Drive4Stardum Blog

Shawn Strickland

2012-02-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few articles about Middletown's Shawn Strickland over the last few weeks.
Boys Basketball Notes: Healthy Strickland A Boost For Middletown

By TOM YANTZ, tyantz@courant.com

The Hartford Courant

9:59 p.m. EST, February 2, 2012
Shawn Strickland has his legs under him, and that's a welcome, formidable foundation for Middletown.

Strickland dislocated his right knee earlier in the season and missed a few games. Coach Dave Sytulek said the knee had to have fluid drained from it.

"When he came back, he was a little reluctant to push off on it and really test it," Sytulek said. "I think his fourth game back, against Glastonbury [Jan. 23] he played much better and looked like the Shawn we know."

Strickland, a 5-oot-8, junior point guard, scored 18 points and displayed excellent court vision and passing skills in the Blue Dragons 61-52 overtime victory.

He scored 11 and 21 in the next two games against Berlin and Bristol Eastern, both Middletown victories.

The effort against Bristol Eastern in overtime happened, despite Middletown's trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter and the Lancers Elias Rodriguez scoring a school record 46.

The Blue Dragons (11-4),, winners of nine of their past 11 games, are playing their best basketball of the season.

"Shawn was an all CCC [South] guard last season as a sophomore," Sytulek said. "He's our leader on the floor. He makes everyone better."

Mikie Rhodes, who had 20 against Bristol Eastern, averages about 20 points and 13 rebounds. Jerry Robinson, Jalen Manzie, Taji Owens, Andrew Campbell, Brandon Simmons, Greg Fudge and Jaquan Collins are some of the team's other contributors.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Middletown wins OT thriller against Bristol Eastern, 77-73
By JIM BRANSFIELD
Posted: 01/31/2012 1:12 AM

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MIDDLETOWN — One player doesn’t beat five.

At least, that’s the consensus. But Monday night at Middletown High, Bristol Eastern’s brilliant Eli Rodriguez almost did exactly that. Almost.

Instead, the Blue Dragons overcame both Rodriguez’ stunning 46-point performance and an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Eastern 77-73 in overtime. It was Middletown’s third win in a row and the Dragons’ eighth in their last 10 tries.

“The key was our second half defense on Rodriguez,” said MHS coach Dave Sytulek, who saw his team improve to 10-4. “We opened the second half trying to deny him the ball and Andrew Campbell did a nice job for a while. But we had to make an adjustment with our press on the fly. We tried to take him out of their offense and force other guys to handle the ball and keep it out of his hands. I give the credit to the kids who dug down deep for this one and were able to make the adjustment.

Full Story >>

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Thursday, January 26, 2012Shawn Strickland is Outstanding Leader for Middletown on the Court

The point guard is the floor general who teammates look to for leadership on the court. They are the primary ball handlers and initiate the offense, and on defense their peskiness and hard effort causes poor execution and turnovers. The point guard exists within the flow of games, and understands when to get teammates going on offense and when to take over games themselves. For better or worse, they are the emotional leader of the team. The average point guard certainly doesn’t possess all of these ideal qualities. If a team has a point guard who possesses even one or two of these qualities then they will be pleased. But a point guard who is all this, and more, is special. He is a difference-maker. Shawn Strickland, the junior point guard and captain for the Middletown High Blue Dragons, is just that.

Shawn Strickland is skilled all-around. He is a deft ball-handler who’s adept at scoring off the dribble and shooting the three. Strickland’s speed, passing ability and basketball smarts allow him to find open teammates for good looks at the basket. The junior’s smarts and physical gifts make him a tenacious defender who can pick up blocks or steals at any time. However, Strickland’s greatest asset is his leadership abilities. He is the player who makes MHS go and who teammates consistently look to for direction.

“I try to get my teammates involved on offense before anything else,” said Strickland when I spoke to him. “I want everyone to be involved and helping us out. I only worry about scoring when we need me to.”

The ideal point guard didn’t used to have this mindset. At one point, Strickland worried about his game before that of the rest of the Blue Dragons, an approach which he realized was a dead end.

“I used to think it was all about scoring,” said Strickland. “Once I got used to being a point guard I realized getting other players involved win games. That’s more important.”

Strickland has helped lead MHS to an 8-4 record and second place in the CCC South. The team has already qualified for the state playoffs and is on their way to its best regular season record in three seasons. Strickland, who was voted All-CCC South in only his sophomore season, has had a strong junior season despite dislocating his knee and missing a few games. Though he’s rarely been 100 percent, Strickland has been an outstanding facilitator for big men Mikie Rhodes and Taji Owens and backcourt mates Jalen Manzie and Jerry Robinson, while still occasionally scoring on his own. Strickland’s strongest games had come at the beginning of the season before his injury, and the star was quiet for a few games after making his return. On Monday night Strickland broke out in a big way, dominating on both ends of the floor in leading the Blue Dragons to their biggest victory of the season.

All of the skills which make Strickland a unique point guard were on display Monday in Middletown’s 61-52 overtime comeback win over Glastonbury, the strongest team that MHS has beaten all season. Strickland scored 18 points in the contest, but much of what made his performance great wasn’t evident in the box score. Strickland’s ability to handle the ball with complete care and initiate the offense never wavered in a pressure-packed game. As the Blue Dragons zone defense began to slow Glastonbury down, Strickland’s speed and court vision was key in his teammates finding open shots and MHS rallying from being down 24-17 at the half.

