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NBA hopefuls showcase hoops skills in Wesley Chapel

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Pasco County and the greater Tampa Bay region isn’t really known for its basketball prowess, but that reputation, or lack thereof, may soon change.

Pursuing dreams of playing professional basketball, a large group of athletes recently dropped by Wesley Chapel, of all places.

Six-foot-11-inch Nate Reuvers, from the University of Wisconsin, takes a few practice shots prior to the start of the 3-point and slam dunk competitions held during the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. Some 50 players from throughout the country converged in Wesley Chapel for the NBA Draft event. (Fred Bellet)

More than 40 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft-eligible hopefuls descended upon the area to showcase their athleticism and hoops skills in the inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine (TBPC), held June 3 through June 5, at the AdventHealth Sports Arena at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

The elite-level hoopers — many from recognizable high and mid-major NCAA Division I programs — dribbled, dunked, jumped, shot and passed their way into the eyes and impressions of various NBA and international coaches and scouts.

Several names may be familiar from deep runs in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness tournament, such as University of Southern California guard Tahj Eaddy, University of Houston forward Justin Gorham, and University of Loyola-Chicago center Cameron Krutwig, among others.

Draft hopefuls participate in drills during an open gym event on Day One of the three-day Tampa Bay Pro Combine, at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel. Players showed analysts their best skills.

The local hoops combine was designed to give exposure to players for the 2021 NBA Draft on July 29, or merely get on the radar as undrafted signees or internationally.

The three-day event featured drills, games (5-on-5, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3), athletic testing and measurements, as well as a 3-point shootout, dunk contest and more.

The player selection committee was led by ESPN television analyst Fran Fraschilla and BasketballNews.com NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock, who were there to evaluate players during the weekend.

The competition came together in a matter of about six weeks, seeking to replicate the Virginia-based Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a long-running hoops combine event canceled a second straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Six-foot-five-inch Makuach Maluach, a star player from the University of New Mexico, stretches as part of a drill on Day One at the Tampa Bay Pro Combine for NBA draft prospects. Maluach hails from Sydney, Australia.

Darryl Hepburn, a former Leto High and Hillsborough Community College basketball standout who played professionally throughout Asia, co-founded the TBPC with Rashaad Ubah, a former sports talent agent who played college hoops at the University of California-Irvine and Chaminade University of Honolulu.

Hepburn, Ubah and others quickly leveraged their connections with players, agents, coaches and media outlets to make the TBPC a go.

“There’s a void that was needed (to be filled),” Ubah told The Laker/Lutz News on the event’s first day.

“We thought that Tampa Bay was the perfect place, just because of the setting. Honestly, the (basketball) scouts want to come down here,” he said.

Six-foot-four-inch Justin Turner, of Bowling Green reaches for 11 ½ feet in a vertical jump test on Day One of the Tampa Bay Pro Combine.

Naturally, they targeted the brand-new Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus as a locale.

The 98,000-square-foot facility offers eight full-size basketball courts, including a center spine separating courts, as well as an athletic training center and second-level mezzanine for bird’s eye viewing.

“It was a big team effort of people who had different reaches in different areas,” said RADD Sports CEO Richard Blalock, whose private company is charged with managing the sports complex’s day-to-day operations. “We went on board with them to help them provide the facility and help them any way we could.”

The Pasco Tourist Development Council also leaped in as title sponsor, spending $50,000. Besides providing residents and basketball lovers a tangible event, participating players combined have millions of social media followers, garnering nationwide attention to Pasco and its tourism arm, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast (FSC).

Six-foot-11-inch Jordy Tshimanga, from Dayton University, goes up for a basket prior to the start of the slam dunk and 3-point shot competition.

Adam Thomas, FSC’s tourism director, put it like this: “It really expands the professionalism of Florida’s sports coast and provides another level of exposure that we couldn’t create without the partnership of the Tampa Bay Pro Combine.

“This actually gives Florida’s Sports Coast and Pasco County that professional look that we’ve been looking for, outside of our youth and amateur events.”

The expectation is to make the TBPC an annual affair “for the next 20 or 30 years, if possible,” Ubah said, dependent upon the community’s level of support.

The long-term vision for the event is to create a hoops hub of sorts at the Wiregrass Sports Campus, attracting college, professional and international players to maintain a training residency there for anywhere from a week to a month — staying at adjacent hotels.

“We feel like it’s a place where we can bring basketball down here, the same way that (Major League Baseball) Spring Training is here,” Ubah said. “We want this to be something that’s here every year, and something that we can get the community involved with, especially in Pasco County that doesn’t necessarily have professional sports, so this is a chance to get those communities and kids integrated to something that’s tangible,” he said.

