ABU Elite Camp Summary, Highlights and Awards

Here is a wrap up of Saturday's ABU Elite Camp. We were impressed by the hard work and intensity displayed by all the players that attended. The opinions expressed in this story are those only of Battler Beat and do not reflect the opinions of the coaching staff of Alderson Broaddus. We would first mention to players is that when you attend an elite camp know that you are being evaluated on how good of a team player you are. A couple of players during the team competition wanted to go one-on-one every time they touched the ball. That is a major turn off to any coach. You get evaluated on how well you make other players on your team better, how you screen for your teammate and how you move without the basketball. We didn't see much selfish play in the two camps, but this past Saturday there were a couple of players that needed to follow our advice.

Here are some of our notable awards, highlights and evaluations that we got from the camp:

MVP of the Camp: Kaeleb Carter of Colgan HS in Manassas, Virginia. Carter has certainly learned some basketball from Coach Jason John who has won a couple of 6A Virginia state championships. He is an excellent defender and can defend multiple positions on the floor due to his height and athleticism. At 6'5", we project Carter to mainly play the three or wing at the college level. He protects the rim on every possession and knows how to attack the glass. He was dominant during the team competition but would get other players involved on the floor. His shot selection was good. Battler Beat feels that Kaeleb is a player that will definitely garner a lot of college attention this winter. We talked to Carter during the camp: "This was a very good camp. I liked how they pushed players hard. That is what I like. I felt I got to show off how good of a defender I am. That is my strength. I realize here that I still need to work on my shooting."

Rising Star of the Camp: Darrin Martin of Graham HS in Graham, Virginia. There was no question on this selection. Martin made his teammates better during the team competition and could score at any time when needed. He completely took over the afternoon session with his quality play. We project Martin as a player that could play a combo guard at the next level. He is definitely ready to earn a D2 basketball scholarship somewhere. His displayed quality skills during the morning session and worked extremely hard. He showed an ability to break any defender down during the team session. He has great court awareness that led to ton of assists to his teammates. His best attribute is that he makes his teammates better. The final segment of the camp was the "end-of-game situations" where scores and time are put on the scoreboard. End of game situations are presented to the teams. Martin was dominant in all phases of this event. Martin had this to say at the end of the day: "I loved this camp. It had great competition and I thrive on that. The thing I liked about today is that I know I definitely got better with the way the camp was set up. I still need more work on my outside shot. But I got to display my strengths today."

Best D2 Prospect: Juan Elmore of Pickerington Central HS in Ohio. Elmore is a strong 6'5"/220 forward who can play inside and outside. We use the word prospect because he has all the tools but has to refine some of his bad habits. He has a nice shot from the outside that will get him on the floor immediately at the Division 2 level if he can correct some of the flaws in his game. He is stronger than most junior and senior players at the D2 level currently. His strengths are being able to see the floor well and pass the ball to open teammates when he is positioned on the outside. He also has a nice outside shot for a player his size. His overall skill set is incredible for a player that strong. His weaknesses have to be corrected. Juan dribbles way to much when he has the ball in the paint. He needs to simply power the ball up in the paint instead of using an extra dribble that he doesn't need to use. He could develop some low-post moves when he gets the ball in the paint, ie a reverse pivot to face the defender and drive past him. Juan does pass the ball well when receiving the ball from the post and does have good court awareness. But he could also display a higher motor of intensity at all times. Elmore definitely has the body, strength and game to get tons of D2 offers. He is scary-similar to former Battler great Richard Lemon.

Team Impact Player: Michael Reeves of Gahanna Lincoln (OH). This 6'7" prospect had a great impact for team grey. Michael was one of the better players in the camp. He made other players around him better. Reeves didn't force the action. He was opportunistic and a very heady player. Reeves stood out to us as one of the top players of the camp. Battler Beat feels Reeves will be one of the better D2 prospects this season in the state of Ohio. His quality play carries over to other teammates.  Reeves was mentioned quite a bit in our camp updates. We spoke to Michael at the end of camp: "I loved the drill aspect of the camp. The way the coaches pushed you makes it a good camp. I felt I got a full workout before we even played team play. I feel my strength is that I know what I can and can't do as a player. I don't force things I can't do. I realize, especially after today, that I need to get stronger."


Battler Position of Need Outstanding Camp Player: ABU will be in need of players with height and size. The Battlers have plenty of guards for the next few seasons. Elmore, Reeves and Carter would begin to fit that area. But a player that took a lot of notice was Will Bounds of Battlefield HS in Virginia. Will stands at 6'7" and has a great skill set for a player that size. He gives the Battler coaching staff a tall player to look at that can play both forward positions easily. He can go inside or outside. Will has an impressive vertical jump that led to several plays above the rim on Saturday. He also stepped out and hit the outside jumper when needed. Bounds is an excellent shooter especially for a player his height. Bounds will need to work a little bit more on his strength. He averaged 16 points per game as a junior. His 30 inch vertical jump is a strength when attacking the basket or elevating on an outside jumper. We caught up with Will at the end of the day for his thoughts: "This was a good camp for me. I realize that if I am going to play the three at the next level that I need to work on my ball-handling. The competition was good, and it was a hard but good day."

Best Rising Junior of the Camp: Michael Bekelja of Solon HS in Ohio. This is a no-brainer. This

kid is a player and has a chance to be a possible D-I player by the time his high school career is over. Michael averaged a very good 14 points per game this past season for a solid Solon program. He is teammates with Sincere Curry who is already getting D2 offers this summer. Bekelja comes from a basketball family. His play at other Division 2 camps has already got him offers. He has the ability to help college programs at the guard/wing positions. We talked to Michael as the camp winded down and found out that multiple Division 2 schools in Ohio have already offered Michael even though he is just a rising junior. Bekelja was a quality standout in the morning drills and fit in well with team grey.





Shooters of the Camp: There were plenty at Rex Pyles Arena on Saturday. The quality of shooters couldn't let us put it at Shooter of the Camp. We had to go plural because it was so good here:

 *David Shriver of Philip Barbour HS in WV: The kid can flat shoot. His range is tremendous, and he just doesn't miss when he is open. David has high basketball IQ. He displayed that Saturday as Battler Beat watched as Shriver would read his defender when he didn't have the basketball. David cut when he made the right read as his defender stepped out to deny the ball, and flared when his defender sank for help. Shriver comes from an entire family of former Battler basketball players as his grandfather is in the AB Hall of Fame. His father and sister also played basketball for AB. David also gives it his all during the skill drills. He was relentless and intense during all aspects of the camp.

*Ryan Stover of Hampton Roads Academy in VA. If you want to make a video of proper jump shot technique, this is the player you want to film. He has great vertical elevation on his jumper. Ryan's rotation and shooting form is flawless. He too has incredible court awareness. During the end-of-game portion of the camp, Stover drained several clutch 3-pointers with a defender on him. This was his second time at the ABU Elite Camp. Stover has excellent grades in the classroom. He should be receiving a lot of interest from D2, NAIA and D3 basketball programs. There is no D3 program that shouldn't have this guy on the radar. Too many quality attributes!


