Hamilton Heights’ Rawls Following In His Father’s Footsteps

It was as if time stood still for Keith Rawls last week after watching his son, Jordan, cradle a championship trophy for Hamilton Heights Christian School.  Not only did it conjure up memories from 35 years earlier when he helped Brainerd claim the Class AAA title, but it brought full circle the countless hours spent together to arrive at this special moment.

 

The younger Rawls capped his final season at Hamilton Heights by scoring 22 points in leading the Hawks to the National Association of Christian Athletics Division I national championship by defeating Southwest Christian of Arkansas, 65-53.  It also ended a year where the 6-foot-2 dynamic point guard enjoyed a meteoric rise in becoming one of the nation’s most highly-sought prospects at his position.

 

Hamilton Heights (34-4) won its third championship in four years competing in the organization’s top division, sealing Rawls’ legacy at the school among a history of elite players.  Rated as the No. 8 point guard in the nation by 247sports.com in the Class of 2020, Jordan’s 23 points and seven assists per game – including nine 3-pointers in one game when he tallied a career-high 38 - has caught the eye of major colleges with offers from Kansas State and Ole Miss already in hand.

 

“It was a great feeling winning back-to-back championships,” Jordan said of the Hawks title claimed Feb. 22 in Dayton. “It was an awesome way to finish my career here.”

Having completed his eligibility at Hamilton Heights, Jordan’s current plan is to complete a year of post-graduate work before signing scholarship papers.  He missed his freshman season after transferring from Ooltewah, and another season of developing his abilities will likely enhance demand for his services among college suitors.

 

“The NCAA allows four years to complete all the high school core credits and they give you a gap year to improve ACT score or get bigger and stronger before you go to college,” Hamilton Heights coach Zach Ferrell said.  “He really lost that freshman year and he’s very young for his grade, so the decision was made to take the year after graduation to go take classes and prepare for stepping into college.  He can still play AAU during the summer, and I expect plenty of other major schools will show interest.”

 

Jordan’s climb to national prominence has been anticipated for years.  Former Baylor School and North Carolina star Jimmy Braddock pegged him as a future phenom nine years ago after witnessing Jordan’s talent during Braddock’s summer basketball camp.  Plus, it certainly didn’t hurt that Jordan came from good basketball bloodlines.

 

His father’s stardom at Brainerd in the early ‘80s led to a solid career at Austin Peay.  During his senior season in 1988-89, Keith led the Governors with 19.5 points per game including a career-high of 33.  But his proudest moments have come from seeing the maturation of Jordan’s skills.

 

“It’s very exciting to witness Jordan’s development,” Keith said.  “It takes me back to when he was three and was learning how to shoot with a rubber ball playing in driveway.  By the time he was five he was shooting on regular-sized goal.  I had a theory and gave him everything I knew, and he had the skills and put in the work to prove he could play.”

But when asked who would get the nod if father and son squared off on the hardwood, Keith didn’t hesitate.

“He may have a step on me today, but in my prime I’d have to say I’d win,” Keith said.

However, Jordan didn’t see eye-to-eye with his father’s assessment.

“I’m definitely winning that matchup,” Jordan said.  “It’s been a few years since he beat me, and he doesn’t have a chance now.”

After starting at the point last season, Jordan took a major step forward in displaying his potential during a preseason event in Cartersville, Georgia entering this season.

“Jordan just exploded for 41 points and there were several high major coaches watching,” Ferrell said.  “From that moment on, it sparked a new confidence in him of what he could do.  He has continued that upward climb the entire year, going against elite competition while being face-guarded and double-teamed every night.  Jordan has tremendous basketball IQ and feel, and a lot of that is attributed to being around the game for so long through his father.”

Competing against high-profile competition this season coupled with maturity allowed Jordan’s game to reach new levels.

“I would say the biggest improvement was being more confident,” Jordan said.  “I knew I needed to be a leader, to take on a bigger role as far as scoring and distributing the ball this year.  So I feel like I’m ready to take that next step.” 

Hamilton Heights has become a proving ground for elite players with collegiate aspirations for a decade while playing other independent teams across the country.  The Hawks roster includes local athletes like Rawls, Drew Williams, Marcus Tankersley and Tony Farrar, but has also provided an opportunity for international players as well.

“We kind of get put in that boat all the time being called a basketball factory, but we’re fully accredited and have the same academic requirements as any normal school,” said Ferrell, a former player at Chattanooga who completed his sixth season at the helm.  “We started adding international kids that was birthed from a student needing to finish school in the United States.  They were able to get some better players and they realized they could do this at a high level and impact the world in a major way.”

Two years ago the Hawks featured a pair of Canadians, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who have advanced to lofty heights.  Gilgeous-Alexander played one year at Kentucky before being picked 11^th in the NBA draft last summer.  He is averaging 9.8 points per game in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers.  Meanwhile, Alexander-Walker is projected as a first-round pick in this year’s draft while presently averaging 16.4 points in his second season at Virginia Tech.

The current squad is also littered with talent poised to play at the next level.  Senior Jason Jitoboh, a 6-foot-10, 300-pound senior from Nigeria, has narrowed his finalists down to Louisville, Illinois, Tennessee and Florida.  Byron Matos, a 6-foot-8 junior from the Dominican Republic, has already committed to Mississippi State, while fellow junior Samson Ruzhentsev, a 6-foot-7 wing player from Russia, is a Top 100 player with multiple offers including Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Auburn.

Because the international players are granted F-1 student visas, they are not eligible to compete under TSSAA rules.  However, the school’s independent status allows greater development on a much more competitive stage.

“If were to join the TSSAA, it would completely end our entire mission,” Ferrell said.  “We wouldn’t be able to draw any of those students because we couldn’t give them the proper visa.  Being independent allows us to give opportunities to a lot more kids, especially kids from impoverished nations that might not have the financial means to make that happen for themselves.”

One such example is senior Sammy Itodo, who has signed with Gardner-Webb. Itodo had a season-ending ACL injury in February, and Ferrell shared how his star forward’s future plans are still intact by being at Hamilton Heights.

“His family has no running water and lives in a persecuted area of Nigeria,” Ferrell said.  “If that injury happens back home, his career is over.  Here, he gets surgery and rehab and he’ll get to continue at Gardner-Webb to get his degree, and probably will go on to get his master’s degree.  Because he’s here, his family is going to be changed forever.”

Ferrell understands that Hamilton Heights is providing opportunity where none existed for many of the international students.  But there is a larger message being taught in the context of basketball.

“Development and proper stewardship of our opportunities is most important, and winning and connections flow from that,” Ferrell said.  “At a place like ours, you’re going to get exposure or you’re going to get exposed.  It’s a double-edged sword. 

“But we have created our environment so we can develop kids to either play at the next level or have success at whatever they might encounter.  Whether that next level is Division II basketball or if its ACC basketball, our mission is to prepare them for life beyond basketball in a Christian environment.”