The captain put up seven in the first half when his teammates were slow to get it going, and made clutch play after clutch play as MHS as rallied in the second half. Strickland earned a trio of blocks in the second half that swung momentum the Blue Dragons way. His steal and layup halfway through the third quarter narrowed the deficit to three, and Strickland later picked up a beautiful assist on the hoop which gave MHS its first lead of the game with 20 seconds remaining in the third, 36-35. His pinpoint jumper gave the squad a three-point lead midway through the final quarter, and Strickland’s fallback jumper reclaimed the lead for MHS at 47-46 just over two minutes later. Finally, Strickland made three of six foul shots in overtime as the Blue Dragons took control, going on to win by nine.

“I wasn’t doing anything different when I scored,” said Strickland. “I was just trying to make plays within the flow of our offense.”

Throughout the contest, Strickland exhibited the ability to take on whatever role his team most needed him to fill. Whether the role was that of an expert ball-handler, dynamic point guard or athletic defender, Strickland performed it with aplomb. Meanwhile, his cool and confident demeanor noticeably rubbed off on his teammates, allowing them to retain momentum throughout Middletown’s comeback. Playing (by my count) 34 of the game’s 36 minutes, Strickland both controlled the action of the game while seemingly receding from it. Like a cobra waiting to strike, he would hang back before threading a pass to an open teammate or blowing past the defense for a layup. To use another analogy, Strickland was the cat, and Glastonbury was the mouse. In doing so Strickland demonstrated not only how much more athletic he can be than his opponents but how much more intelligent he can be than them also.

If Shawn Strickland can remain healthy, Middletown should continue to improve through the rest of their schedule. A smart, dynamic point guard is the first chess piece any basketball team needs to be successful, and the combination of Strickland and the Blue Dragons skilled front line will make MHS consistently dangerous. It’s impossible to know what record Middletown will finish with and how far the team will go in the state playoffs. But with Strickland at the helm, the Blue Dragons can make a deep run.

“It’s great to make states with this win,” stated Strickland. “That’s what we’ve been working for, and it feels good. I think we can get even better and win the rest of our regular season games.”
Danny Atkinson at 2:57 PM
Share 1 comments:
AnonymousJan 26, 2012 04:54 PM
fantastic article -nice job - go MHS and Shawn!
ReplyDelete

BOYS BASKETBALL: Middletown sinks FTs, Glastonbury in OT, 61-52
By PRESS STAFF
Posted: 01/23/2012 10:06 PM

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MIDDLETOWN — Middletown’s Shawn Strickland scored 18 points and the Blue Dragons sank 11 free throws in overtime, earning a comeback win against Glastonbury on Monday, 61-52.

Middletown’s Jalen Manzie scored all 11 of his points (including three 3-pointers) in the second half and overtime, and Mikie Rhodes had 14 points and 18 rebounds.

Eleven of the Blue Dragons’ 14 overtime points came at the free throw line (11-of-16 in OT; 14-of-23 total).

Glastonbury led 24-17 at halftime before Middletown rallied back in the second half, then sank their free throws for the win.

Luke McNabb and Jordan Butler each scored 13 for Glastonbury (8-5). Taji Owens had nine rebounds for Middletown (8-4). Middletown outscored Glastonbury 14-5 in overtime.

The Blue Dragons, 6-2 in their last eight games, will host Berlin Friday, then Bristol Eastern on Monday.

June 17-19 (There will be at least 5 games for this tournament

2011-06-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Rob's Team (Team 126 Pool Orange)

Saturday schedule

10AM at Sudbury Field House Court 12

2PM Sudbury Field House Court 13 (31 Union Ave, Sudbury, MA

5PM The River School (333 Winte Street, Weston MA)

Chuck's Team (74 Pool Yellow)

Saturday
1PM at Waltham High School Court 9 (617 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA)

5PM at Waltham High School Court 9 (617 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA)

Donta's Team (82 Pool Blue)

1PM at John F. Kennedy Middle School (655 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA)

3PM at at John F. Kennedy Middle School (655 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA)

Players and parents must check with the coaches for game times after these games as it depends on how well the team is doing.

Hotel Information: Must book the hotel room by Friday morning under Drive4Stardum. I've reserved 30 rooms at the Boston Marriott Newton, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA.

The rate is $99.00 for Saturday, June 18th.

To reserve your room online:

Follow link: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosnt?groupCode=ctdctda&app=resvlink&fromDate=6/18/11&toDate=6/19/11

You will be directed to the property's home page with the negotiated rate code already entered in the appropriate field and can quickly make your room reservation.

Call 1-617-969-1000 and mention the "Drive 4 Stardum Basketball Room Block".

Chuck's Team

2011-06-12T00:33:00.000-07:00

No game Sunday June 12, 2011 no game

June 10-12 Tournament Schedule

2011-06-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

All games for all teams on Saturday, June 11, 2011 will be played at Fairfield Ludlowe High School(the address is 785 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, CT 06824)

For 17 U teams only all games played on Sunday, June 12, 2011 will be played at University of New Haven (address is 300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT 06516)

Rob's Team 17U

Saturday, June 11, 2011

4:10PM on Court 1 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

6:30PM on Court 2 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

Sunday, June 12, 2011 at 11:30AM on Court 1 at University of New Haven

Chuck's Team 16U (All games will be played at Fairfield Ludlowe High School both Saturday and Sunday

Saturday, June 11, 2011

3PM on Court 1 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

5:20PM on Court 1 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

Depending how we do there will be games on Sunday

Donta's Team 17U

9:10AM on Court 1 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

11:30AM on Court 1 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

1:50PM on Court 1 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School

Depending on how we do there may be games on Sunday

New York Metro Showdown June 4-5

2011-06-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

Rob's Team (All Game will be played at Island Garden 45 Cherry Valley Avenue, West Hempstead, NY)

Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 2:50PM on Court 2 at Island Garden

Saturday, June 4, 2011 at7:30PM on Court 3 Island Garden

Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 9AM on Court 3 at Island Garden

Donta Team (All Games played at Island Garden 45 Cherry Valley Avenue, West Hempstead, NY)

Friday, June 3, 2011 at 8PM on Court 2 at Island Gard

Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 10:10 AM on Court 2 at Island Garden

Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 12:30PM on Court 2 at Island Garden

Hotel Information: Marriott Long Island
1-800-228-9290
Mention Hoop Mountain for discounted rate

Donta Team May 29

2011-05-28T18:27:00.001-07:00

Game is at 9am at Connecticut College. Be there for 8:30

Donta Team

2011-05-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 28 2011
12 pm at Connecticut College

5 pm at Connecticut College

kent's team schedule for may 27-29

2011-05-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 28
7pm at Hartford Public High School

Sunday May 29
1:35pm and 3:45 pm both at Hartford Public High School

Chuck's Team Gymrat Challenge

2011-05-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 28, 2011 (Pool F3)www.unionathletics.com/sports/2005/12/7/Directions.aspx?id=500

All games to be played at Union College on Saturday May 28, 2011.

Games are on Court 11 at 1:25PM, 4:40PM and 10:05PM. Must be at the game 45 minutes in advance or will forfeit.

Depending on how we do there will be a meeting at 12:45PM on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Union College.

chucks team

2011-05-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Chuck team plays at 9am at Newtown youth academy. Be there for 8:15am. The second game is at 12pm.

Kent's Team May 21-22, 2011 Tournament Schedule

2011-05-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Kent's Team (All Games at Connecticut Sports Arena)
Address: 32 Still River Drive, New Milford, CT 06776

Games:

Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 1:50PM on Court 4
Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 5:20 PM on Court 4
Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 1:25PM on Court 4

Chuck's Team May 21, 2011

2011-05-20T04:13:00.000-07:00

Games in Willimantic at the Kramer Recreation Center 322 Prospect Street, Willimantic, CT 06226.

Games are at 9AM and 11AM on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

Games at Newtown Academy 4 Primrose in Newtown, CT. Games at 3PM and 5PM Saturday May 21, 2011.

I will post Kent's team games and location later today.

Drive4Stardum FUNraiser

2011-05-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that the Drive4Stardum FUNraiser is May 6, 2011 at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, CT. If you are interested you can purchase tickets at the door. This is for adults only. If you have questions feel free to email me at drive4stardum@yahoo.com

Hotel information

2011-05-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello folks here is some information regarding the hotel information. If you have booked the room already please email me to let me know because the rate is $99.00. I will need the following information:

First Name, Last Name
Arrival Date
Departure Date
Group Rate
Billing Method
# of People
Room Type Requested*Not Guaranteed
Marriott Rewards Number Confirmation #

All of this information has to be sent to the women I am working with to get the discounted rate.

Let me know if you have any questions through email.

Donta

Thank you for selecting the Norwood Courtyard by Marriott to host your

Drive 4 Stardum Room Block on May 7th. My name is Meredith Waible and I

am the Event Manager that will be working with you on your room block.

At this time, your guests may call 800.321.2211 and reference the Drive

4 Stardum Room Block at the Norwood Courtyard by Marriott to make their

reservations at the group rate. They may also book directly online.

If your guests would like to reserve a room with one King bed, please

use the link below:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosnw?groupCode=dfsdfsa&app=resvli

nk&fromDate=5/7/11&toDate=5/8/11

Please advise your guests to make their reservations prior to midnight

tomorrow. At that time, any remaining rooms in the block will be

released for general sale and additional reservations will no longer be

available at your discounted group rate.

Hoop Mountain Tournament Update

2011-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

My cell phone is not working currently so please email me with any questions or concerns. Once it is up and running I will respond back to folks.
Here are the updates for this weekend:

The address for all of the gyms are below. Make sure you check the gym location and be at the gym an hour before the game is scheduled to ensure that you are at the right location.

Courts 1-6: Mass Premier Courts 97 Green Street, Route 106 Foxboro, MA 02035

Courts 7-10: M-Plex (Mansfield Sportsplex) 31 Oxford Road, Mansfield, MA 02048

Courts 11-14: BWRHS (Bridgewater Raynham HS) 415 Centre Street Bridgewater, MA 02324

Courts 15-18: Oliver Ames HS 100 Lothrop Street, North Easton 02356
regarding the tournament schedule: Kent's team is (Pool G4).

Please disregard the previous post for Kent's team. This is the new tournament schedule:

Saturday, May 7, 2011

7PM at Olive Ames High School Court 16
9PM at Olive Ames High School Court 15

Sunday, May 8, 2011
10:20AM at BWRHS

If we win the pool then we play at 12:40PM at BWRHS
If we win that game we play at 3PM at the Mass Premier Court 4
If we win that game then we play the Championship at Mass Premier on Court 5

Hoop Mountain Tournament

2011-05-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hoop Mountain Tournament:

The Courtyard Marriot in Norwood is where we will be staying as a group. The cost is $129 per night totalling $144.09. You can go to the travel section of the website for your specific room needs. If you are looking for two beds you can call 781-762-4700 and book the room under "Drive4stardum". They are holding rooms for the program there. Everyone's needs are different so I am giving you the choice.