Quade Green, who took part in the combine, was the leading scorer at the University of Washington this past season, at 15.4 points per game.

Participants ran drills on Day One. Here, competitors were Basic Athletic Measurement (BAM) tested and timed, running patterns.

The 6-foot guard and former McDonald’s All-American used the event as a chance to face “good competition,” particularly to show scouts he can handle long-limbed wings and big guards.

“I’m trying to play to my strengths,” Green said, “see what I can get better on.”

Like others, it was his first time stepping into the Wiregrass Sports Campus. He came away impressed with the state-of-the-art digs.

“This is a beautiful gym,” Green said. “Lot of great players here, great people around you, too. They’ve got connections. Life connections, too, for the long run.”

Sterling Manley’s hoops career at the University of North Carolina was often burdened by injuries, including surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee. He missed all of the 2019-2020 season.

The inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine (TBPC) ran June 3 through June 5 at the AdventHealth Sports Arena at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Pro Combine)

The 6-foot-11-inch center from Pickerington, Ohio, ventured to TBPC to demonstrate he’s healthy and can still hold his own against other top-notch bigs.

“I think the biggest thing is just showcasing my skills and being able to be around good talent and a good group,” Manley said, “and just playing against good competition and showing I belong.”

Manley came away pleased with the entire showcase.

He referenced the “very nice” facility, plus organizers bringing in BAM (Basic Athletic Measurement) electronic sensor tracking technology. It provides accurate athletic assessments on sprint speed, agility and vertical jumps, he said.

“We get good testing, legit numbers and measurements,” he added.

Another bonus? “The hotel’s only a walk away,” Manley said, “so everything’s in a good distance.”

Former University of Tampa star Mark Borders was among several instructors on hand, guiding players through various skills and drills, such as pick and roll situations.

Pinpoint passing is an area he knows a thing or two about, as the Division II program’s all-time career assists leader, tallying 649 total from 2003 to 2006.

Borders detailed how the event provides an outlet for overlooked but solid pro prospects, while also giving basketball lovers — particularly college hoops fans rooting for a player from their favorite program — an opportunity to watch high-end talent either in-person or via livestream.

“It’s a historical event, giving these kids an opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.

For information, visit TampaBayProCombine.com.

Tampa Bay Pro Combine rosters

Black Team
Jahvon Blair (Georgetown University)
Nojel Eastern (Howard University)
Ethan Esposito (Sacramento State University)
Loren Jackson (University of Akron)
Sterling Manley (University of North Carolina)
Obadiah Noel (University of Massachusetts — Lowell)
Nate Reuvers (University of Wisconsin)
Terry Taylor (Austin-Peay University)
Andre Melendez (None)
Coach: James Posey

Green Team
Giorgi Bezhanishvili (University of Illinois)
Chudier Bile (Georgetown University)
Ryan Daly (St. Joseph’s University)
Jimma Gatwech (Core4 Atlanta)
Javion Hamlet (University of North Texas)
Jalen Johnson (Mississippi State University)
Micah Potter (University of Wisconsin)
Justin Turner (Bowling Green State University)
Brandon Williams (University of Arizona)
Coach: Xavier Silas

Red Team
Troy Baxter (Morgan State University)
Manny Camper (Siena University)
Tahj Eaddy (University of Southern California)
Jordan Goodwin (Saint Louis University)
Loudon Love (Wright State University)
Ashbjorn Mitgaard (Grand Canyon University)
Chandler Vaudrin (Winthrop University)
Keith Williams (University of Cincinnati)
Coach: Bob MacKinnon

Blue Team
Mitch Ballock (Creighton University)
Jayvon Graves (University of Buffalo)
Quade Green (University of Washington)
Cameron Krutwig (University of Loyola-Chicago)
Makuach Maluach (University of New Mexico)
Joel Ntambwe (Texas Tech University)
Jordy Tshimanga (University of Dayton)
Richard Washington (San Jose State University)
Coach: Doc Martin

White Team
Marcus Burk (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis)
Hasahn French (Saint Louis University)
DJ Funderburk (North Carolina State University)
Justin Gorham (University of Houston)
Justin Jaworski (Lafayette College)
Damien Jefferson (Creighton University)
Clay Mounce (Furman University)
D’Mitrik Trice (University of Wisconsin)
Coach: Jesus Verdejo

Published June 09, 2021

New year in sports to deliver joy, excitement, adventure

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As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch, experience and appreciate.

Here is a sampling of what’s ahead in 2021:

Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice will host the United States Premier Hockey League. (File)

Elite junior hockey at Center Ice
The AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel may best be known for housing the 2017-2018 U.S. women’s national ice hockey team in its historic run to winning an Olympic gold medal.

