From Basketball to Volleyball

Clarissa Moore is a household name in high school basketball at Eisenhower last year is now making some great noise in volleyball at the college level. A classy young lady whom I met in a basketball gym a couple of years ago playing AAU basketball. Recently came across her at IAH baggage claim just getting in for school break and thanksgiving holidays with still the same great smile as last two years ago. More on Clarissa...

Courtesy SWAC Media Relations

Clarissa Moore Receives Third Straight SWAC Newcomer Honors

SWAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 1); Auburn Invitational All-Tournament; SWAC Newcomer of the Week (Sept. 21, Oct. 12, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 9); SWAC Freshman of the Year; All-SWAC First Team; SWAC All-Tournament team Clarissa Moore compiled 25 kills, 12 digs, and five blocks as her Bulldogs registered two divisional wins last week over Jackson State and Alabama State. This is Moore’s fifth Newcomer of the Week honor this season and third consecutive week. A&M continues to ride a nine game win streak.

When there’s a “WILL” there’s a way…

St. John’s senior point guard Will Young came up short when the officiating made some crucial calls towards the end of St. John’s and Second Baptist match Monday night. Second Baptist nationally rank point guard Lynden Rose played as he usually played poised but determined, But Young showed what a true point guard on any given night can create havoc on the floor and just played with all his heart. The match up with in the two point guards showed that maturity has the advantage. St. John’s lack in height caught up with them at the end. Josh Winslow worked as hard as Young fighting for every loose ball and rebounds he can get to help St. John’s avoid there second loss of the season. It was a great game overall, but the results would have been in favor of St. John’s if not for the inadvertent whistles of the officiating. The game was so close and could have gone either way or “WILL’S” way.

BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP

As The Village High School is continuously improving on the boy’s side, it will not be complete without the girls program. Early this year Margo Graham a former WNBA player was hired to build and coach the girls basketball program for the 2009-2010 season, With only sophomores and freshman to work on, It will be a very young Lady Vikings team that will be hitting the floor this year, though the future looks bright with the incoming freshmen next year. Alexis Onigbanjo who stands 6ft and Hannah Cambel a point guard on her 2nd year at the village school will team up to compete for the Houston Junior Private Conference Title this year at the junior high level. Both players showed some promising future for the program when they were moved up to play with the high school team for a tournament and a home game early this season. They will be fun to watch next year.

Height is MIGHT

(The Village School vs. St John's)

Double and triple team just can’t stop it. Vikings SHAQ dominated the paint and the boards for the Village school in front of his home crowd. St. John’s just can’t find the answer. Having two or three defender on Shaq leaves the Vikings shooter wide open for three points, which resulted to an easy in and out and open lanes. Williams hit some wide open threes and Smith start driving to the open lanes. Village is a very young team with only sophomore and freshmen players and are getting better every game. They will be the team to beat in the Westside part of Houston next season when they return in full swing. They are still undefeated at home with great help from a very loud home court supporters. The future is looking good for the Vikings. See game highlights.

http://www.wizardsbasketball.us/2009_boys_stjohns_video.html

They call her "DUGIE"

Kaylin Dugie - Clear Creek- Incarnate Word

They call her ”Dugie”. I call her the “Court General” . She’s what every college coach would want to run their offense. Quick, smart and poised. Played for Houston HotShots & Cy-Fair Premiere AAU club teams. She was recently signed to play for Incarnate Word and will be fun to watch next year at the next level, but you may want to catch her for her last high school season games at Clear Creek High School this year for her last hooray!

Houston Angels of 2006 where are they now?

Blayke Hemmit (2012), Kaylan Sanders (2012), Jazmyn Howard (2012), Bianca Winslow (2012), Hannah Cambel (2014) and Briana Williams (2013) not shown in the picture.

Almost three years ago these group of young ladies was the focal point of middle school girls basketball at their junior high school in Houston. Now they’re all playing high school basketball and are making impact and holding their own. Hemmitt now a sophomore at Pearland-Dawson, Sanders and Howard team up at Elkins High School, Winslow attends Bellaire, Cambel still in junior high attends The Village School, but also plays for the high school team and Briana Williams at St. John's . How far will they go? Many had asked, but the answer remains the same. Only time will tell... but if in doubt, I invite you to watch them play this season and be the judge for yourselves.

Taking it to the next level…

Zoe Rogers (43) - Our very own from Bellaire High School now a freshman at Rice University here in Houston. Great shooter and rebounder will surely help the owls this year. As a senior, averaged 18.2 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in being named District 20-5A MVP, TABC All-Star and TABC Academic All-State and a McDonald's All-American nominee. She’ll be fun to watch this season.

Hakeem the "DREAM"

Four years ago a boy named Hakeem Kareem was playing for Fort Bend Bush high school and an AAU team from Westside Houston the Westside Wizards, now he is a senior at University of Texas-Tyler where he fulfilled his basketball dreams. I saw his struggles and hardships in recruiting. He’s one of the overlooked players in class of 2006. But he earned the recognition at UT Tyler in east Texas. In March of 2009 he received an award for ALL-ASC Honors .
RICHARDSON, Texas - Junior Hakeem Kareem (Houston, Texas) of The University of Texas at Tyler men’s basketball team received All-American Southwest Conference East Division honors in the league’s annual post-season awards.
Kareem had a break-out season in 2008-2009 by averaging 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game. He also led the team in field goal percentage by shooting 52.4 percent from the floor on the year.
SO BOYS AND GIRLS… NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM!

Year of the BIGS!

Last year was the match up of the BIGS in Houston’s girls basketball between Britney Griner and Kelsey Bone. First time the whole nation was focus to this sole game to find out who’s coming out of Houston to go for a state title in Austin. Nations number 1 recruit Griner (Baylor) the dunking sensation known to be the one to change the way women basketball is played and Bone (South Carolina) number 2 played with all heart in front of arena filled with college coaches and spectators from all over the nation. A great day for Houston’s girls basketball. Now both in college, we are awaiting from both Houston Proud players to represent not only the city of Houston, but the lone star state of Texas. WHO’S NEXT?

This year yet we have the number 1 player in the nation again. Chiney Ogwumike another BIG that's a monster in the paint had decided to join her sister. Her older sister Nnemkadi now a sophomore at Stanford University is another BIG and great athlete to come out of our city. More on Chiney @ ESPN Hoopgurlz. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/womens/news/story?id=4648084

Vikings vs Cypress Christian

The Vikings dominated the post with Shaq in the middle. They blew fast by Cypress Christian. The young village team is still in the development stage. Next year will mark it's first official game entering TAPPS 2010-2011 season. The Village School first graduating class 1s 2012. The basketball program will be one of the Houston's best in the city. The Village School is located in the westside of Houston, hidden behind one of the largest HISD 5A Westside high school. The Vikings is coached by Donald Harvey and on the girls side the Lady Vikings is coached by Margo Graham which is in her first season.

Basketball Season Is Here...

Heat of the summer is gone, but basketball is here to stay. School ball is now in session. Boys and Girls be ready because cameras are rolling. Be your best always! You don't know who's watching YOU.