*Chase Polak of Steel Valley HS in Pennsylvania. This lefty made some great shots in team competition. His shooting stood out during skill drills. Chase has excellent shooting technique and has good elevation off the floor on his jumper. He played very well with Kaeleb Carter. We talked to Chase near the end of camp: "I really liked this camp. There was good competition and players worked hard. I came out of this camp knowing what I need to work on before November. That is what I wanted out of this."

*Treohn Watkins of Columbus South HS in Ohio. This kid is like Shriver. He doesn't miss when open. Any opposing coach who does a scouting report on Watkins would see that you can't back off of him when defending Treohn. He has a quick release on his jumper. Treohn teamed well with another backcourt mate Corey Baker on Saturday. Both of those guards played well together for team yellow.

Surprise Player of the Camp: Eddie Christian of Beckley Woodrow Wilson HS in WV. Battler Beat didn't know a lot on Christian coming into the camp. He had some solid games for the Flying Eagles this past season. But Christian took advantage of every opportunity he had on Saturday. Eddie has a great gift of finding the open spot on the floor when he doesn't have the basketball. He was a benefactor of teammate Darrin Martin's passing ability. But Christian never failed when he received the ball. It seemed like he converted every time.  Eddie is a 6'4" wing player who will need to continue to work on his overall strength. But his game should elevate even more this winter under the guidance of former Alderson-Broaddus head basketball coach and Beckley coaching legend Dave Barksdale. We caught up with Eddie during the camp: "Oh yeah, we are excited about Coach Barksdale. I know he coached here too. This was a good camp that I was glad to be a part of. I know I definitely have to increase my strength. I got to show off my defense today and my ability to be a great team player."

Sleeper of the Camp: Jah Bennett of Columbus Africentric HS in Ohio. Bennett is a 6'6" player who has the ability to play multiple positions on the floor. He has good talent who can score with his back to the basket or square up when he is facing the basket. Jah would project as a four on the next level. His shot is good for a player his size. Bennett is much like Will Bounds in that he can knock down the outside jumper. He already has an offer from Kentucky State. Jah really has to work on his upper-body strength and his overall cardio in order to receive more D2 offers. But the potential and size is there. Battler Beat spoke to Jah at the end of camp: "It was tough today, but it was good. You had to push thru all of those back-to-back games. I know I have some ball handling work to do."

Battler-Connection Player: Jordan Greynolds of Barberton HS in Ohio. If you have followed the

history of Alderson Broaddus basketball, then the last name should sound familiar. Jordan is the grandson of the late Jack Greynolds Sr who is in the ABU Hall of Fame. Jack was an all-conference WVIAC selection in 1952 and 1953. Greynolds was also on the 1953 WVIAC All-Tournament team during an event in which the Battlers advanced to the WVIAC championship game. Jack averaged 26 points per game during his senior season. He played for coaching legend Rex Pyles. Jack went on to an excellent coaching career where he won two state titles in the state of Ohio. Jordan is a chip off the block. He is an excellent outside shooter, but also possesses excellent basketball IQ. Jordan was a total team player at the event on Saturday. At 6'5", he will play the wing in college. Jordan has the ability to post up smaller guards, but has the ability to nail the three from the outside. We caught up with Jordan during the team competition: "When I saw 7 hours of camp, I thought it was going to be a long day with a lot of sitting. It wasn't. It was a real good camp where you were constantly moving and constantly learning. The drills and skill development put you to work and made the morning go fast. I liked how I was really put to work today." This is a player Battler Beat will keep an eye on this winter.

Quality Team Player Awards: Braeden McGrew of Winfield HS in WV and Ben Frederick of Calhoun County HS in WV. Both of these players didn't get a lot of touches during the team competition. But that didn't cause these two players to sulk. Frederick was constantly screening for his teammates. Battler Beat even saw him screen and re-screen a defender on several occasions. McGrew is an excellent distributor of the basketball. He can pass and uses his dribble to improve the passing lane. Both players also played quality defense for their team.

Top Defender of the Camp: Collen Gurley of Archbishop Hoban HS in Ohio. This kid has the body and strength to play immediately at the next level. His 6'2" frame is well-developed for a rising senior. He has already received an offer from WV State University. We predict more will follow. Collen shoots the ball very well and has a firm grasp of team play. He can knock down the jumper. But his best attribute is his defense. He can guard 3 positions on the floor very well. Gurley is also good at getting steals.



Hard-Nose Player of the Camp: Lamine Komara of Whetstone HS in Ohio. This guy was all over

the place. Lamine played hard-nose defense. He attacked the glass on every offensive and defensive possession. Komara worked hard for his team all day. If he was guarding you, then nothing came easy. He never took a possession off or relaxed. High energy player at 6'5" whose best days are ahead. Battler Beat caught up with Lamine at the end of the day for his thoughts: "I loved the competition today. I am friends with a lot of these players, but I went at it even though we were friends. I loved the energy of this camp. I went to other camps and there is too much down time. Here you have to always be ready and that is me. I feel I am strong on defense and good at the transition game. I want to work to be a more versatile player. My size is good, but I need to get better at some skills."

Other Players of Note that Should Catch the Eye of College Coaches:

*Dorian Crutcher of Elyria Catholic in Ohio. He has good game overall. Dorian is tremendous in the transition game.

*Josh Mack of St. Maria Goretti in Hagerstown, MD....rated high in Maryland rankings as a guard prospect by many recruiting services. Strong attributes and physically gifted.

*Ty Staten of Fairland HS in OH....a tough-nosed player who can do many things well.

*AJ Labriola of Bishop Guilfoyle HS in PA...it was his second ABU elite camp and he has performed well at both.

*Chase Rankin of Gahanna Lincoln HS

*Tye Walton of Beckley Woodrow Wilson HS in WV. Tye is coming off a tough knee injury but performed very well on Saturday.

*Tahj Benton of Brush HS in Ohio. Solid player who looked good all day.

*Brian Roberts of Copley HS in Ohio

*Corey Baker of Pickerington North HS in Ohio. He was close to several awards. Corey is a solid guard who has good strength and athleticism. He played good team ball. Baker is a good-looking college prospect.

*Cole Plants of Parkersburg South HS in WV. He was noted for several good plays during team competition.

*Mikey Penn of Beckley Woodrow Wilson HS in WV. Mikey had some great moments during team play and shows an ability to be quite dominant at times. Beckley brought some solid players to Rex Pyles on Saturday. Penn was one of them.

ABU Elite Camp #6

Kaeleb Carter of Colgan HS (VA) has looked very impressive so far. He has incredible court awareness and explodes to the basket. He just had an impressive slam coming down as a trailer on the break.

Eddie Christian of Beckley Woodrow Wilson has been real impressive today. He has found a way to score points without forcing the issue. He has good court awareness and finds the open spot on the floor when he doesn't have the basketball.

Treohn Watkins has a quick release on his shot from the outside. You can't give him a lot of room or he will nail the 3.

Yellow team has good chemistry. Players make the extra pass. Team is unselfish. Jah Bennett is a tough defensive rebounder. Jordan Greynolds is a nice overall player who has family connections to Alderson Broaddus. Eddie Christian scores again for team white.

Darrin Martin hits a nice corner jumper with an assist from Christian. Watkins is given room again and drains the outside shot.

Lamine Komara comes to play on every possession. A hard-nosed player.. Chase Yoho of Bellaire, OH drains a tough outside jumper.