The 150,500-square-foot facility — the largest ice rink south of New York — also will play host to another prestigious hockey group in 2021.

The United States Premier Hockey League — one of the nation’s top junior-level development programs — announced plans to play a six-weeklong, 20-game schedule across Center Ice’s four sheets of ice, beginning in January.

Using a “Hub City” concept, teams and players throughout the country will lodge at nearby Saddlebrook Resort, in between games and practices at Center Ice.

Some these players will wind up playing collegiate and maybe even professional hockey.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills (File)

Zephyrhills tennis center to host pro tournament
The newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center soon will begin living up to its promise of being a national and international draw.

The multimillion sports complex will host a $25,000 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit Event from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31.

The competition will feature 32 women’s singles players and 16 doubles teams — which encompasses some of the world’s top pros who are also slated to compete in the Australian Open.

The prestigious tourney is expected to be an annual affair at the facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

(Courtesy of Tampa Bay Sports Commission)

Super Bowl LV in Tampa
America’s most-watched sporting event — the Super Bowl — will take center stage at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7.

The community and economic impact to the surrounding area — even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — is sure to spread northwards through Hillsborough and Pasco counties, in the form of hotel stays, restaurant patronage and leisure about town. Several ancillary Super Bowl events and outreach programs have already been scheduled in those areas, too.

Also, don’t be shocked if a former local prep star (or more) is a part of contending teams in the 55th edition of the NFL championship game.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet hones his shooting at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center. (File)

Toronto Raptors call Tampa home, temporarily
As if history wasn’t already made with Super Bowl being in Tampa this year, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are playing at least the first half of its 2020-2021 home slate at Amalie Arena on Channelside.

A limited number of fans are being allowed to the games, so it’s a good opportunity to be a part of a rare occurrence and see some of the sport’s most talented players in the world, not too far from your backyard.

There’s also a further local connection: The Raptors had their two-weeklong preseason training camp at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center, back in December.

The Bishop McLaughlin varsity boys basketball program may be a state title contender. (Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School)

Bishop’s ballers
The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball team has quickly established itself as one of the area’s highest-scoring and high-flying squads since beginning its 2020-2021 season in November.

The team features a junior trio of bona fide Division I prospects in 6-foot-4 guard Antonio Davis Jr., 6-foot-7 forward Dillon Mitchell and 6-foot-4 guard Emanuel Sharp, who last year led the state in scoring (31.9 points per game) while at Tampa’s Blake High School. An example of the Hurricanes dominance: They defeated Land O’ Lakes High School 80-34 in an early December contest. The team is coached by former USF and Israel pro standout Derrick Sharp.

With all that talent, perhaps a state title is in the team’s reach come early March? Wait to see.

Florida’s high school spring sports, like track and field, are expected to make their long-awaited returning after being canceled last March amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (File)

Spring can’t come soon enough
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out most, if not all, of last year’s Florida high school spring sports season throughout Florida from March onward, as a matter of health and safety.

The long-awaited return of these athletic events — baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball, water polo, boys weightlifting — should yield special (and emotional) moments for countless athletes, fans, coaches and parents alike.

Perhaps a few records will be broken and championships won by locals will occur along the way, too.

Worth noting: The area generates its fair share of the state’s strongest baseball, softball and track and field programs, among others.

Bored? Take a hike
Still suffering from pandemic-induced cabin fever? Perhaps some fresh air and outdoor exercise in a local park or preserve can clear the homebound blues.

Hillsborough County’s Hiking Spree continues through March 31. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

That can be done via Hillsborough County’s fifth annual Hiking Spree, which challenges participants to complete at least eight trail hikes from November through March 31.

The Hiking Spree’s trail list this year features 25 different trails at 20 locations throughout the county.

And, several of those sites fall within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Carrollwood Village Neighborhood Park, Peterson Road Park, Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, Lake Rogers Conservation Park, Lake Dan Nature Preserve and Cypress Creek Nature Preserve.

Participants may hike on their own, or in a group setting with friends and family. Some sites have entrance and parking fees. Hikers may repeat any trail twice for credit, as long as the hikes occur on different dates.

Aside from the feeling of accomplishment, those who complete the hiking extravaganza earn their choice of a patch, medallion for a walking stick, or a dog bandana.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High alum (File)

Lutz native again leads Tampa Bay Rays
The new year should again generate another fruitful campaign for Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High School alumnus.

Prospects remain high for a Cash-led club that reached Game 6 of the 2020 World Series and finished with the best record in the American League during a pandemic-delayed and shortened season.

Also, expect to see and hear more of the reigning AL Manager of the Year in the new year, given the MLB is seeking terms resembling pre-pandemic levels, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 to 162 regular season games, plus spring training.