Kent's Team (F4)

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Games are at 3:30PM, 7PM and 9:10PM at Oliver Ames High School.

If you win the pool, we play Sunday, May 8, 2011 (Mothers Day) at 11:30AM at BWRHS. If you win that game you play at 3PM for the semi finals and 4:10PM for the Championship.

Chuck's Team (FF1)

Saturday, May 6, 2011 at 4:40PM, 7PM and 9:10PM all games are at the M-Plex in Foxborough, MA. If we win the pool we Sunday May 8, 2011 at 11:30AM at Mass Premier Court 4. If we win that game we play at 1:50PM at Mass Premier Court 3 (semi-final). The Championship game will be at 4:10PM on Court 1 at Mass Premier Courts.

Donta's Team (HH2)

Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 5:50PM at Mass Premier Court 2, 9:10PM at Mass Premier Court 4.
Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 10:20AM at Mass Premier Court 1. If we win the pool we play at 12:40PM at Mass Premier Court 4. If we keep winning then we advance.

Rob's Team (LL2)

Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 5:50PM at M-Plex, 9:10PM at Mass Premier.
Sunday, May 8, 2011 10:20AM Mass Premier Court 4. If we win the pool we play at 12:40PM at Mass Premier Court 2. If we keep winning then we advance.

Kent's Team

2011-04-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

Kent's Team Tournament Address: Grassroots Challenge April 30-May1 2011

Newtown Youth Academy (Sunday game(s)) at this address

4 Primrose Street. Newtown, CT

Fairfield Ludlowe HS (Saturday Games at this address)
785 Unquowa Road Fairfield, CT 06824

Connecticut Sports Arena
32 Still River Dr, New Milford, CT 06776

Donta's team April 29-May 1, 2011

2011-04-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

To my dismay we will not be participating in the Providence Jamfest this weekend. I will explain at practice on Tuesday evening.

Donta

Tournament Schedule April 30, 2011-May 1, 2011

2011-04-29T03:15:00.000-07:00

Kent's Team

Saturday, April 30, 2011
Fairfield Ludlowe High School at 12:40PM Court 2
Fairfield Ludlowe High School at 3PM Court 2

Depending on how we do we play Sunday, May 1, 2011
If we are 1st in the pool we play at 11:30AM at Newtown Academy on Court 2 (with a chance to advance)
2nd place we play at 1:50PM at Newtown Academy Court 3
3rd place 11:30AM at Newtown Academy Court 3

Rob's Team
Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 4PM against the East Coast T Bulkeley High School in Hartford(epending on how we do times will be posted at the gym)

Chuck's Team State Tournament
Saturday, Bulkeley High School in Hartford, CT vs Connecticut Select 1:30PM (depending on how we do times will be posted at the gym)

Donta's Team

Still waiting for the schedule to be posted.

Drive4stardum games Sunday April 17, 2011

2011-04-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Chucks team:

Maloney High School in Meriden, CT at 3PM Be there for 2:00PM

Rob's team:

10:20AM Wesleyan University Court 3 Be there for 9:30

Kent's team:

12:30PM at New Britain High School Be there for 11:45

Donta:

11:30AM Court 1 at Wesleyan University be there for 10:45AM

Basketbull Tournament Schedule for Saturday, April 16, 2011-April 17, 2011

2011-04-13T07:30:00.001-07:00

Rob's Team D2
Wesleyan University 9:10AM Court 1 April 16, 2011
Wesleyan University 11:30AM Court 5 April 16, 2011

Chuck's Team Q2
Wesleyan University 8AM Court 5 Saturdday, April 16, 2011
Wesleyan University 10:20AM Court 1 Saturday, April 16, 2011

Kent's Team A2
New Britain High School 1:50PM Court 1 (Main gym)
New Britain High School 5:20PM Court 2 (lower gym)

Donta's Team
Wesleyan University 8AM Court 4 Saturday, April 16, 2011
Wesleyan University 12:40PM Court 1 Saturday, April 16, 2011

Please check the blog for schedule changes and updates

new england hoopfestival games on sunday, april 10, 2011

2011-04-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

Kent's Team 10:50 AM at Newtown Youth Academy 4 Primrose Street, Newtown, CT

Chuck's team 12PM at Hamden Hall (Beckman Athletic Center) 225 Skiff Street, Hamden, CT 06517

New England Hoop Festival Sites

2011-04-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

Parents,

Here are the sites for New England Hoop Festival Sites:

Sacred Heart University

5151 Park Avenue

Fairfield, CT 06825

Connecticut Sports Arena

32 Still River Drive

New Milford, CT 06776

Newtown Youth Academy

4 Primrose Street

Newtown, CT 06470

Beckerman Athletic Center

225 Skiff Street

Hamden, CT 06517

Hamden Hall

1108 Whitney Ave

Hamden, CT 06517

Fairfield Ludlowe High School

785 Unquowa Road

Fairfield, CT 06824

New England Hoop Festival Tournament Schedule

2011-04-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Donta's Team

Sacred Heart University, Friday, April 8, 2011 at 9PM on Court 3
Newtown Youth Academy, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 12PM Court 10
Newtown Youth Academy, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 7PM, Court 10
If we win the pool we keep playing for the Championship

Rob's Team
Sacred Heart University, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 8:30AM Court 4
Sacred Heart University, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 10:50AM Court 4
Hamden Hall High School, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 9:10PM Court 11
If we win the pool we keep playing for the Championship