Kaleb Carter with an impressive drive from the outside. Tye Walton from Woodrow Wilson is doing some nice stuff despite coming off of some tough knee injuries. Chase Ranklin with another impressive jumper for 3.

Corey Baker of Pickerington Central showing some good stuff for team yellow. He drains an open 3. Next possession feeds his teammate for an assist.

Komara gets his hand in the passing lane for a deflection which leads to a layup on the other end.

Ty Staten of Fairland (OH) drains an open jumper. Good looking player that has been to 3 of these elite camps at AB. Will Bounds has good potential for a kid his size. He has the ability to play both forwards and has good leaping ability. He has a good all-around game.

ABU Elite Camp #5

Kaeleb Carter looks real impressive for Team Carolina Blue. Chase Rankin is a solid guard for the same team.

Braeden McGrew of Winfield HS shows some quality basketball IQ. Some of the other players on the navy team need to work on less dribbling and more passing. You aren't here to try and score as much as possible.

Lamine Komara of Whetstone HS with a nice outside jumper. David Shriver with two back-to-back baskets for Carolina Blue. Komara comes to play defense. He is outworking the navy players.

Chase Polak of Steel Valley (PA) with a sweet outside shot. He follows that with a layup.

Komara gets another hand in there to knock the ball away. He is frustrating the offense. He makes a key stop on the last play of the half.

On the other end of the court.....

Michael Reeves of Gahanna Lincoln and Jah Bennett are two good-looking tall prospects.

Luke Thomas of Fairland with a nice outside shot. Both grey and yellow teams play well together.

Jordan Greynolds of Barberton (OH) and Cole Plants of Parkersburg South with some nice work.

Josh Mack drains a shot from the top of the key for tea grey. Greynolds hits the fade away. He follows that with a nice drive to the basket.

Treohn Watkins of Columbus South (OH) and Corey Baker  of Pickerington North are a good guard combo for team yellow.

Michael Bekelja of Solon (OH) is a rising junior who already has some D2 offers. Good player from the wing.

ABU Elite Camp Update #4 (team play)

Juan Elmore with some good stuff in the post. Strong moves to the basket and shows a good ability to pass the ball from the post.

Tahj Benton of Brush (OH) with two nice assists in transition. Nate Ward hits an outside jumper as well. Both play for team white.

Dorian Crutcher of Elyria Catholic with a nice finish in transition.

Eddie Christian of Woodrow Wilson does a good job of filling the lane in transition.  Will Bounds will a block on an outside jumper.

Michael Bekelja and Josh Mack doing good work for team grey.

Darrin Martin of Graham (VA) starting to catch a few eyes. Good solid play.

Eddie Christian with a good jumper from outside.

Ryan Stover with a great wrap-around pass in transition for the assist. Beautiful basketball.

Will Bounds and Eddie Christian with two dunks for their respective teams.

Mikey Penn of Woodrow Wilson with a nice turn around jumper. He follows that will a take off of a pass in transition. He has been pretty dominant for team grey lately both scoring and rebounding.

AJ Labriola with a nice shot from the corner. He was here in June for the first camp.

Michael Reeves of Gahanna Lincoln with a good finish. He has caught the staff's attention.

Ryan Stover with a beautiful 3-pointer. Eddie Christian on the other end with another strong move to the basket.

ABU Elite Camp #3

David Shriver of Philip Barbour is all over the floor on rebounding drills. Kid doesn't stop.

Juan Elmore shows good on-the-ball defense on one-on-one drills. He was here at the first camp.

Josh Mack of St. Maria Goretti is very impressive on closing out and defending the driblble.

Ron Miller does a great job of coaching defense on man-to-man horseshoe drill.

David Shriver of Philip Barbour is all over the floor on rebounding drills. Kid doesn't stop.

Will Bounds of Battlefield (VA) is a good-looking prospect. Tall with skill.

Ryan Stover of Hampton Roads (VA) and Shriver are the two purest shooters here. Stover has great form.

Kaeleb Carter of Colgan (VA) is another tall kid who is catching some attention here at camp.

Jake Stephens of Musselman hurt a finger and is unable to participate. He is here.

Treohn Watkins of Columbus South (OH) has caught my attention. He does a lot of things well. He has good combination of strength and athleticism.

ABU Elite Camp #2 (Today's Rosters)

Rosters

Team Grey (Coach Rayfield)
Michael Bekelja of Solon HS (OH)
Dorian Crutcher of Elyria Catholic (OH)
Josh Mack of St. Maria Goretti (MD)
Michael Reeves of Gahanna Lincoln (OH)
Gunner Thompson of John Marshall (WV)
Mikey Penn of Beckley Woodrow Wilson (WV)

Team Navy (Coach Wise)
Isaiah Howell of Fairland (OH)
Collen Gurley of Archbishop Hoban
Darius Dudley of Bedford (OH)
Trevor Carder of Calhoun County (WV)
Braeden McGrew of Winfield HS (WV)
Ben Frederick of Calhoun Co (WV)

Team Carolina Blue (Coach Miller)
Chase Rankin of Gahanna Lincoln (OH)
David Shriver of Philip Barbour (WV)
Kaeleb Carter of Colgan (VA)
Chase Polak of Steel Valley (PA)
Tye Walton of Beckley Woodrow Wilson (WV)
Lamine Komara of Whitestone (OH)
Jake Stephens of Musselman HS (WV)

Team Black (Coach Franklin)
Ty Staten of Fairland (OH)
Nate Ward of Gahanna Lincoln (OH)
Spencer Dean of Valley Fayette HS (WV)
Ryan Stover of Hampton Roads (VA)
Juan Elmore of Pickerington Central (OH)
AJ Labriola of Bishop Guilfoyle (PA)
Will Bounds of Battlefield (VA)

Team White (Chavez Harper)
Noah Tomlinson of Grove City Christian (OH)
Shawn Moran of Lewis County HS (WV)
Brian Roberts of Copley HS
Darrin Martin of Graham HS (VA)
Tahj Benton of Brush (OH)
Eddie Christian of Woodrow Wilson (WV)
Bryce Yoho of John Marshall HS (WV)

Team Yellow (Coach Timmons)
Treohn Watkins of Columbus South (OH)
Corey Baker of Pickerington North (OH)
Luke Thomas of Fairland (OH)
Chase Yoho of Bellaire (OH)
Cole Plants of Parkersburg South HS (WV)
Jordan Greynolds of Barberton HS (OH)
Jah Bennett of Columbus Africentric (OH)

Elite Camp Update #1

Coaches are gathering players together for talk. Coaches today are:

Chavez Harper, current AB player
Ron Miller, former AB player now an assistant at Malone University
Amrit Rayfield, former D&E head coach and former St. Maria Goretti head coach
Duncan Williams, current AB assistant coach
Ta-Rel Franklin, former AB assistant coach and current assistant coach at Blufton University
Two other coaches are here as well....WV Tech assistant coach and a new assistant coach for the women's team. I apologize for not having their names. Coach Wamsley is running the camp of course.

They are in the process of printing rosters. Anthony Carmon and Tyler Golphin are also in attendance. They will be joining the Battler program this fall. It appears close to 40 players are here.