However long the 2021 slate, the Rays will be fighting its third-straight playoff berth under the 43-year-old Cash, entering his seventh season as Rays skipper.

Sunlake High School product Tommy Mace is now a standout pitcher at the University of Florida. (File)

Preps to pros
The annual MLB Draft creates an opportunity for boyhood dreams of becoming a professional baseball player to become true.

Each year, about a handful of area high school or college prospects are taken in the draft —offered anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to play America’s greatest pastime.

At least one name to watch in the July event is former Sunlake High School right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace, now a senior at the University of Florida. Various baseball outlets believe the 6-foot-6 Mace has the potential to be a first round pick, which could mean a signing bonus of several million dollars.

In three varsity seasons at Sunlake from 2015 to 2017, Mace posted a 19-6 record, 1.65 ERA and 196 strikeouts across 165.2 innings pitches. He also guided the Seahawks to the 2017 Class 7A regional finals.

Bay Scallop season in Pasco County runs from July 16 through July 25. (File)

Seeking an outdoor adventure? Try scalloping
Grab a snorkel, a swim mask and some fins because recreational scallop season returns again this summer in Pasco County.

The now annual 10-day bay scallop season in Pasco County is tentatively scheduled from July 16 through July 25. It begins the third Friday in July each year.

The county’s scallop zone encompasses all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River.

The outdoor family friendly activity of hunting for scallops is often referred to as an underwater Easter egg hunt.

Requiring only basic swimming skills, the idea is to float along the top of the water until you spot scallop shells in Florida seagrass beds lying several feet underwater, then you grab them by hand, or with a landing or dip net.

Pasco is the southernmost county in Florida to offer a scallop season.

Published January 06, 2021

Toronto Raptors training camp a slam dunk at Saint Leo

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When it comes to melding professional sports and higher education, Saint Leo University has been known as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ exclusive educational partner.

The partnership, which began in 2019, has featured traditional in-stadium and in-market advertising, digital and social features. and other unique fan elements. Most visible elements can be seen along massive interstate billboards and signage throughout Raymond James Stadium.

Saint Leo men’s basketball coach Lance Randall leveraged his friendship with Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse to help lure the NBA franchise to hold preseason camp at the university campus. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University athletics)

Over the last month, the university scored another professional sports franchise partner, albeit for a brief period.

Saint Leo’s on-campus Marion Bowman Activities Center served as preseason training camp host for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, from Dec. 1 through Dec. 11.

The Raptors journey to Saint Leo and the Bay Area came by way of circumstance.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the franchise was unable to start the 2020-2021 regular season in Toronto due to Canada-U.S. border restrictions.

Needing a temporary home in the U.S., the Raptors’ players voted to begin their 2020-2021 season in Tampa over cities such as Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale, Louisville, Nashville and Newark.

Raptors “home” games — at least initially —  will be played at Amalie Arena, the homesite of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, at 401 Channelside Drive in Tampa. The scheduled 72-game regular season begins Dec. 22 and is expected to run through May 16. The Raptors announced at least 17 home games will be played at Amalie Arena in the first half of the NBA season.

Besides the home arena, the Raptors, too, needed someplace nearby to hold its two weeklong training camps while construction was underway on a makeshift practice court inside a hotel ballroom at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, in downtown Tampa.

And, that’s when some deep coaching ties came to assist.

Coaching connections
Saint Leo men’s basketball coach Lance Randall has known Raptors head coach Nick Nurse for over 20 years.

It’s a relationship dating back to when the pair was coaching against each other in Europe, more specifically in the British Basketball League. Both also coached England’s Birmingham Bullets at separate times in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They’ve remained friendly ever since.

“There’s not a ton of American coaches over there (in Europe),” Randall recently told The Laker/Lutz News, “so you tend to get to be closer with guys that are American when you’re over there and make some sort of connections and bonds.”

(Courtesy of Toronto Raptors)

It was sometime in mid-November when Randall received a random text message from Nurse, inquiring about the college’s basketball facilities as a possible camp site, as the team made preparations for a move stateside.

Randall subsequently went into recruiting pitch mode, self-assured the Bowman Center would be a slam dunk for the Raptors.

The Bowman Center has 10 basketball hoops, two full-size courts and a 4,444-square-foot weight room.

The facility also has a balcony overlooking the practice gym, which allowed team scouts and management to get a bird’s-eye view of all the action.

Add to that a serene setting devoid of distractions in rural East Pasco County, off State Road 52, some 35 miles north of the team’s downtown Tampa hotel stay.

Raptors representatives were on-campus within a week of the original text conversation, touring the facility with Randall and other university officials. They also took a look at Lake Jovita and some of the surrounding areas.