Chuck's Team
Sacred Heart University, Friday, April 8, 2011 at 6PM, Court 1
CT Sports Complex, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 9:40AM, Court 5
Next game will be Sunday, depending on the seeding. Game will be either 1:10PM at Fairfield Ludlowe if we are in first place in pool play. If we win we keep playing for the championship. If we are in 2nd place we play at Fairfield Ludlowe at12PM. If we are in 3rd place we play at Hamden Hall at 12PM

Kent's Team
Hamden Hall, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 3:30PM Court 13
Hamden Hall, Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 7PM Court 13
Newtown Youth Academy, Sunday, April 10, 2011, Court 10
If we win the pool we play at 2:20PM at Sacred Heart University

Drive4stardum All Team Tournamen Schedule

2011-04-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Junior Tournament Schedule:

April 8-10: Northeast Hoop Festival (locations to be determined depending on age)Fairfield, CT

April 16-17: Hall of Fame New England (Wesleyan University) Middletown, CT

Easter Weekend: OFF

April 30-May 1: Division I States (Hartford, CT) or Providence Jam Fest, Providence, RI

May 6-8: Hoop Mountain Invitational, Easton, MA (ALL TEAMS)

May 14-15: Division II States Hartford, CT or Hall of Fame Spring Classic, Springfield, MA

May 21-22: OFF or Host our Own Tournament

May 28-29: Gymrat Challenge, Albany, NY

June 4-5: Hall of Fame Best of the Best, Springfield, MA (Invite Only) or Breaker Challenge Providence,RI

June 10-12: Rumble in the Bronx, (different location in New York and New Jersey)

June 17-19: (possibly Rob Ruys only) Syracuse Carrier Dome Pre Nationals, Syracuse, NY

June 24-26: OFF

July 1-3: OFF

July 11-12 Hall of Fame National Invitational, Springfield, MA

Sophmore Tournament Schedule:

April 8-10: Northeast Hoop Festival (locations to be determined depending on age) in Connecticut

April 16-17: Hall of Fame New England (Wesleyan University) in Middletown, CT

Easter Weekend: OFF

April 30-May 1: Division I States (Hartford, CT) or Providence Jam Fest Providence, RI

May 6-8: Hoop Mountain Invitational, Easton, MA (ALL TEAMS)

May 14-15: Division II States Hartford, CT or Hall of Fame Spring Classic, Springfield, MA

May 20-22: Zero Gravity Tournament, Wester, CT or Host own tournament

May 28-29: Gymrat Challenge, Albany, NY

June 4-5: Hall of Fame Best of the Best Springfield, MA

8th Grade Tournament Schedule:

April 8-10: Northeast Hoop Festival (locations to be determined depending on age) in Connecticut

April 16-17: Hall of Fame New England (Wesleyan University) in Middletown, CT

Easter Weekend: OFF

April 30-May 1: Grassroots Challenge Fairfield, CT (different sites)

May 6-8: Hoop Mountain Invitational, Easton, MA (ALL TEAMS)

May 14-15 Hall of Fame Spring Classic, Springfield, MA

May 20-22: Zero Gravity Tournament, Wester, CT or Host own tournament

May 27-29: Zero Gravity XIV, Hartford, CT

Drive4Stardum Player Accolades 2010-2011

2011-03-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

The following players from the Drive4Stardum program made All-Conference honors:

Min Lin, E. O Smith
Alec Malecki, E. O Smith
Zack Askew Vinal Tech
Derrick Guy, Hartford Public
Tyler Verotto, East Catholic
Michael Boornzian, Xavier
Jovan Santos, Xavier

All Area:
Michael Boornzian, Xavier
Jovan Santos, Xavier
Matt Burns, Cromwell
Zack Askew, Vinal Tech

Connecticut Senior All Star Selection:
Zack Askew, Vinal Tech
Michael Boornazian, Xavier

Congrats!

Recap the first two weeks of High School Hoops-Drive4Stardum Players

2010-12-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

Berlin

Senior Kevin Stritch will be the starting point guard for Berlin this season. With the departure of Richie Conway, Kevin will have the opportunity to showcase skills and abilities. On the AAU circuit, Kevin showed that he could finish plays in the lane and hit shots when open. This season will be a big test for him as he looks to seek basketball opportunities for next fall in college. Kevin has worked really hard during the fall preparing himself for the 2010-2011 season as I have seen him in action in individua workouts and his progression in the weight room. He will be teaming up former Drive4Stardum player Max Delrenzo and former Middlesex Rage player Mike Rector. Together they will form the guard trio that will carry the weight for the Redcoats this season. At this time we do not have any statistics for Kevin and will updated you when this information is available.

Cromwell

Junior Brett Director is back in action after a one year hiatus from the Cromwell boys basketball team. He is the starting point guard for the team that has had to reload after winning a State Championship two seasons ago and going pretty far into the tournament as season ago. With the loss of Isaah Salafia he will have major responsibilities for the Panthers this season. Brett had a productive AAU season and played very well in the final game in Nationals this past summer. Brett is teammed up with Matt Burns another Drive4Stardum player who will be the go to guy this season.

East Catholic
Junior shooting guard Tyler Verotto has been averaging 17.7 points a game through the teams first 3 games. He scored 16 point his first game, 13 points in Doc Hurley Classic win over Cheney Tech and 24 points in East 3rd game. East is currently 2-1 on the season.
Sean Coughlin is another Drive4Stardum player to watch as the season progress. He currently has a few colleges basketball opportunities on his radar. More information about Sean will be available as the season progresses.