A lot of Ohio license plates on the outside of the arena. Coach Miller is leading the stretch session before combine testing. Players are getting some listening skill testing during this part as this is dynamic stretching.

Players are getting ready to move into combine testing. Colors of the teams today appear to be grey, white, yellow, carolina blue, navy blue and black. Testing includes: standing horizontal jump, lateral movement, sprint testing, height measurement and vertical jumping.

ABU to Host Bowie State on Saturday, November 18

Battler Beat has learned that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team will be hosting the Bowie State Bulldogs on Saturday, November 18th. The game is slated for an early 2 PM start at Rex Pyles Arena. Bowie State is coming off of a 2017 NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament appearance where they lost to NCAA Division II runner up Fairmont State. ABU has won two of the last three games played against the Bulldogs. During the 2015-16 season, the Battlers upset a nationally-ranked Bowie State squad. The Bulldogs gained revenge last season defeating ABU 88-72 in Bowie, MD. BSU was the 2017 CIAA tournament champions.

Battlers Renew Series with Rival WV Wesleyan

For a lot of long-standing Alderson Broaddus basketball fans, today's news should bring a smile to any Battler fan. After a few years off, the ABU men's basketball team will be starting up a series with the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats. The game will take place on Tuesday, December 12th at Rex Pyles Arena which has been host to several great games between the two teams. The two school are separated by 22 miles of U.S. Route 119 pavement. Battler Beat tips their cap to both schools for coming together to renew this rivalry which goes back before the WVIAC was created. Broaddus College, Alderson Academy and WV Wesleyan were charter members of the WVIAC. Members from each of the three institutions were at the 1924 meeting at the Waldo Hotel in Clarksburg that led to the formation of the league.

Remembering the 1984 Alderson-Broaddus 5 Overtime Win at Rex Pyles Arena

This past year's regular season finale was one of the most thrilling games to take place at Rex Pyles Arena. The game saw the Alderson Broaddus Battlers defeat local rival Davis & Elkins 121-119 in four overtimes. The game saw lead change after lead change. Battler fans saw incredible outside shots from Jordan Haywood and Sam Sanders that kept ABU alive in the contest. The marathon thriller saw only one Senator and two Battlers foul out on the evening; that itself being an incredible stat for the intensity displayed in such a long game. The game wasn't even decided until Battler freshman Reggie Robinson hit a runner with 1 second on the clock in the fourth overtime. It had all fans leaving Rex Pyles Arena that evening to comment that it was the most thrilling game they had seen in person. But for statistical purposes, it was not the longest game to take place inside the confines of Rex Pyles Arena.

Battler Beat today goes back to Monday, January 9, 1984. We will set the scene as the Alderson-Broaddus Battlers would host WVIAC foe West Virginia State. The game would not have as much meaning as this past season's four overtime game which was for the #2 seed, first-round bye in the G-MAC tournament and for local bragging rights. But this 1984 game did provide just as much excitement and clutch shots as this past season's thriller. Battler Beat will now reminisce about the 1984 five overtime contest between Alderson-Broaddus and West Virginia State. We reference for this story UPI feeds given to the Bluefield Telegraph newspaper.

The 1984 game showcased two head coaches that were in their first year as head coach at each respective institution. Alderson-Broaddus was coached by Tim Brinkley who had returned to the sidelines after taking two years off from coaching. Brinkley was a former all-conference basketball player at Alderson-Broaddus. He was a successful high school head basketball coach at both Clarksburg Roosevelt-Wilson HS and Jefferson HS. Brinkley would leave Jefferson to take the head men's basketball coaching position at WV Tech where he recruited and coached WVIAC greats Sedale Threatt and Robert Price. Brinkley led WV Tech to the NAIA tournment in Kansas City prior to leaving Tech. First year WV State head coach Craig Carse arrived in Institute from Salem College where he had been an assistant basketball coach. While an assistant at Salem, Carse was responsible for recruiting such notable players as Ron Moore, Ron Leggette and Larry Bryson. Those players would help lead Salem to the regular-season title for Salem. More on that later in the story.

The contest on this evening was your typical back-and-forth affair with both teams trading leads throughout the evening. Alderson-Broaddus trailed 74-71 going into the last possession of regulation. A-B's Greg Graham would hit a three-point shot at the buzzer to send the game into what would turn out to be some wild overtime sessions. 'Free money' would be the coined phrase that would certainly apply to what would happen next. Three of the game-ending situations in overtime would have 3-point shots hit at the buzzer to keep the game going.

In the second overtime, the Battlers had a six-point lead. WV State's Curtis Townes would hit two 3-pointers to tie the game. In the third overtime, the Battlers trailed by three points going into their last possession.  A-B's Leon Smith hit a 27-foot shot at the buzzer to send the game into a fourth overtime. The fireworks did not stop there. In the fourth extra period, State's Will Rogers drilled a three-pointer with three seconds left in the period. This would force the fifth and final overtime of the evening.

By the fifth overtime, both teams were running out of energy and manpower. A total of of eleven players fouled out in the game. There were six players that fouled out for WV State and five players that fouled out from A-B. The sticking point to this is that the Yellow Jackets only had 8 total players on their roster. The Battlers were equipped with a full 12-man roster. The Yellow Jackets played the final 2:50 of the fifth overtime with just two players on the court. It would have WV State Craig Carse comment: "We were just trying to run around and get the ball. But we don't work on our two-man game a lot." The game ended with the Battlers winning by a score of 126-120. It was a WVIAC record for amount of overtimes played. Even though the NAIA did not keep such a statistical record, there were 98 total points scored in the overtime periods combined.

"We won simply because they (State) didn't have enough players left to put on the floor," said A-B coach Tim Brinkley. "It was the wildest game I've ever seen in my life." WV State's Carse would add: "I've never been involved in anything like that, not as a player or an assistant coach. It was just a marathon." Carse would go on to tell the UPI reporter on Tuesday afternoon that he had still not been to bed after the game being played on a Monday night.

The game also featured two people that are now NCAA Division II head men's basketball coaches. Current Delta State head coach Jimmy Boone was an assistant coach for WV State on that evening while current West Florida head coach Jeff Burkhammer was the starting point guard for Alderson-Broaddus. Burkhammer is a member of the Alderson Broaddus Athletic Hall of Fame. Maybe the most incredible statistic on the evening is that Burkhammer played 64 of the 65 minutes. Battler reserve center Jon Erickson didn't even enter the contest until the fourth overtime. Erickson still scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds despite his late entry into the contest. Coach Carse would go on to lead WV State to the 1987 NAIA national championship game after former Salem players Ron Moore, Ron Leggette and Larry Bryson transferred to the Institute campus. Coach Tim Brinkley would eventually leave Alderson-Broaddus in July of 1987 to start a successful high school career in Florida. But two weeks before Brinkley left the Philippi campus, he signed one of the most successful players in WVIAC history in three-time NAIA 1st-team All American Willie Davis.

If any fan was at both games, then they could decide whether the 1984 game or the 2017 game was the most thrilling. It would probably be a case of splitting hairs.  I was at the 2017 game but reading about this game shows it had just as many thrilling moments at this past season's marathon contest. What Battler Beat can conclude is that historic Rex Pyles Arena has hosted two of the longest games ever played in two respective conferences. The 1984 game was the longest game played in WVIAC history while this past season's finale was the longest game played in the G-MAC. It just further adds to my opinion that there has always been a special nostalgia to Rex Pyles.

