Five Hamilton Heights players are gearing up for busy spring and summer schedules on elite basketball circuits starting this weekend. From left to right, top row, Silas Adheke and Issa Samake. Bottom, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Therren Shelton-Szmidt and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Hamilton Heights captured the National Association of Christian Athletes tournament in February, missed out on a spot in the Dick’s national tournament in New York, but the Hawks certainly haven't been slacking off in the last month or so.
Coach Zach Ferrell puts the Hawks through four practice sessions – Monday through Thursday – each week.
For five of the Hawks expected back for the 2016-17 season, their weekends are full of basketball as well.
And plenty of travel.
Silas Adheke, Therren Shelton-Szmidt, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Issa Samake are playing with elite teams on spring and summer circuits and building up quite a few frequent flyer miles in the process.
“We try to be as accommodating as possible with the guys in the spring with their travel time, practices and games with elite teams,” Ferrell said at a recent practice. “Their sponsoring teams handle flight arrangements and we make sure they’re where they need to be for those flights.”
Adheke, a junior from Nigeria, is playing with the St. Louis Eagles. He’s flown to St. Louis on back-to-back weekends for practice sessions and will be in Bentonville, Ark., this weekend for a tournament.
Alexander and Szmidt play with Canada UPlay.
Walker is with Canada Elite.
All three of the Canadian players are also juniors.
Samake, a freshman from Mali, has joined the California Dream Vision team.
He did not attend the Hawks’ practice earlier in the week due to arriving home in the wee hours of Monday from a practice sessions with Dream Vision.
On April 15, Adheke, Walker, Alexander, and Szmidt will fly to New York for the springs’ first big tournament. That’s the first time in the spring for players being scouted by numerous college coaches.
And, that’s one of the primary reasons the Hawks players are doing this.
Three of the seniors-to-be are being recruited by several colleges while Alexander became Florida coach Mike White’s first commitment for 2017 a few months ago.
If a high school player is serious about basketball they jump at the chance to play for spring and summer teams, many of which are sponsored by shoe companies like Nike and adidas.
“This is one of the biggest opportunities I’ve had so far,” said Adheke, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward. “I was supposed to play with the Travelers under coach Tre High (Hamilton Heights assistant), but then St. Louis gave me a chance to play with them.
“They fly me to practices and tournaments, their coaches are amazing and they will give me a lot of exposure (to college coaches).”
Adheke has offers from at least 13 schools, including three Southeastern Conference programs and Middle Tennessee, which shocked the college basketball world recently with its upset of No. 2 Michigan State.
Adheke hooked up with the Eagles through connections his Hamilton Heights coaches.
“They want what’s best for me and I want to get better and be ready to play at another level for my senior year at Hamilton Heights,” Adheke said.
Alexander said he doesn’t know his team’s schedule past New York, but is eager to go anywhere “they fly me” to compete against some of the best players in America.
“It’s going to be fun, a great experience,” he said. “I’m going to be focusing on my body strength and athleticism, speed and quickness throughout the spring and summer.
“I realize that by playing against some of the great teams we played this season and good teams I’ll be seeing this summer, ultimately its’ going to make me a better player for my last year at Hamilton Heights. If everything goes as planned, I can see us going undefeated (the Hawks went 27-3 in 2015-16). I know we can go far.
Walker, from Toronto, says he will follow up the trip to New York with a jaunt to Indiana. In May, he will travel to Los Angeles and his team is scheduled to be in Atlanta for the Under Armour nationals in July.
However, Walker won’t make that excursion, choosing rather to return to Canada for National Team activities.
His mission is crystal clear.
Hamilton Heights was a bubble team for the Dick’s Nationals – powerful Oak Hill captured the title – and Walker wants to help the Hawks make that leap into national contention.
“The NACA is one thing,” Walker said. “We’re thinking way higher than that right now. Dick’s is as big as it gets for high school basketball. We return four starters and I think we’ll have a great shot next year. What we’re doing now is like our preseason. The summer games will prepare us for something big coming up.”
Hamilton Heights played Oak Hill twice this past season, losing 60-55 in a tournament in Bristol, Va., and 64-47 in the McCallie Classic.
The Warriors went on to beat La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), 62-60, for the national title at Madison Square Garden on Khadim Sy’s tip-in at the overtime buzzer. Oak Hill, claiming its first national crown in five appearances, finished 45-1.
“This is really my first year training at such a high level that Canada Elite plays,” Walker said. “I’m doing a lot of stuff I’ve never done before like weightlifting. I want to get more explosive and get stronger.
“I have a sense of urgency because I realize it will be my last chance being around guys I’ve played with since eighth or ninth grade. I want to have fun this summer. Oak Hill winning a national championship definitely inspires me and the other guys. Watching the whole tournament I became excited for next season at Hamilton Heights.
“Going out in our senior year having a national championship would be great. We could make memories that would last forever.”
In terms of college exposure during the spring and summer, Walker said he has narrowed his college choices to Maryland, Southern Cal, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Baylor and Miami (Fla.).
“I have some pretty good options,” he said.
Szmidt probably has more to gain from his playing time this summer.
He is being recruited by Duquesne, Binghamton, Old Dominion, Middle Tennessee and Appalachian State. A solid effort on the summer circuit could bring is interest, and potentially offers, from some big-time college programs.
“I really want to enhance my recruiting,” Szmidt said. “We’re going to be playing in tournaments all over the country and playing some of the best competition will help me do that. I really want to be a much better player for my senior year at Hamilton Heights.”
Ferrell said the spring tournament circuit really heats up in next week because that’s the first weekend college coaches can watch high school players. After Memorial Day, the tournaments come to a halt and then pick up again for three weekends in July.
“The spring and summer tournaments give high-caliber kids a lot of options and we try to guide them to good situations,” Ferrell said. “Normally it’s a positive thing for the players. They play for good coaches against high-level basketball competition all spring and summer and have a chance to take their game to another level.
“It’s a great development tool,”
And, it’s a pretty good way to see a lot of the country.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)