E. O Smith

Seniors Min Lin and Alec Malecki team up to lead E.O Smith this season. With the departure of Ethan O'Day to Northfield Mount Hermon both Alec and Min have the ability to carry E. O Smith through a tough CCC schedule.

Alec Alec is a 6'5 forward/center that can score in bunches. Alec is fundamentally sound and has a knack for getting offensive rebounds. He will average at least 17 points per game this season at E.O Smith. Next year Alec will have ample of opportunities to play college basketball. Alec had a great AAU season as he competed against some of the best bigs in the country. He did more than hold his own. This year he will showcase his skills throughout this season.

Min Lin is a four year starter at E.O Smith and will be looked upon to run the show again for the team. During the summer and fall Min has really built Min has been very consistent throughout the summer and fall with his jump shot as he is more explosive than he has ever been. Currently Min has several opportunities to play college basketball at the Division III level and is using this season as an oppotunity to get more interest from other colleges. Look for Min to run the team and score between 15-17 points and dish out 7 assists per game.

At this time we do not have the statistics but will be sure to update this information soon.

Hamden Hall

Junior Walter Davis reclassified and is repeating his junior year. He is currently averaging 12 points and 5 assists at Hamden Hall. The team is 6-2. Today they beat Weaver.

Hartford Public

Derek Guy is a point guard that came to the Drive4Stardum program late in the summer. He played really well with the team and excelled at nationals. He has been the main guy at Hartford Public the last few years. Derek will be playing basketball in college next fall at this point it is still to be determined at what level he will be playing. He has the ability to be one of the top 15 players in the state and will lead Hartford Public this season. This fall Derek dominanted on the court as he took off were he left off once coming back from the nationals. He went off at the Basketbull showcase held at Holyoke Community College and more college scouts began to as about him. There are no statistics at this time for Derek.

Lyman Hall

Junior forward Jack McCarthy had 19 points and 15 rebounds against Wilbur Cross. He was a monster on the boards and showed a high basketball IQ. Jack was lighting it up from all areas of the court. He scored on put backs, jump shots and was perfect from the free throw line. Jack also showed that he could has the ability to let it fly from behind thre point range. In this game he went 3 for 4 from behind the arc. Jack hit three 3-pointers in the game (two of which came at a critical time in the game). In this game Jack showed that he has an amazing feel for the game and tremendous basketball instincts. College coaches to notice at this game. Jack will have many opportunities to play in college.

Steve Nations is another Drive4Stardum player who plays for Lyman Hall. Steven is a senior and has a great 3-point stroke. Although he did not have many opportunities to showcase his abilities on that evening you will read more about Steve in future posts. There are a quite a few colleges interested in Steve's services.

Northfield Mount Hermon

Junior Ethan O'Day reclassified and transferred to Northfield Mount Hermon from E. O Smith. He has adjusted to the prep school lifestyle and has playing really well. He had a very good showing against St. Thomas Moore where he played against Andre Drummond the #1 player in the class of 2012. This was Ethan's coming out party as he earned the starting center spot the next game. Since being inserted into the starting lineup the team has gone on to win four straight games. Look for Ethan to continue his success as the season progresses. Ethan already has scholarship from Brown, Lafayette, Holy Cross, and Sacred Heart. He also has interest from Vermont, Stanford, Bucknell, Fordham, Harvard, Yale, and Quinnipiac.

Vinal Tech

Senior Zack Askew is the going to be the Conference Player of the Year. Zack has scored more than 1000 points in his career at Vinal and has consistently average a double double for his career. Coming into this season he has averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds a game. He had two games where he scored 45 points and grabbed 23 rebounds and 7 blocks and another game where he went for 47 and 18 rebounds. This season he has already scored 32 points ad ad 20 rebounds and scored 18 points and 11 rebounds. With these two performances he earned tournament MVP honors and his team won the Championship at East Connecticut State University. Zack has been all-conference for the last three years, All-State Honor Mention as a sophmore and All-State as a junior. Zack was Named as one of the Top 15 Players in the State last season. Currently Vinal is 2-0 and have a game tonight and tomorrow in East Hampton. Zack will be All-State again this year. He is a scholarship player, with interest from Division II colleges including University of New Haven and Saint Michael's and a ton of Division III schools.

Wethersfield

Senior Troy Brown will be the starting point guard at Wethersfield High School this season. Troy had a very good summer on the AAU circuit. He showed that he could penetrate the lane for a smaller point guard and dish off for easy buckets. He showed an improved jump shot. This will be Troy's year to prove to many that he was deserved to be the starting point guard full time last year. Look for Troy in future posts. We do not have statistics for Troy at this time.

Xavier High School in Middletown

There are several players that play at Xavier and the Drive4Stardum program. The leader of this team is Michael Boornazian. He has been outstanding so far this season. Michael is the only senior on Xavier that plays for the Drive4Stardum AAU team. In his first game he had 13 points in a win over North Haven and had back to back 27 point games against Law and Sheehan. In the teams last game he had 11 points in their lost to Fairfield Prep. Mike Boornazian is having fun and enjoying the young season. He is a scholarship player that will be All State this season. Mike has a ton of college opportunities and will hold out until the he sees the best opportunity for himself. He has interest from Division II and III schools.

Junior Jovann Santos is getting back into basketball mode fresh off a State Championship football season. He was an integral part of the football teams success as they went underfeated. On the basketball court Jovann will be a double double machine this season once he gets back into the swing of things. He is tenacious on the offensive and defensive glass and reads the passing lanes well. For a post player his size he can move people to score. College coaches are already asking about him as it was evident after the Law game.