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Mason McMurray of Stow-Munroe HS (OH)

Battler Beat will today profile 6'7" rising senior Mason McMurray of Stow-Munroe High School in Stow, OH. The versatile forward prospect has the ability at the next level to play both the small and power forward positions. McMurray averaged 15.5 points per game this past season for Stow-Munroe. He has the ability to shoot the ball from the outside or slash-and-cut to the basket where his size and athleticism provide for great scoring opportunities around the basket. Mason also displays the ability to take his defender off the dribble to the basket. For his efforts in leading his high school team to an 18-6 record, McMurray was named to the AP 2017 Northeast Inland District's Division I Third Team.

We noted McMurray for his skills and play at the ABU Elite Camp. During the shooting portion of the camp, we noted the following: "Mason McMurray has excellent rotation on his outside jumper." Battler Beat would have this to say about Mason during the team competition: "McMurray sets a nice pick for Baumgardner and rolls." It was during the elite camp that McMurray was matched up against some of the better players that the camp had to offer. He performed very well during all portions of the camp. According to NEOhioSpotlight.com, Mason has already received scholarship offers to play basketball at High Point, Notre Dame College and Fairmont State.

Battler Beat spoke to McMurray near the conclusion of the ABU Elite Camp. We asked him about his experience at the camp and he said the following: "I really liked the drills. It was more than just running up and down the court. You were able to show your game in other ways than just five-on-five. They expected you to implement the skills taught in drills and to show you can put those skills in your afternoon games." Mason was also given a campus tour of Alderson Broaddus and stated this: "I really liked the campus. I like how every thing is close and makes it convenient." We asked McMurray what position he thought he would play at the next level. He stated the following: "I feel most comfortable at the four position. As a senior though, I just want to improve my overall game as a ball player." We have linked Mason's Hudl videos below:

Mason McMurray's Hudl Videos

Alderson Broaddus to Visit Glenville State

The Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team will be traveling to Glenville, WV on Wednesday, November 15 to take on the Pioneers of Glenville State College. Game time is set for 7 PM at the beautiful Waco Center. Glenville State is coached by former ABU all-conference player and hall of famer Stephen Dye.

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Desmond Soanes-Council of Lincoln Park (PA)

Today's ABU Elite Camp Profile focuses in on point guard prospect Desmond Soanes-Council of Lincoln Park Performing Arts High School located in Midland, PA. Desmond averaged 18 points per game this past season in leading Lincoln Park to an overall record of 26-7 which included a 10-0 mark in WPIAL 3A, Section 1 standings. The 5'5" player caught Battler Beat's eye on several occasions during the Alderson Broaddus Elite Camp. During camp update #1, we noted the following: "Desmond Council of Lincoln Park (PA)...small, but cat quick and knows how to adjust despite size." He didn't stop there. In camp update #2, we observed the following: "Desmond Council cat quick on defensive movement. He is bothering offensive players of all sizes. He moves quick laterally to the help position." Desmond played for the yellow team during the elite camp which was coached by AB Hall of Famer Josh Allen.

Desmond may be diminutive in height, but don't let that size fool any reader one bit. He displays an incredible quick release on his outside jumper. Soanes-Council can hit the 3-point shot from multiple spots on the floor. He is an excellent shooter from the corner area. Desmond may have a good scoring average, but he is definitely a pass-first point guard from either the outside area or when he probes the middle of the opposing team's defense. During the elite camp, he showed excellent defensive technique and awareness no matter if it was during team play or during the defensive skill set session. We have linked Desmond's hudl videos below along with his NextUpRecruits Ohio Camp video.

Desmond Soanes_Council's Hudl Videos

ABU Gets Return Game with Concord

Battler Beat has learned that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team will travel to Athens, WV on Saturday, November 25 to take on Concord University. Game time is set for 2 PM.

ABU to Tangle with Bluefield State on Saturday, January 6

Battler Beat last month released Alderson Broaddus' conference portion of the men's basketball schedule. We revealed all 20 games that will make up the G-MAC portion of the schedule. Battler Beat has learned of the first non-conference game for the men's basketball team. ABU will travel to Bluefield, WV on Saturday, January 6 to take on the Bluefield State Big Blues. Game time is set for 4 PM at the Ned Shott Arena on the campus of Bluefield State. Battler Beat will continue to update fans and alumni of other non-conference games as the men's basketball schedule comes complete.

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Darius Dudley of Lutheran East HS (OH)

Battler Beat today profiles Darius Dudley who played this school year for Bedford High School in Bedford, OH. Dudley informed us that he will be transferring this upcoming school year to Lutheran East High School in Cleveland, OH. Darius is a 6'2"/185 pound shooting guard who showed excellent range and consistency in his three-point shot at the Alderson Broaddus University Elite Camp. He had some high spots this past season while playing for Bedford HS. Some of his more notable performances included: 13 points against both Highland HS and North Royalton HS and 11 points versus Kenston HS. Darius is a rising senior who looks to breakout this upcoming season.

Darius was noted twice by Battler Beat for his performances during the ABU Elite Camp. During camp update #1, we noted: "Darius Dudley showing some ability to break down a defender or step back." It was during the shooting drills where Darius caught Battler Beat's eye. He showed an ability to hit his 3-point shot consistently from both the wing position and from the corner position. We noted the following during camp update #3: "Darius Dudley from Bedford (OH) is hitting his outside shots." Battler Beat looks for Dudley to develop more of his offensive and defensive game during the off-season. We have two of Darius' videos to view at the bottom of the story as well as a link (shown below) to a more recent video.

Darius Dudley Video

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Alex Heath of Cleveland Central Catholic HS (OH)

Battler Beat returns to profiling campers from the June ABU Elite Camp. Today's attention is being turned to point guard Alex Heath of Cleveland Central Catholic High School in Ohio. Heath was mentioned during every camp update during the day. He was a true attention-grabber to Battler Beat throughout the day. We project that Heath has the abilities and mindset to have a breakout senior season. Alex had some quality games this past season for Central Catholic. Some of his best performances included: 19 points against Youngstown Ursuline, 14 points against both Woodridge and Elyria Catholic, 13 points versus St. Vincent-St. Mary and 12 points against Holy Name. For his efforts during his junior year, Heath was named to the AP 2017 All-Northeast Lakes District Division II Honorable Mention team.

Alex showed bunches of quality offensive and defensive play at the elite camp. During camp update #2 of the offensive/defensive skills portion, we noted the following: "Alex Heath of Cleveland Central Catholic makes every player work hard. He loves defense and there is nothing easy when playing against him." He was definitely one of the top defenders of the entire camp. In camp update #3 of the shooting drills, Heath was noted several times in that update portion for consistently hitting his outside jumpers from both the wing and from the corner. During team play, Heath made several good moves to either score or pass the ball to one of his teammates to pick up the assist.