The NBA franchise clearly liked what it saw from the in-person visit.

“We have a great gym for getting better,” Randall said. “We have a lot of baskets, we have a great floor, and it just kind of made sense. And, the students are off-campus, so from that standpoint, it just kind of fell into place.”

The timing also worked for Randall’s own program.

With the status of the NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference season and games in limbo, Randall had no qualms with having his team conducting some routine practices at Academy at the Lakes, in Land O’ Lakes. End-of-semester final exams also took place during the time of Raptors training camp, meaning Randall’s squad was due for a break anyway.

Home away from home
For the duration of Raptors training camp, buses shuttled players, coaches and officials to Saint Leo, generally between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., each day.

As many as four shuttle buses could be seen parked at any one time next to the Bowman Center.

Raptors management strived to normalize the temporary setting, wrapping the university’s fitness center, end mats and other portions of the arena in team logos and its signature red and black color scheme.

Toronto Raptors veteran guard Fred VanVleet hones his jump shot inside Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center. (Courtesy of Toronto Raptors)

Practices were closed to the media and public, but both Randall and Saint Leo athletics director Fran Reidy were able to view some action from afar, at least in the early portion of training camp.

For them, it was a surreal experience witnessing an NBA team on Saint Leo’s hardwood floor, let alone one that won an NBA title in 2019 and has secured a playoff berth seven years running.

“It’s great to watch pros who really do work,” said Reidy. “You know, they didn’t get there by accident, right?

“When I was watching these guys, they’re working at their game, they’re not going through the motions. There’s guys that work out before the team practice or after the team practice on their individual part, and obviously they work on the team concept in the middle, but it is interesting to see how hard these guys work.

“To see guys that were winning an NBA championship a year ago (in 2019) in your gym with arguably one of the best coaches in the league, it was really fun to watch,” Reidy said.

Randall added: “They really just kind of locked in. They’re very professional about how they do things and they’ve been a great group, just a really classy organization. They’ve got a culture of winning and doing things the right way, and really it’s embodied everything they do, even just simple things like meeting and greeting.”

From a coach’s perspective, Randall also was captivated by the team’s “attention to detail, and the ability to facilitate those details on a moment’s notice.”

It was a valuable learning tool for his own basketball staff, he said.

On the flip side, Raptors players and coaches came away quite pleased with the university’s Southern hospitality.

In a recent Zoom media conference during camp, Nurse joyfully mentioned that Randall’s wife had baked chocolate chip cookies for the entire team.

“That’s how special the touches are around here,” said Nurse, the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year. “They’ve been gracious, gracious hosts.”

Nurse praised the Bowman Center’s basketball facilities, too. He noted how its 10 hoops are distinctly spaced out in the arena, which allowed the team’s 20-man roster to get adequate individual work in without encroaching on each other.

“We’ve got 20 players here, you’ve got a lot of bodies,” said Nurse, “so you need a lot of baskets to keep everybody active, and getting required shots in and form shooting work, and all that stuff going.”

He added: “The facilities here are perfect, really perfect, and we’re happy and fortunate we chose here and that they were able to accommodate us.”

Raptors all-star power forward Pascal Siakam likewise came away satisfied with Saint Leo’s digs.

“I think it’s been great,” Siakam said of the training camp experience at Saint Leo. “I would say we’ve been blessed to be able to have a facility like that. Definitely a shout out to Saint Leo for letting us use the gym and be a part of what they have here.

“I think it’s been great just being here and having everything under one roof. I just know, obviously, we appreciate it as a team.”

Branding boost
Those types of responses gratified Saint Leo’s athletics director, confirming the university’s sports facilities and amenities are top-notch and pro-caliber.

“We do have really good facilities. We’ve known that for a long time. Anytime we can get other people to campus, they realize the same thing. But, when a professional team comes to campus, I think it validates what you’ve been saying,” said Reidy.

Besides validation, the partnership in with the Canadian-based NBA franchise has yielded other benefits for the private Catholic university with an undergraduate on-campus enrollment of 2,000-plus.

Saint Leo naturally has gotten quite an exposure boost over the last several weeks — becoming the subject of much local, regional, national and international media attention.

Reidy believes it all could be a windfall for recruiting new student-athletes in the future.

And, not just in hoops, but even in sports like men’s lacrosse, which has seven Canadian-born players on its 2021 roster.

“We have a bunch of Canadians on our (men’s lacrosse) team, so this certainly is not going to hurt our recruiting,” Reidy said. “Because the Raptors have been here, now those kids will know that, ‘Well the Raptors were at Saint Leo, then it must be the real deal,’ so it has been a really good brand for us, really helped us at a time when we haven’t played any sports (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), we were kind of in need of a little spark, and this has been a very good experience.”

