Willie Warren To Oak Hill Academy?

[Cooley]

Unconfirmed reports that the state's #1 senior in 07-08 is taking his talents to national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. The North Crowley product is already being projected in some mock drafts as a 1st rounder before his college career is over.

If true, huge blow to North Crowley, DFW & Texas HS basketball. Warren follows a long line of talented North Crowley players to move on to the next level including Holy Family's Michael Sturns.

[Harry]

That's a shame. Doesn't anyone have any loyalty to their hometown school anymore? Could he not make a great college program playing at North Crowley? You have to keep money out of the high school game...

Unconfirmed reports that the state's #1 senior in 07-08 is taking his talents to national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. The North Crowley product is already being projected in some mock drafts as a 1st rounder before his college career is over.

If true, huge blow to North Crowley, DFW & Texas HS basketball. Warren follows a long line of talented North Crowley players to move on to the next level including Holy Family's Michael Sturns.

[BleedGreen64]

And yet more private schools want to compete in the the UIL. This would destroy the superiority of football in Texas. We would see a handful of privates recruit the top prospects and win championships.

[GreenBat]

This would destroy the superiority of football in Texas.

Never happen, even if PRO football stopped!!! It hasn't hurt the sports popularity in Houston.

[UNTLifer]

We would see a handful of privates

Sorry, couldn't resist

[Cooley]

[Buford_Julep]

You have to keep money out of the high school game...

We haven't seen anything yet. Wait untill the National Elite Athletic Association is on TV. Below is a cut and paste from a New York Times investigative story:

The Times found several schools with curious student populations.

¶Genesis One Christian Academy in Mendenhall, Miss.: Two years ago, this kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school added a high school and a Grade 13, for basketball players who did not graduate to raise their grade-point averages. At least 33 of about 40 students at the unaccredited high school play basketball, and its stars have signed letters of intent to attend Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Alabama.

¶Boys to Men Academy in Chicago: The student body consists of 16 basketball players, who can earn credit for the equivalent of eight high school core courses in a year by studying online through an accredited correspondence school.

¶Rise Academy in Philadelphia: Opened last fall, it outsources lessons to others, including Lutheran Christian and two online high schools.

¶God's Academy in Irving, Tex.: A summer basketball coach started with three students in August. Now 40 students in Grades 6 to 12, all basketball players, meet with two full-time teachers four days a week at a recreation center. The curriculum is provided and graded by an education center 25 miles away. Its star player, Jeremy Mayfield, signed with Oklahoma.

Some of these institutions recently joined other private schools to form the National Elite Athletic Association. With more than two dozen teams from Los Angeles to Toronto, this conference is seeking a shoe contract and a television deal. Its teams sometimes travel thousands of miles to play in tournaments that often attract more college coaches than fans. Those coaches will pay $100 for booklets of information about the players.

[FirefightnRick]

Great video of a foul. It's getting harder and harder jumping up and landing on people these days at that level.

Rick

[UNTLifer]

Great video of a foul. It's getting harder and harder jumping up and landing on people these days at that level.

Rick

FFR, if you'll watch it again, I believe they are calling a technical on him for taunting.

[Cooley]

Unconfirmed reports is that #2 Junior (Class of 2009) Shawn Williams of Duncanville is also headed to Oak Hill.

Collin Dennis' younger brother Nolan, continues to be the #1 ranked junior (to be) in the state.

TexasHoops.com Staff

Rank Name High School Height Position

1. Nolan Dennis Richland 6'6" 1/2/3

2. Shawn Williams Duncanville 6'7" 3

[Cooley]

June 22, 2007

In speaking with Duncanville's Shawn Williams about his time at the NBA Players Camp, I also asked him about this rumor that's circulated. Someone spread the rumor that Williams was going to transfer to basketball power Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

"Oh noooooo!" he said emphatically. "I don't know where that came from. When I first heard that, I was shocked. I don’t even know anyone in Virginia."

Perhaps the person who started the rumor had his or her names wrong. North Crowley's Willie Warren is transferring to Oak Hill in the fall.

Posted by Damon L. Sayles, Dallas Morning News HS Blog at 2:26 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)

Latest Rumor:

Nolan Dennis is strongly considering transfering to east coast prep school St. Patrick's in New Jersey. According to some, Dennis has already made up his mind, he's just waiting on his mom's approval. His mom is scheduled to talk to the schools staff, withing the next couple of days.

[buff64]

Rivals reported yesterday that Warren had committed to Baylor.

[KRAM1]

Sad state of affairs. It is a shame when kids start commiting to college in the 7th and 8th grades as "whats his name" did with Kentucky yesterday. I think he is an Oak Hill kid! These are not cshools, and they do not have the best interests of the students at heart. These are athletic mills where the guys running the "schools" are making lots of $$$$ off these kids. They are using these kids in the worse way, and teaching them only to be "in it for themselves"....a real what's in it for me situation brewing. BUT, we did it to ourselves...who allowed this stuff to happen in the first place????

It will only get worse....and, what happens to the kid who commits to Kentucky in the 8th grade when he blows his knee out in the 9th grade...what happens to the Oak Hill kid who can't play anylonger for whatever reason? I am sure they will be receiving a real quality education at Oak Hill or Slammin' Jammin' High...whatever these basketball and football mills are called. How much are these kids getting in extra benefits? Their parents, what are they getting? You are smokin' the stuff if you think ANY of these "schools" are on the "up and up".

The kids and their parents are seeing $$$$$$$$$...not education. I recall a GREAT KID here in Denton who at a young age was a FANTASTIC basketball player...and, in fact, a great kid...played on my 5th and 6th grade basketball teams...had folks coming from miles away to watch the kid play in the 5th grade...went to a big-time program out of state...left when his coach left for another school...did O.K., but was never the impact player EVERYONE from the UNT coaching staff on up thought he would be. EVERYONE thought this kid had pro ball written all over him. Good thing for him that he had a great set of parents who kept him grounded (although he did have a tantrum or two while in HS, etc.), and that made sure he got a good education....still a good kid...never made it to the NBA.

Moral of the story...these basketball factories are not their for the well-being of the kid's long-term prospects...just what they can get out of him/her NOW! Too bad...too bad.

[KRAM1]

"Their"...THere...OOPS! My english teacher would be soooooooo sad!