We spoke to Alex Heath at the conclusion of camp. He told us that he knew several of the current Alderson Broaddus Battlers. Alex stated that he knew in-coming recruit Anthony Carmon, Chavez Harper and Mike Davis very well as both are from the Cleveland area. We asked him how he thought the camp went. He stated: "There was a lot of good competition out there for sure. I thought we did some nice drills during the morning session. I liked that fact that the drills allowed you to show the coaches your talents, but also those drills had you competing a lot against the other players." Heath went on to say that he "really liked the campus". We have linked Alex's Pitt Jam Fest highlights below and look forward to following his progress during his senior season in high school.

Alex Heath's Pitt Jam Fest Highlights

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Dale Bonner of Shaker Heights HS (OH)

Battler Beat focuses our spotlight today on athletic and versatile guard Dale Bonner of Shaker Heights HS in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Bonner would project as an athletic combo guard at the Division II level. At the ABU Elite Camp, he showed the versatility to hit his outside shots during skill competition but also displayed the ability to push the ball up and down the floor while running the point. The 6'1" rising senior transitioned to the point guard position last season at Shaker Heights where he still averaged 18 points per contest.  For his efforts, Dale was named to the 2017 AP All-Northeast Lakes Honorable Mention team.

Bonner showed excellent court awareness with the basketball during the ABU Elite Camp. He is an excellent finisher in transition but possesses the ability to pass to the open man when help-side defense collapses on his penetration. Dale reads his defender well in the half-court set and knows when to penetrate or pull up for the outside jumper. His penetration and  then high elevation to the basket garners Bonner a high-percentage shot or the ability to get to the free throw line where he shoots a good percentage. He also has the ability at the Division II level to defend either the point or two guard and definitely knows how to take a charge. Bonner had some monster games last season for Shaker Heights High School. Some of high spots for his junior season include: 28 points against Solon HS, 23 points put up against Medina HS, 21 points versus Toledo Woodward, 20 points against Brunswick HS, 18 points versus Euclid HS and 17 points against both Cleveland Central Catholic HS and Elyria HS. But despite those quality scoring numbers, his biggest attribute may be the ability to get other teammates the ball in the right spot to put them in a position to score.

Dale Bonner is already receiving considerable interest from Alderson Broaddus of the G-MAC, Northwood University of the GLIAC and Fairmont State University. OH Hoops at www.ohhoops.com has already rated Bonner as the #55 rated player in the state of Ohio for the Class of 2018. His asset as a shut-down defender and an athletic player who is continually showing improvement in his offensive game will likely lead to more Division I and II interest as his senior season moves along. We have linked below Dale Bonner's hudl tape which features multiple highlights and plays from his junior season.

Dale Bonner's Highlight Videos

Battler Recruits Shine at WV North vs. South All-Star Game

Two Alderson Broaddus University men's basketball recruits were named last month to the prestigious West Virginia North vs. South All-Star basketball game held annually at the South Charleston Community Center in South Charleston, WV. Neither first-team all-state player disappointed the sold out crowd with their play. Both players ended up walking away with some individual hardware for their performances in the contest. Even though they will be wearing gold and blue next season, DeAundra Murphy and Austin Upton were on separate teams last night. Murphy who played his high school basketball at Huntington St. Joseph's represented the South team. Upton played his high school basketball for Philip Barbour HS and was on the North team.

Austin Upton started things off before the game by winning the 2017 individual free throw

competition title. He started out the free throw competition by hitting 9 of 10 free throws. Upton would win the competition in the sudden death round to take home the plaque. He didn't stop there. During the game, Austin scored 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in helping the North team to a 108-105 overtime victory. He was one of four players for the North squad to score in double-figures for the evening.

DeAundra Murphy showed his talents during the game by leading all scorers on the evening. His play was impressive as he showed the ability to be a stat-sheet stuffer. For the evening, Murphy scored 25 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, had 3 steals and threw down 2 dunks. He was named the 2017 South team Most Valuable Player. DeAundra hit several key shots during the second half that either put his team in the lead or helped his team tie the game.

Both players were noted for their play by the Charleston GazetteMail, the Huntington Herald-Dispatch and the Clarksburg Exponent. It was a fitting end as each player ended their highly successful high school careers.

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Dalen Solomon of John Hay HS (OH)

Today we preview 6'4" forward/wing Dalen Solomon of John Hay HS which is located in Cleveland, OH. Solomon took part in the Alderson Broaddus University Elite Camp held on Saturday, June 3. Solomon showed the versatility to play either the wing or forward during both individual and team drills. He was noted by Battler Beat in camp update #2 for having a nice reverse slam dunk. Solomon participated with the grey shirt team during all camp activities. This past season he put up 23 points for John Hay in a win over Young High School. We have linked his junior highlight video below. Dalen shows tremendous agility to go along with an incredible vertical. His tape shows a player that can do multiple things on offense. Solomon can hit the outside jumper or penetrate the basket from the outside. He is excellent on cuts to the basket when he doesn't have the basketball and finishes well off of these cuts. Dalen is an excellent player when filling the lanes on fast breaks and transition. His vertical gives him an edge against opposition when he takes the ball to the basket.

Dalen Solomon Highlight Video (Junior Season)

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Dondre Palmer of Pickerington North HS (OH)

Battler Beat turns the profile attention to one of the more high energy players of the ABU Elite Camp in Dondre Palmer of Pickerington North High School outside of Columbus, OH. Palmer is a 6'5" rising senior that played hard all day showing the ability to defend multiple positions and defend the player he was going against very well. He went hard after every loose ball and was always communicating to teammates during defensive stanzas. Dondre showed a good attribute that coaches like and that is he left the offense come to him and didn't try to force shots that weren't there. He also can rebound the basketball well no matter which position he is playing on the floor.


Palmer played this past season for a Pickerington North team that was very successful in Division I ball in the state of Ohio. PNHS finished the season with a record of 22-7. It was along this path that Dondre contributed to the success of his team. In the Division I regional semifinal win over a 24-3 Upper Arlington team, he contributed 14 points. But the Columbus Dispatch noted Dondre in this game for his quality defense on Ohio State-bound player Dane Goodwin. In PNHS' win over Gahanna, he would finish with 13 points. He had many games of this type. For his efforts, he was named to the AP D-I All-Central Ohio District Honorable Mention team. Dondre was also named to the Ohio Capital Conference Honorable Mention team. Hidden Gems currently has Palmer listed as Central Ohio's #5 rated shooting guard for the upcoming season. We noted Dondre's ability to do a lot of things that many players don't do in today's game. In Elite Camp update #1, we noted the following: "Dondre Palmer of Pickerington North (OH) showing good defensive communication skills. Very loud which is what you want. Communicating of defense is a lost skill."

We have linked Dondre Palmer's hudl video below which features several of his highlights and play for this past season. We look for the rising senior to garner a lot of attention from several G-MAC schools in Ohio and West Virginia this upcoming season. His ability to defend several positions on the floor is something a lot of small college coaches look at. Dondre has the ability on offense to step outside or play around the basket as a forward.

Dondre Palmer's Basketball Videos

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Tre Baumgardner of Africentric Early College (OH)

Battler Beat today profiles 6'1" point guard Tre Baumgardner III from Africentric Early College located in Columbus, OH. The rising senior averaged 18 points per game this past season for the Nubians. Tre showed more than just scoring at the ABU Elite Camp. He had excellent ball-handling skills in both the half-court game and in full-court transition. Baumgardner made several excellent passes to teammates that were in scoring position. When teammates posted up, he used the dribble well to position himself better in order to make a quality fundamental pass. Tre had a career high of 30 points this past season against Walnut Ridge HS. His lowest point total of his junior season was nine points.