This is actually not the first time Saint Leo has played host to an NBA team.

The New Jersey Nets in 1996 held preseason training camp at the college, lodging at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

That partnership also happened by way of a coaching connection.

Then Nets rookie head coach John Calipari had served as a graduate assistant in 1982 at the University of Kansas under Ted Owens, Saint Leo’s athletic director at the time.

2020-2021 Toronto Raptors roster
Players

  • OG Anunoby, forward
  • Aron Baynes, center-forward
  • DeAndre’ Bembry, guard-forward
  • Chris Boucher, forward-center
  • Oshae Brissett, forward-guard
  • Terence Davis, guard
  • Henry Ellenson, forward-center
  • Malachi Flynn, guard
  • Jalen Harris, guard
  • Alize Johnson, forward
  • Stanley Johnson, forward-guard
  • Alex Len, center
  • Kyle Lowry, guard
  • Patrick McCaw, guard
  • Malcolm Miller, guard-forward
  • Norman Powell, guard
  • Pascal Siakam, forward
  • Matt Thomas, guard
  • Fred VanVleet, guard
  • Yuta Watanabe, guard-forward
  • Paul Watson, guard

Staff
Nick Nurse, head coach
Adrian Griffin, assistant
Sergio Scariolo, assistant
Jim Sann, assistant
Chris Finch, assistant
Scott McCullough, trainer

Published December 16, 2020

Coronavirus cancels many sports events

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As fears regarding coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) continue to ramp up, so do cancellations on the sports landscape — nationally, regionally and locally.

The FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) announced there have been no final decisions concerning state series or state championship events. Furthermore, spring sport rankings will not be released until further notice. (File)

The unexpected cancellations began on March 10 when The Ivy League, a Division I collegiate athletic conference comprised of private schools in the Northeast, announced the cancellation of its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, and it said it would limit the number of spectators that can attend spring sports — as a direct response to accelerated coronavirus cases across the country.

In short order, many other sports organizations — professional, collegiate, amateur, recreational and youth — followed suit by postponing or canceling events during ensuing days.

The NBA and the NHL League suspended their seasons indefinitely. The MLB canceled spring training games and pushed back the start of the 2020 regular season.

Even WWE’s WrestleMania 36 — scheduled for April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa — has been moved to a “fanless” venue at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Meanwhile, the NCAA on March 12 canceled Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments (more widely known as March Madness), as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships, in light of ever-evolving news regarding the public health threat of COVID-19.

In a similar move, the NJCAA (National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association) on March 16 canceled all upcoming basketball championships, as well as spring competition, effective immediately.

The NCAA and NJCAA decisions means that Saint Leo University (Division II NCAA) and Pasco-Hernando State College (Division II NJCAA) have canceled the remainder of the spring season, as well as all activities for all fall, winter and spring sports until further notice.

The Saint Leo athletic department, in a release, said: “The health, safety and welfare of all of our staff and student-athletes is paramount. Taking these precautions now will help keep our student-athletes healthy so they can successfully complete their academic coursework and resume competition in Fall 2020.”

In accordance with the NCAA, Saint Leo University has canceled the remainder of the spring sports season, affecting such sports as softball. Meanwhile, all activities for all fall, winter and spring sports have been suspended until further notice. (File)

Postponements and cancellations also have affected high school sports.

All athletics activities at Hillsborough and Pasco county public schools are canceled until at least April 15, as part of a statewide directive from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Academy at the Lakes has canceled all sporting events, including games and practices, through at least March 29. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School also has canceled athletic practices, games and non-school functions until at least April 15.

The FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) also announced there have been no final decisions concerning state series or state championship events. Furthermore, spring sport rankings will not be released until further notice.

“As we receive information from state authorities and health departments, the FHSAA will continue to make decisions for each sport individually, moving forward,” the statewide athletics organization said, in a release.

Many local youth and adult sports leagues have postponed or canceled their spring seasons, too.

Pasco County Parks announced all events, activities, youth and adult sports leagues, field reservations and so on have been canceled until at least May 1.

County parks will continue to remain open for day-use only, however recreation complexes and community centers remain closed until further notice. That includes the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, Heritage Park Community Center, James Irvin Community Center, Odessa Community Center, among others.

Likewise, Hillsborough County recreation centers are closed and athletic activities have been canceled until at least April 13, but Hillsborough County parks are open.

Meantime, large sports leagues put on by local churches also have been postponed or shuttered.

Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz has canceled the entire spring season for youth baseball, youth softball and men’s softball. Pending developments with the coronavirus, the church plans to ramp up sports registration on July 1 for its fall youth soccer and adult coed soccer leagues.