Junior Mike Manion has played very well this season. He is average nearly a double double (12 points and 8 plus rebounds a game). Xavier is looking for the consistent productivity from Mike for the remainder of the season.

Stefan Opalacz will have alot of opportunity at the point guard position with the departure of Walter Davis who transferred to Hamden Hall. Stefan had a good game against Law. He worked really hard during AAU through the fall. He will help stabilize the back court this season with the departure of the seniors and Walter Davis.

Other players that have participated in the Drive4Stardum program at one time or another that will contiribute to the teams success. Senior Pat Lenehan "aka Red" will be a key contributor to the teams success as he will have the main responsibilities of handling the ball at the point guard position. Red is most effective in space and is a deadly catch and shoot player. He is a very smart player on the court and does not make many mistakes. Most importantly he is a very good defensive player. Pat D'Amato is the quarterback of the State Champion football team and will contribute to the teams success this season as well. He will provide defensive help and is good for knocking down jump shots.
Currently Xavier is 3-1 and have games tonight and tomorrow as they host their holiday tournament.

Zack Askew Player of the Week

2010-12-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

Zack Askew, senior at Vinal Tech High School in Middletown has been named Drive4Stardum Athlete of the Week. Zack scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in his first game. In the second game he scored 32 points 20 rebounds and earned MVP honors at the Eastern CT Tournament. Vinal Tech went 2-0 and captured the Tournament Championship. On December 28, 2010 Zack had 24 points 13 rebound in the teams first loss of the season. The next day Zack scored 26 points had 11 rebounds and 5 blocks and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Easthampton Tournament. Zack is currently averaging 25 points and 13.8 rebounds a game as he is picking up where he left off from last season when he average 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Over Zack Askew's career to date he has scored 1215 points. He scored 1115 points through his first three seasons and 100 points in the four games that he played in this season. Zack scored his 1000 career point on February 19, 2010. This year he has been identified as one of the Top 15 players in the State of Connecticut and honor that he achieved during the 2010 season. He earned All-State honors in 2010 and was All-State Honorable Mention in 2009. Zack Askew has made All Conference honors for three straigh years dating back to his freshman year. AS you can see by his basketball resume each year he is improving his play. Colleges are taking notice as Zack currently has interested from mostly Division II and III programs. Zack is a scholarship play that will earn a basketball scholarship. Continue to track Zack as the season progresses.

Seniors in the Drive4Stardum Program

2010-12-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Drive4Stardum would like to acknowlege graduates of the Class of 2010 who have participated in the Drive4Stardum program for one, two or three years.

Mike Vendetti is a 3 year member of the Drive4Stardum program who attends Lyndon State University. Joshua Levitan is a two year member of the Drive4Stardum program and is attending Southern Connecticut State University. Vaughn Johnson is a 2 year member of the Drive4Stardum program and attends Lyndon State University. Vaugh is a member of the Lyndon State Men's Basketball team.

Joe Cavallaro and Chris Ott both played one year with the Drive4Stardum program and attend Endicott College and Eastern Connecticut respectively.

Congrats to these five individuals as the Drive4Stardum program is proud of their accomplishments and wish them well as they prepare for final exams over the next few weeks.

Stay tuned as there will be more information on each individual over the winter break.

Tyler Verotto

2010-12-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

Tyler Verotto a junior guard at East Catholic High School is the featured Athlete of the Week. Tyler has completed his first season in the Drive4Stardum program . He had a very productive spring/summer. Tyler played really well from the start of season and had an exceptional finish. Tyler came into his own this summer during the U-16 Division I nationals in Orlando, FL where he made a name for himself. He was very impressed in every game. Throughout the national tournament Tyler averaged 23 points a game as he did this against some of the best teams in the country. He scored in a variety of ways and made things look very easy in front of coaches from throughout the country. I believe he has his best game against the team from Indiana that had four players that were being recruited by big time Division I teams.

This fall Tyler continued to showcase his talent as played really well averaging 18 points per game during the Columbus Day Challenge tournament. During this event he showed that he was capable of doing other many things in addition to scoring. He rebounded the ball (6 rebounds per game) and set others up as he drove to the basket for assist (4). Most importantly he played solid defense against the other teams main scorer. One of Tyler's brightest moments during the tournament came when he stole the ball and went up for a two handed dunk. The dunk came at the right time as it sparked a 12-2 run and college coaches took notice. Eventually Drive4Stardum won the game and Tyler poured in 22 points. In my opinion, this dunk solidified Tyler status as a legitimate college prospect.

In addition to participating in tournaments during the spring, summer and fall Tyler Verotto participated in the Drive4Stardum fall ball program and worked with a personal trainer. This was done in an effort to bulk up his frame and work on various intangibles that he wanted to improve upon. His workout regiment was intense, he worked with the personal trainer two or three times a week and played in his fall league in addition to commiting to the fall ball programs for twelve weeks. This was done to prepare him for his high school season at East Catholic. In my opinion I believe that every time Tyler enters the gym you could see the progression in ability. The work that he has put in has proved to me that he wants to compete against the best and his willingness to challenge himself in every way possible has been remarkable. I can honestly say that Tyler is mentally prepared to take on a leadership role within the team and East Catholic go to guy this year.

Drive4Stardum is proud of Tyler's efforts and will provide updates on his success as the high school season progresses.

FALL BALL

2010-09-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Fall Ball: An opportunity for players to go through a rigorous regiment of skills training and conditioning for two hours. One hour focuses on strictly drills and stations and the other hour is playing using the skills learned throughout the day.

