Sunday July 09, 2006

Team Takes A Shot

Local Players Will Participate In National AAU Tournament

BRANDON - The ball whips around the perimeter as players screen and cut, always probing for an advantage.

Members of the Brandon Bolts basketball team try to live up to their name, racing up, down and around the court.

"We can't give the defense time to recover. We've got to keep the ball moving," coach Tom Haslam yelled at a practice Thursday at Brandon High School.

Their fast-paced style is a necessity.

"They have a lot of ability. We just don't have a lot of big players," Haslam said.

And it works.

The group of nine soon-to-be 10th-graders qualified for the national Amateur Athletic Union tournament for players age 15 and under this week in Detroit. They finished third in the state and leave today for Michigan.

Players see it as a way to polish their games and get some name recognition in recruiting circles, increasing their chances for college scholarships.

"It puts you ahead of everyone," said A.J. Garden, of Durant High School. "It is great experience and exposure."

Teammate Callum Townsend, of Bloomingdale High School agrees.

"The more games you play, the better you get," he said.

The AAU experience helps keeps Luis Burgos' eyes on the scholarship prize.

"It gets you ready for college ball," the Brandon High student said.

Basketball reputations used to be made on the playgrounds or at national summer camps.

But no longer.

The AAU tournaments, with their traveling teams and national competitions, have taken over. It's where players can grab the eyes of recruiting mavens, college coaches and, for the very talented few, professional scouts.

"You want your kids to see who's out there and how good they are," Haslam said. "The AAU is more competitive. You play against the best players."

Some of the players have been dribbling together since they were 10, growing up in the Bolts organization.

Others hooked up this past year when Haslam, the athletic director and basketball coach at Nativity Catholic Church, merged his Brandon Elite team with the Bolts.

The Bolts team was created in 1999 by Walter Perkins III, a Brandon computer company owner. His son liked the game but found few opportunities to play and improve.

"There was no basketball out here for the kids. There was soccer, baseball and football, but no basketball," Perkins said.

That one team grew into an organization with four squads for players ranging from age 10 to 17.

"We have kids who want to play on the next level, and here in Hillsborough County, they don't get a lot of exposure," Perkins said. "Playing AAU gives them that and also lets them know the kind of players they will be up against."

Perkins relies on donations and sponsors to keep the balls bouncing.

"We beg and borrow, car washes, whatever it takes," he said.

In some places, AAU teams run afoul of high school coaches. Some say the summer teams try to usurp authority, and the more free-wheeling style breeds bad habits.

But not here.

"Hillsborough County basketball would not be where it is today if it weren't for the Brandon Bolts and Walter Perkins," said Mark Hermann, Brandon High's basketball coach. "It is amazing what the organization does for the kids."

Living For The Layup

Callum got hooked on hoops at an early age, shooting around with his grandfather, who played at Northwestern University and was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks. The team has since moved to Atlanta.

Tom Townsend likes the continuing coaching his son gets from the Bolts.

"They play a smart brand of basketball. They aren't as athletic as some of the teams they play," he said.

It's about more than dribbling, shooting and rebounding, he said.

"He is learning how to be serious about something at an early age," Townsend said. "If he applies that to the rest of his life, he will have a good life. It is about setting goals and going after them."

Manny Suarez, Austin's dad, likes the exposure his son gets.

"The main benefit is that he gets to meet kids from other backgrounds and schools," he said. "They get to travel around the state and country."

But Suarez tempers his son's hoop dreams.

"Education is the ticket," he said. "We're doing this for fun."

Final Advice

Haslam and assistant coach John Mitchell keep the final practice before the national tournament moving fast to keep the players' attention.

"We try to keep it real simple," Haslam said. "We want to let the players' ability work for them."

The team is big on the wings but short up front. The Bolts play with four guards. The tallest is 6-foot-7 Brandon Horace of Middleton High. The other guards range from 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-4.

Mitchell praises his players.

"This is a good bunch of kids who are willing to learn and listen," he said.

The team's final drills had nothing to do with basketball. It is all about traveling.

"Be sure to put your uniform and shoes in your carry-on," Haslam said. "That way, you are sure to have them."

They are admonished to stay together when they reach the airport and the hotel.

"We want you to have a good time and play some good basketball," Haslam said. "But we want you all to come back safe."

The players have their own ideas about what makes for a successful trip.

"We want to win some ballgames," Garden said.