Grace Family Church, which has campuses in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, has postponed its basketball, kickball and softball leagues, until further notice.

Published March 25, 2020

Erik Thomas relishes NCAA tournament cameo

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Erik Thomas’ illustrious collegiate career is over, but the former Wesley Chapel High basketball star has no plans to step away from the court.

On March 14, the University of New Orleans Privateers suffered a heart-wrenching 67-66 loss to Mount St. Mary’s in the First Four game of the NCAA Tournament.

Erik Thomas remains Wesley Chapel’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, leading scorer and rebounder with 2,138 points and 1,203 rebounds, respectively.
In his senior prep season, Thomas was named Class 5A Player of the Year after averaging a state-best 32.7 points per game and 16.3 rebounds per game.
(File)

The defeat was a bittersweet ending to what otherwise was a noteworthy senior season for Thomas, the 2016-2017 Southland Conference Player of the Year and the Privateers’ leading scorer (19.3 points per game), rebounder (7.8 per game) and shooter (58.9 field goal percentage).

Thanks in large part to contributions from the 6-foot-5 forward, New Orleans punched a ticket to the Big Dance for the first time since 1996. Moreover, it marked the team’s first 20-win season since 1996-1997, and its first winning season since 2008.

Despite the early exit, reaching the NCAA Tournament was quite literally “a once-in-a-lifetime experience” for Thomas.

“A lot of dudes don’t get to experience that,” Thomas said. “Just being able to make it to the First Four and represent the school, it was an excitement for all of us, and I was just happy to be there; it was a blessing.”

Along the way, Thomas, who remains Wesley Chapel’s High’s all-time leading scorer (2,138 points) and rebounder (1,203 rebounds), said he was inundated with messages of support from family and friends.

That included Doug Greseth, Thomas’ high school coach at Wesley Chapel High School.

In fact, Greseth made the 640-mile trek to New Orleans to watch Thomas’ final home game, on March 11.

“For him to come (to New Orleans), it meant a lot,” Thomas said. “It felt good to have the support there.”

Greseth, one of Pasco County’s longest-tenured boys basketball coaches, was awestruck by Thomas’ development since last coaching him during the 2012-2013 season.
That season, Thomas was named Class 5A Player of the Year after averaging a state-best 32.7 points per game and 16.3 rebounds per game.

“I got goose bumps watching him live,” Greseth said, “because I was just so proud of how much better, how much of a well-rounded player he is.

“He’s really become a complete player. He can play with his face to the basket, he can play with his back to the basket. He rebounds well. He’s always been an excellent passer, and his defense has gotten a lot better.”

Former Wesley Chapel High hoops star Erik Thomas helped lead the New Orleans Privateers to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996. The 2016-2017 Southland Conference Player of the Year was the Privateers’ leading scorer (19.3 points per game), rebounder (7.8 per game) and shooter (58.9 field goal percentage). He is now focusing on a professional basketball career.
(Courtesy of University of New Orleans)

Greseth, too, complimented Thomas’ unselfishness, leadership, and improved shot selection and basketball IQ.

“He really worked hard to improve,” Greseth said.

With stints at Jefferson and Okeechobee high schools, Greseth acknowledged Thomas is one of the top “two or three players” he’s ever coached during his career, which spans more than 30 years.

At Jefferson High, Greseth coached Tarence Kinsey, who was named the state’s Class 4A player of the year in 2002.
Kinsey later played for the University of South Carolina and spent two seasons in the NBA (Memphis Grizzlies in 2006-2007, Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008), before embarking on a basketball career overseas.

Thomas, likewise, is mulling a professional hoops career.

The basketball star said he’s currently searching for a sports agent, as he works towards completing his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

In the meantime, Thomas is sharpening his hoops skills.

“I’m just trying to stay in shape and keep working on my craft,” Thomas said. “I’m always in the gym working. It doesn’t stop no matter what. Even after the season, I took a couple days’ break and then I was just back in the gym working out.”

Though the NBA appears to be a long shot, a basketball career internationally seems well within reach for Thomas.

“I definitely think he can play overseas,” Greseth said, confidently.  “I think he could play in Europe; I definitely believe he can do that.”

A four-year letterman at Wesley Chapel, Thomas helped lead the Wildcats to a combined 74-38 overall record, a 37-17 mark in district play and berths in the playoffs each year, including identical 24-5 marks with District 8-5A titles his last two years.

Despite the production and flashy statistics, Thomas was relatively overlooked as a Division I prospect out of high school.

He opted to play two seasons in junior college — East Georgia State College and Baton Rouge Community College — before transferring to New Orleans his junior season.

Many Division I schools, Greseth said, were initially concerned Thomas was too undersized to play in the frontcourt and lacked the qualities needed to transition to the backcourt.