For his play for the Nubians, Tre was named to the AP 2017 Central District Division IV Second Team. He was also named to the AP 2017 All-Ohio Division IV Honorable Mention team. Hidden Gems Basketball has listed Baumgardner as the third highest rated point guard in Central Ohio for all divisions for this upcoming basketball season. Battler Beat noted this during camp update #2 during offensive/defensive drills: "Tre Baumgardner with a good first step. He knows how to read the man guarding him. He knows when to shoot or take the guy off the dribble." During the shooting competition part of the camp, we noted this about him: "Tre Baumgardner out of Columbus drills two shots from the wing. He looks poised with the ball." It was during team play that Baumgardner's overall game began to shine. His passing and being able to use the dribble to position himself for a quality pass to the post was noted in update #4: "Tre  Baumgardner and Na'Elle Simmons work a nice two-man game together. Baumgardner puts the ball in the right spot."

Battler Beat caught up with Tre at the conclusion of the ABU Elite Camp to get his thoughts on his play at the camp, his overall view of campus and how the camp went. "It was pretty fun out there today. I really enjoyed the competition. It was good competition out there. I liked how every one went hard and came to compete," noted Baumgarder. Players were given a campus tour during breaks from team play. We asked Tre what he thought of his take on the Alderson Broaddus campus. He noted the following: "I like it. It was pretty. It was a little smaller than what I thought. It is kind of rural but in a way, that is good because I can focus more on my studies and on developing my basketball game." Zach Fleer of 270hoops.com (which has complete basketball coverage of the Columbus area) has said that Alderson Broaddus has shown 'considerable interest' in Tre Baumgardner. We have linked below Tre's highlight video of his junior season:

Tre Baumgardner's Highlight Video (Junior Season)

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Josh Whelan of Fort Defiance (VA)

Battler Beat turns its' attention to the one of the tallest players at this year's Alderson Broaddus Elite Camp.  Today we focus on 6'8"/200 pound rising senior Joshua Whelan of Fort Defiance High School in Virginia. Whelan played last Saturday for the yellow shirt team under the direction of Josh Allen. He was named this past season to the Valley District All Boys Basketball 2nd team. Phenom Hoop Report noted Whelan as a part of the Virginia Top 80 roster. During last week's elite camp, Whelan showed a great ability to move well without the basketball. He found the open passing lane so that his teammate could easily find him near the basket. Joshua was also good at following up for a basket in transition. He possesses a tremendous vertical to go along with his height.

Joshua Whelan's junior season highlight video is linked at the bottom of this story. It shows a big man who runs the floor well for a player of his height and size. Joshua is an excellent help defender on defense as he has the ability to block shots as both a help-side defender or on the ball defender. He is also excellent in help defense by cutting off the baseline on dribble penetration. Whelan's video shows an attitude of a player who is constantly taking charges on defense. He had several outstanding games as a junior for Fort Defiance. One such game was a one-point win over Waynesboro where Joshua had 19 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter. Whelan is also a varsity baseball player for Fort Defiance's baseball team. Battler Beat noted in elite camp update #5 during team play: "Josh Whalen of Fort Defiance (VA)  moves well in the post for yellow." We will continue to monitor the big man throughout his senior season. In the mean time, enjoy some of his highlights from his junior campaign:

Joshua Whelan's Highlight Video (Junior Season)

Alderson Broaddus Gets Huge Commit from DeAundra Murphy

It was roughly a week ago that Huntington St. Joseph's DeAundra Murphy announced that he was decommitting to Youngstown State. The 6'4" Murphy was a 1st-team West Virginia Class A all-state basketball player that had been recruited heavily this past season by both Alderson Broaddus and Fairmont State. He also had an offer to play at Radford as well as many other small college opportunities. When Jerrod Calhoun left Fairmont State to take the head coaching position at Youngstown State, he extended an opportunity for DeAundra to play for the Penguins. He quickly accepted but has since had a change of heart. Murphy is an outstanding player that led the state of West Virginia in scoring this past season. His senior statistics show that he averaged 27.4 points,  6.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.5 assists per game.

DeAundra Murphy help lead Huntington St. Joseph to the 2016 West Virginia Class A state basketball championship. His team returned to Charleston this past season to defend the crown before falling short to Ravenswood HS. Murphy gives ABU a versatile player on the perimeter. He is a player who can put the ball in the basket on consecutive trips down the floor. DeAundra is known for his outside jumper but has the athletic ability and skill set to attack off the dribble.  His vertical is incredible and will be a big asset at ABU as the Battlers are known to attack the offensive glass. Battler Beat has linked several of DeAundra Murphy's videos below:

DeAundra Murphy Big Shots Scouting Video

DeAundra Murphy Highlight Video Package (Senior Season)

Murphy has been rated very high on many scouting service lists. Big Shots rated Murphy has the 4th highest rated prospect this year in the state of West Virginia. The three players listed ahead of DeAundra all signed Division I offers. USA Today placed Murphy on their 2016-17 All-USA West Virginia 2nd team. Two of the five players listed on the first team were from Huntington Prep, an academy noted for landing Division I players. Murphy's family will have both siblings close by when they travel to see their children play basketball. DeAundra's sister recently signed to play women's basketball with Salem International University. Battler Beat welcomes DeAudra, and we will reach out for a more in-depth interview later on this month.

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Garrett Tipton of Bishop Hartley HS (OH)

Battler Beat will profile today one of the top performers at this year's Alderson Broaddus University Elite Camp. Garrett Tipton of Bishop Hartley High School of Columbus, OH showed off his skill set last Saturday and in the process got the attention of the ABU coaching staff. Tipton is a 6'4"/195 pound player that would project as a wing at the Division II level. He has great range and shooting touch for a player his size. Garrett can take his defender off the dribble and score on his opponent with the crafty basketball skills and height he possesses. He shows tremendous leaping ability in both the half-court set and in transition. Tipton is also a tremendous on-the-ball defender who shows the ability to get a hand in the passing lane to obtain a steal and defends screen-and-rolls correctly. He is extremely tough off a steal or in transition due to his size and leaping ability.

Tipton garnered honors this past season for his play for Bishop Hartley. As a junior, he was named to the Central (OH) Catholic League Second Team. Garrett was also named to the AP Honorable Mention Central Ohio Division II Boys Basketball Team. We noted some of his finer moments from last Saturday. During the offensive/defensive sessions, we noted this on update #2: "Garrett Tipton of Bishop Hartley (OH) and Armani Obringer of Trinity (PA) going hard at on both offense and defense on one-on-one drills."  Tipton caught Battler Beat's attention twice during the shooting portion of the camp. We noted during camp update #3: "Garrett Tipton has a nice shot. Tipton is a very good player from the wing. He passes well to the open player as well." It was during the morning sessions that Tipton garnered a lot of attention. He didn't stop his performance there. Garrett played with the navy team and developed very good chemistry with his teammates most notably two players from Capital HS (WV). The navy shirt team thrived throughout the day with tough play and unselfish play. During update #4, Battler Beat noted the following on Tipton: "Garrett Tipton was very impressive for the navy team. He understands what to do in transition. He made a ton of shots and made several high basketball IQ moves. He is tall with deep range. Tipton going against McMurray in game two. Good matchup. So far Tipton has had the better of it." It just wasn't on offense that Tipton showed his skills. We noted his defense in update #4: "McMurray sets a nice pick for Baumgardner and rolls. Tipton played defense on it perfectly. Some good stuff."