During this weekends session we had a newcomer workout with Coach Donta Johnson for the first time who really impressed.

Lucas Hannen performed very well during the stations and continued to impress during the scrimmage period. Lucas showcased his court awareness, ball handling skills and hit the pull up jump shot at will against defenders. He got his teammates involved and was determined throughout the day.

During the second session Peter Tomasiello (Xavier High School in Middletown-Junior) performed very well during the stations and was a sniper from behind the arc. His showed a polished mid range game as well. He made defensive stops when his team needed them the most. His team went undefeated throughout the course of the day.

During the third session Michael Boornazian (Xavier High School in Middletown-Senior) was terrific during the shooting station as he showed a faster release on his jump shot and showcased his commitment to handling the basketball. During the scrimmage period he flat out did not miss. He scored on from three, drives to the basket and dunks. He showed his arsenal this weekend.

The 5th grade group showcased Luke Brennan: Over the course of two weeks Luke has showed his commitment to defensive. He has been able to grasp the defensive concepts instructed during the stations and showed hustle over the course of the two weeks. We did not report on this group last week but stay tuned for more updates.

ESPNBasketball Recruiting: Ethan O'Day

2010-09-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here is some updated information on Ethan O'Day's recruitment status conducted by ESPN.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player?id=122833&_slug_=ethan-oday&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmens-college-basketball%2frecruiting%2fplayer%3fid%3d122833%26_slug_%3dethan-oday

Ethan O'Day Player Spotlight

2010-09-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ethan O'Day has been a huge part of the success of the Drive4Stardum AAU program. Since the inception of the program (three seasons ago) he has been the team leader. With Ethan on the team, Drive4Stardum has been able to compete and win against some of the better AAU programs in the state, region and on the national level. In each of the three seasons Ethan has provided the leadership and has helped ensure that we qualified for nationals. The past two seasons we were pretty fortunate to win some games and get exposure. Ethan has alot to do with bringing college scouts to our program. As a result of his hard work he was been able to gain alot of interest from college recruiters.

This fall Ethan has made the decision to leave E.O Smith High School and transfer to Northfield Mount Hermon in Mass where he will reclassify as a junior. Ethan put the hardwork into his studies and performed well on the court and showed Coach Carrol (at Northfield) that he will work hard for him as he has done for the Drive4Stardum program. For Ethan going to Northfield is an incredible accomplishment and a great opportunity that he will treasure for the rest of his life. Attending an academic institution of Northfield's caliber and having the opportunity to play basketball at the highest level in the country is amazing. When speaking with Ethan about this opportunity he understands and realizes that his hardest challenge is ahead of him both academically and athletically as last years team lost in the Prep School National Championship by one point. I am very confident that Ethan is up for all of the challenges that come with attending Northfield because he has a tremendous work ethic and wants to be successful. When ever thing is said and done he will have better opportunities and will achieve his goal of playing Division I basketball.

As Ethan's coach and mentor I am very proud of his hard work and look forward to watching him over the next two seasons at Northfield. To follow Ethan at Northfield Mount Hermon continue to follow the Drive4stardum blog.

Good Luck Ethan!

Coach Donta Johnson
Turning Potential into Success

Below is a link to an article about Ethan at Northfield Mount Hermon.

http://www.nehoopnews.com/news/1025/ODay-Has-His-Priorities-Right.php

Walter (BJ) Davis

2010-07-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

Walter Davis (BJ) had a very impressive weekend at the Connecticut Basketball Group tournament this past weekend. He scored 18 points against the Connecticut Premier. Connecting on 5 of 7 from behind the arc early in the game. BJ chipped in 15 points against the Connecticut Hoopstars-Papale and had 14 points against the CT Force. In the championship game against Hoopstars-Doyle BJ had 10 points in a very hot Cheshire Academy gym. Throughout the weekend BJ was consistent on both ends of the floor. He led the fastbreak finding guys for spot up three point shoots and alley up dunks. In recent weeks he has raised his game to another level. Coach Johnson has been moe than happy with his play and hopes this will continue as the team gets prepared for the nationals in Orlando, FL.

As we recognized Walter (BJ) Davis performance this week Drive4stardum would like to share that BJ will bring his game to Hamden Hall next year. Leaving Xavier (Middletown) where he played the last three seasons. He will be missed by his teachers, teammates and friends as he plans to reclassify as a junior next year. This will allow for better academic and athletic opportunites for BJ as colleges and universities have already have taken a closer look at the 5'9 guard. There have been several colleges that have contact Coach Johnson expressing interest in Walter's abilities.

Athlete of the Week: Michael Boornizian

2010-06-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Michael Boornazian had a great weekend at the Connecticut Elite tournament held at University of New Haven this weekend. He started out the tournament with a two hand dunk (first dunk in a game in his basketball career) and finished with 16 points in a win over Grainte Jayhawks, NH. He then poured in 30 points connecting on 10 out of 12 from behind the arc. He scored 24 of Drive4Stardum's 26 points early in the game going 8 for 8 from three point land. Drive4Stardum cruised in that game winning by a astounding 70 points. During the remainder of the weekend teams where trying to shut him down as they recognized he could pour in points in bunches. In the championship game he hit a few shots big shots in the second half of the game to open the game up. Additionally Michael did his damage finding other guys and rebounding as the team knew what he was capable of doing. Eventually Drive4Stardum 17U-Johnson team would go on to win the tournament championship by 15 over the Connecticut Elite capping a great weekend for the team.

Click the link below to see all 8 three point goals by Michael Boornazian from the tournament:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxNYevkamHY&feature=player_embedded