“I’d say most Division I schools thought he was too small to play inside,” Greseth said. “I think they felt like he wasn’t a good enough shooter to play on the perimeter — I think that’s probably what got him.”

Yet, Thomas was able to augment his skills each year, Greseth added, later proving naysayers wrong.

“A lot of that is mostly him putting in the work to get better,” Greseth said. “Some kids — they don’t get any better, they peak at an early age. He just seemed to get better and better every year that he played.”

Regardless of what his future holds, Thomas said he wants to serve as a role model for others in the sport, particularly those forced to enter the junior college ranks.

“I just like to be a motivation,” Thomas said, “to everybody else that’s out there that goes through the JuCo route, or that’s gotten injured coming out of high school.”

That experience, however, served him well.

“I believe going through the process that I went through — it’s just made me a better player and made me work harder,” he said.

Published March 29, 2017

Record 3-point shooter adds new challenges

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Justin Dargahi, a record-holding three-point shooter, has added a few new challenges for 2016 and beyond.

First: Turn around the struggling Gaither High girls varsity basketball program.

Next: Set the world record for most three pointers made by a pair, in one minute.

Dargahi — the Guinness World Record for the most 3s made from NBA range (23 feet, 9 inches) in one minute (26) — first hopes to bring some cache to the Gaither High’s girls basketball program.

It won’t be easy for the former Land O’ Lakes High girls head JV (junior varsity) coach.

The Cowboys—which went a combined 5-38 the last two seasons—have had six straight losing seasons.

Yet, that doesn’t deter Dargahi, who will be the program’s fourth head coach in six years, once tryouts begin Oct. 24.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “I love proving people wrong.”

He relishes it.

“You have room to improve. If you take over a great team, what are you trying to accomplish?” he said.

“Hopefully, we can increase our win total a lot just this coming year alone.”

It will be tough, he acknowledged, considering Gaither High plays in a highly competitive eight-team district (Class 8A, District 8).

It’s one stacked with perennial prep powerhouses in Wiregrass Ranch, Plant, Freedom and Steinbrenner high schools.

“It’s hard to win and advance anywhere when you have four or five great teams out of eight,” said Dargahi. “Luckily, we have a good three weeks of practice before the first game (Nov. 15).

His blueprint starts with building around junior Janae Lyle, the team’s top returning player (7.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 1.9 steals per game).

“It is a lot of specifying toward your players’ talents,” said Dargahi, a former basketball player at Cambridge Christian School. “I refuse to go into the first game not having specified positions.”

It also includes implementing a pressure man-to-man defense to help close out one-possession games.

“I love pressing,” he said. “I love getting steals, turnovers. That’s how you score points,” he said.

“I think the best (coaching) aspect is game management,” he added.

When not on the sidelines, meanwhile, Dargahi will be spending ample time at the three-point line. The new Gaither coach is teaming up with Teddy Dupay — a former Florida Gators basketball standout (1998-2001) and current boys basketball coach at Cambridge Christian School — to break the Guinness World Record for most three-pointers made by a pair in one minute.

The current record is 19, set by Harlem Globetrotters’ Cheese Chisholm and Ant Atkinson. The previous record (15) was set by NBA all-stars Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks).

Though Dargahi hasn’t set an official attempt date, he figures it will “definitely be before Thanksgiving (Nov. 24).”

Dargahi, who claims he makes anywhere from 75 percent to 80 percent of attempted 3-pointers, said the feat largely boils down to each participant making 10 shots. It’s possible, he said, considering both his and Dupay’s shooting prowess. (Dupay ranks 10th all-time in Florida Gators history for career 3-point field goals made with 188.)

“We’re both very confident with our shooting,” Dargahi said. “The good thing about this record — both shooters have to be awesome. You can’t have one guy carry it.”

But the difficulty, he said, lies in get enough shots up in 60 seconds.

“I don’t even know how many shots we can get up, to be honest. I’m guessing 25 to 30, at the most,” said Dargahi.

The strategy, he added, will include court positioning — the wings or the top-of-the-key — and conserving energy across multiple attempts.

“I think we’ll at least try it for an hour, or an hour-and-a half,” Dargahi said.

Perhaps one aspect working in the duo’s favor: home court advantage.

“I’ve shot more balls at Cambridge than any other gym,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a comfort zone.”

Additionally, Dargahi has been approved by Guinness to attempt world records for most individual free throws in one minute (51) and most individual three-pointers in two minutes (44).

“The free throw one is tough,” Dargahi said. “I just tried it once just to see, and I didn’t even get up 51 shots. I definitely have to speed it up to shoot. If I could get up just 55 (shots), I like my chances.”

Published Oct. 19, 2016