 - 175 lbs., rivals #) will provide valuable minutes at the guard position with his veteran leadership and solid ball handling skills as his older brother Eric Atkins (MemphsiHoopers.com staff still regards the older Atkins as a TOP 5 shooter to come thru Memphis - 2008 Class) did on that 2008 TSSAA State Runner up finish. The freshman class, probably one of the strongest to come thru Manassas will be led by 6'5 DeAndre Davis who came from Grandview Middle and Benji Perkins with roots as well in the community and major potential to be a top guard in the city of Memphis.

Coach Harris "Give God All The Glory"

      College Coaches:> Diamond in the Rough Team with legitimate off the radar prospects, (college coaches click here).

 

 

 

 

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Recap 8-25-2005

BY : ANDRE WHITEHEAD OF TENNESSEE PREP HOOPS

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I think there is a book that starts off that way, but I digress.

The anticipation of the upcoming AAU or summer campaign was alive and kicking all over the country in May of 2005, especially in Memphis.

The expectations seemed enormous, having finished second in the 17 and under nationals last season as 16's the Memphis YOMCA seemed primed for the ultimate run.

Something happened on the way to the gym.

It was apparent the Bluff City faithful were not the only parties interested in getting a piece of the star studded squad.

Adidas wanted to get a foothold in the ever burgeoning Memphis hoop scene and this seemed to be the initial move to start this particular ball
rolling.

So the YOMCA was no longer in the loop and the Memphis Pump-N-Run were officially born.

TTaking a peek at the roster one could not blame Adidas for their bold move. Thaddeus Young, Willie Kemp, Wayne Chism, Pierre Niles and Brandon Powell made up a nucleus that would surely lead Team Memphis to the promised land.

The summer campaign started with a most interesting scenario as the "PNR" lost a game to the Mid-State Ballerz, who ironically had Willie Kemp running the show. This was an illusion that would soon change, as Kemp
shortly thereafter joined the PNR.

With all their ducks in a row, the PNR set out to establish themselves and put a benchmark on the national attention that would follow.

The Real Deal on the Hill, the first major tournament of the summer that coaches could attend. The pundits pined for the impending matchup between Team Memphis and the defending mythical goliath The Indy Spiece Heat. The Heat were led by the consensus top player in the class Greg Oden and numerous other high level prospects who could actually match the
PNR with name recognition.br>
The reputation was established and the aura of the PNR was created as the boys from Memphis soundly defeated the Heat and made a huge cry across the land as the best summer squad in existence.

Another funny thing happened on the way to their future endeavors, nothing.

For some inexplicable reason the PNR did not suit up for any of the Memorial Day festivities and was sparsely seen until the Adidas Super 64 in Atlanta, following the shoe camps.

The aforementioned players participated in various high level exposure camps and the three major shoe camps and kept their names on the tongues of coaches nationwide.

After achieving individual success at these various camps, the boys got back together with the purpose of putting the finishing touches on a grand and final run through the top programs the country had to offer. They added Ridgeway jumping jack Ernest Fields and ECS powerhouse Tim Johnson to the fold and things looked bright.

Once again a funny thing happened on the way to the gym.

The time off and the lack of continuity played havoc on the chemistry of the PNR and they bowed out early in Atlanta.

Heading to Las Vegas for the final big time event of the summer, the PNR seemed poised and ready to achieve. After dominating pool play the lack of chemistry once again reared it's ugly head and some resentment among the players seemed to end this summer campaign on a sour note.

This team had the potential to be one of the best of all time. It is truly unclear what precipitated these events that grounded this team for much of the latter portion of May and June, but it truly had it's effect on their success.

None the less these kids are part of the best class of seniors to dot the Tennessee landscape in many years.

The decision to completely disassociate themselves with the
organization that they grew up playing for in retrospect now seems like a mistake. The YOMCA will continue on with quality younger teams and what to make of the Adidas affiliation with the Bluff City at this juncture is
unclear.

BY : ANDRE WHITEHEAD OF TENNESSEE PREP HOOPS