Garrett Tipton's play didn't go unnoticed by the Alderson Broaddus University men's basketball coaching staff. Before leaving to head home to Columbus, Tipton had conversations with both Head Coach Greg Zimmerman and Assistant Coach Josh Wamsley. We have linked Garrett's junior season highlight video below. It shows all of Garrett's talents and abilities make him an attractive and ascending Division II recruit. The video displays many of the basketball talents that we witnessed this past Saturday.

Garrett Tipton's Highlight Video Package (Junior Season)

Battler Beat caught up with Garrett at the conclusion of the elite camp to see what he had to say about the camp and his thoughts on ABU. "It was a good day. I thought I played well and showed to coach what I could do. It was good to play against some local guys that I knew like Donnie Palmer, Juan Elmore, Thomas Hickman, Justin Curtis and Tre Bumgardner," stated Tipton. "I thought Coach Wamsley and Coach Zimmerman ran a great camp, and it was good to get to campus and play today." Battler Beat will continue to monitor Garrett during his senior campaign. We will keep you updated on any offers that come in along the way.

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Juan Elmore of Pickerington Central (OH)

Battler Beat turns the profile focus today to Juan Elmore of Pickerington Central HS located in Pickerington, Ohio. The 6'5"/220 pound rising senior averaged 8 points per game this past season for Pickerington Central which had a team full of talented players. PCHS went 26-3 on the season and advanced to the Division I state semi-final held on the campus of Ohio State University. Juan had several big games on the path to Columbus. He had 17 points in a district championship victory over Dublin Coffman. Elmore put 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in PCHS' state semi-final loss to undefeated Cincinnati Moeller. He also tallied double-doubles in several key victories throughout his junior campaign.  Elmore has the frame and skill set that is catching the eyes of college coaches.

Hidden Gems rates Juan as one of the top small forwards in the central Ohio region. He has ability to play the four or the three at the next level. Battler Beat in camp update #1 noted Juan's impressive size and versatility:  "Juan Elmore of Pickerington Central is big and strong taking the ball to the basket. " In update #5 during team play, we noted: "Juan Elmore of Pickerington Central (OH) has a build similar to Richard Lemon."  Battler fans will remember that Lemon was a former 1st-team G-MAC performer for ABU and led the G-MAC in assists as a forward during his senior season. Elmore does have a similar game and build to that of Lemon.

We talked briefly with Elmore at the conclusion at camp. We asked him about how things went at the camp and he responded: "Yeah, I thought I did okay. I thought it was a good camp. A lot of us knew every one or had played against some of the other guys so we were kind of familiar with each other. It made it funner." We have linked Juan Elmore's junior season video highlight package below:

Juan Elmore's Highlight Video Package (Junior Season)

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Sean Kelly of Penn-Trafford HS (PA)

Battler Beat today profiles a camper whose play caught a lot of attention from coaches and spectators alike at this past Saturday's ABU Elite Camp. We turn our attention on a player who came in flying under the radar of attention as compared to some of the other more decorated players that attended the camp. But after Saturday's performance at Rex Pyles Arena, Sean Kelly is a player that Battler Beat believes has the potential to have a breakout senior year based on some of his performances this past Saturday. Kelly is a 6'1" guard at Penn-Trafford HS which is located in Harrison City, PA just east of Pittsburgh. Throughout the day, he demonstrated excellent skills in all phases of the game. Sean has the ball-handling skills to run the point but the shooting accuracy to step out on the wing and hit the open jumper. He has a quick release and elevates well on his outside jumper. Kelly was very good Saturday at reading his defender and making proper cuts to the basket. He also has a good first step to the basket and knows how to attack the basket properly and score with a defender on him.

Sean Kelly averaged 12 point this past season for Penn-Trafford HS. His primary position was running the point for the Warriors. Kelly suffered a high-ankle sprain during the third game of the season which kept him out for a portion of his junior season. With Sean in the lineup, Penn-Trafford started the year off with a 2-1 record. He then had to miss the next five games due to this injury, and the Warriors spiraled by going 1-4 during Kelly's absence. Any one that has played knows that a high-ankle injury during the season is a hard thing to come back from. Battler Beat feels that if Kelly continues to improve on his game that he could have a significant chance to garner some Division II offers.

Battler Beat highlighted several key moments that Sean Kelly had at Alderson Broaddus University on Saturday. During team play in the afternoon session, Battler Beat noted: "Sean Kelly with a nice dunk on transition. He is a tough player for Team Yellow and has shown an incredible game during team play." He played at the elite camp for Battler Hall of Fame player Josh Allen and was on one of two teams noted for exceptional team play. During the offensive-defensive drills, Battler Beat mentioned in update #2: "Sean Kelly of Penn Trafford (PA) shows good stuff on 2 on 2 drills."  Battler Beat also wrote on Kelly's performance in update #5: "For the yellow team, Sean Kelly of Penn Trafford (PA) has looked real good. Josh Whalen of Fort Defiance (VA)  moves well in the post for yellow. Both navy and yellow squads going against each other. Both play well together."

We have linked Sean Kelly's junior highlight video package found in the link below. We wish Sean the best during his senior season.

Penn-Trafford's Sean Kelly Highlight Video (Junior Season)

ABU Elite Camp Profile: Calvin Wilder of Capital HS (WV)

Battler Beat profiles another of the 2017 ABU Elite Camp attendees. Today we move the coverage compass to the mountain state where we profile Calvin Wilder of Capital High School located in Charleston, WV. Calvin showed great hustle and versatility this past season for the Cougars in leading them to a 25-4 record during his senior season. Capital finished the season as the Mountain State Athletic Conference champion and were also the AAA state runner ups. It was the third consecutive MSAC title for the Cougars. Along the way, Wilder player integral parts in many key contests doing whatever Coach Matt Greene asked Wilder to do to help earn a Cougar win. During a regular-season victory over eventual AAA champion Huntington High, Wilder contributed 10 points. In the MSAC title game victory over South Charleston, Wilder grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Calvin Wilder played this past weekend for the navy team where he contributed to his team's success in multiple ways. He was a tough on-the-ball defender guarding multiple positions during the afternoon session. Wilder also played very unselfish and distributed the ball to earn several assists. He also tested well in the combine testing showing a tremendous vertical jump for a player his size. Calvin, as a junior, was noted by the website bigshots.net as being ranked as one of the Top 100 players in the state of West Virginia.

Battler Beat talked to Calvin at the conclusion of the ABU Elite Camp. He told us: "I thought the

camp was run well. I had a good time and liked the competition." Wilder played on the same team at the elite camp as his fellow Capital High teammate KJ Figures. Both players performed well and were noted for their hard play all day long. We asked Wilder about his upcoming plans and he told us: "I think I will probably end up at Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, Maryland and go to school and play ball." We thank Calvin for participating in this year's elite camp and wish him success in his future endeavors.