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Carolina
Challenge Blog
- November 18th:
The day after signing day I hit the road and began catching games.
Welcome back! Just a reminder: the 2009 Carolina Challenge is March 28, 2009! We’re shooting for a big time speaker who I’m sure you’ll recognize instantly!
Right out of the box, two-time Challenge camper Earnest Ross, dropped 24 on Sanderson. Earnest inked with Auburn last week.
Props to Stan Okoye of Knightdale. He dumped 43 in his opener. The points are great but what’s more important is his confidence is sky high. He’s going to make someone a very good spring signee in April.
Jarell Eddie looked good both nights at the Cannon Classic. However, it was N.C. newcomer Luke Cothron and Flora MacDonald who won Cannon’s event. Cothron is a fast-riser!
Last Saturday I caught Deuce Bello a few days after he sprained his wrist. Bello’s one of the best athletes in the country. Later that night Wayne Country Day’s Reco McCarter had 15 & 12 in a loss to C.J. Harris and Mike Grace of Mount Tabor.
Melvin Tabb had 31 in his second game and is becoming a priority target for a lot of teams.
The season’s begun and we’ll be out watching for new campers each step of the way!
Sometime To Think About? Have you done anything lately to help someone on your team who not as talented have a better game? What kind of teammate are you?
DT
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- April 17th,
By Lindsay Priester:
The weekend started with two-year-old Michael Telep pulling the fire alarm. The resulting sound was unbearable; volunteer workers fled the gym, hands over ears. The firemen arrived, laughing at the situation. They even gave little Michael a tour of the fire truck. Paige, Michael’s mom, was horrified and apologized continuously. Dave, Michael’s father, tried to teach his son that pulling the fire alarm was “bad.” Meanwhile, Michael sported a fireman’s hat atop his head and enjoyed the attention of the firemen. From that point on the tone for the weekend was set – Dave Telep’s Carolina Challenge would definitely be a family affair.
The family ties, however, ran deeper than the Telep family; they were also evident on the basketball court. Followers of the ACC have heard of Duke recruit Mason Plumlee, a junior from Christ School in Arden. Fewer have heard of freshman Marshall, his younger brother. The Plumlee family, in fact, extends further into the basketball world with older brother Miles, who will be playing for Stanford next year. One of the delights of the day was watching Mason and Marshall square up against each other in one of the Carolina Challenge’s match-ups. Prior to the game the two horsed around during warm-ups, as only brothers could do. When the game began, it was a different story. Mason showed off the skills that have gotten him attention from schools like Duke, while Marshall surprised many with his explosiveness and aggressiveness in the post. It seems Marshall has taken advantage of his family situation and has learned a great deal from his older brothers.
While the games continued all day in the two gyms of Cary Academy, volunteer Doreen Kelly was scurrying around helping wherever she could. From selling concessions to leading a recruiting seminar for players and their families, Doreen was willing and eager to help. Her daughter Erin chipped in too (albeit after being bribed with M & M’s), helping in concessions and with the cleanup process.
“Have you gotten a chance to see Ryan play?” a fellow volunteer asked Doreen.
“A little bit, but not too much,” Doreen responded.
Many of the volunteers were too busy to watch much basketball at the Carolina Challenge and Doreen was no different. Then again, none of the other volunteers had a son participating in the Challenge. While Doreen sold candy bars and talked about the finer points of the NCAA Clearinghouse, Ryan Kelly was busy gaining position inside. Ryan, a junior from Raleigh’s Ravenscroft, is receiving increased national recruiting attention after bulking up over the last year. Mom, son, and daughter all added to the success of the Carolina Challenge in their own way.
The family atmosphere was also apparent in the packed stands as parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins cheered on their favorite players. Earnest Ross’ mother was just one of many vocal and enthusiastic supporters present. She delighted in conversing with other fans and volunteers and watching the Panther Creek junior perform.
While the slogan “Are You Recruitable?” was the day’s official theme, the unofficial one of family seemed to appear again and again. Telep chose UNC-Charlotte’s senior guard Leemire Goldwire as the day’s featured speaker. Many commented that for someone who knows numerous famous basketball players, Goldwire seemed a strange choice.
Telep disagreed. “There wasn’t a better guy to talk to those 80 kids that day than Leemire
Goldwire.”
Goldwire, one of the top twenty scorers in Charlotte’s history, is also a dedicated husband and father. The example he sets personifies what Telep wants these young players to emulate in their own journeys.
Finally, even after over nine hours of intense basketball competition, players and their families seemed hesitant to leave. As participants and their loved ones lingered, new friendships were formed. It was obvious the theme of family had resonated yet again at Dave Telep’s Second Annual Carolina Challenge.
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- April 8th, By Dave Telep
Wow!
First of all, let me thank the dozens of volunteers, coaches, friends, family and parents that helped make the 2nd Carolina Challenge a smashing success! Without your time, counsel and commitment to excellence we couldn’t have done it.
Also, many thanks to Ben Sherman from Scout.com.
As for the basketball itself, I’m so proud of the kids in our state for their approach and execution that day. Plus, Leemire Goldwire really reached a great number of participants and his message was awesome: work hard, stay focused and be smart about your decisions.
Lakeem Jackson couldn’t have played any harder than he did. He was relentless in his attacks at the basket. John Wall, well, when your name is on the marquee and everyone wants a piece of you, it can be overwhelming. Not for him though. Wall’s thunderous dunk in transition was one of the day’s highlights.
There were so many outstanding performances, I won’t even try and mention them all. I will say that Julius Brooks (led the event in scoring) and freshman Marshall Plumlee learned a lot about themselves on March 29. For both the trick will be taking the confidence they gained and replicating the performances they turned in.
The Carolina Challenge, at its core, is designed to be a celebration of talent from our state and a platform to deliver the message: it’s never too early to begin getting yourself prepared to play in college.
Over the next few weeks we’ll add photos and keep blogging. Check back for videos and photo galleries in the month of April!!
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- March 24th, By Dave Telep
It's Monday and I'm in the airport. I was about to get on a plane when Greg Echenique committed to Rutgers (big pickup for the Knights!). Anyway, I'm heading to the McDonald's All-American game to see the best our country has to offer.
What a week. I get back Thursday at noon and get to move from the best in the nation to the best in North Carolina! If you can't tell, the juices are flowing. My 2-year old son asked me "can I go to the Carolina Challenge?" That was big time. BTW, he's coming!
Saturday's a big day for our family. My dad keeps score, the in-laws assist with hospitality, registration and babysitting! We've got a lot of friends and family in town and our volunteers are outstanding. In short, everyone is excited!
I want to give a special shout out to Karen Priester. This special lady approached me months ago and wanted to get involved. She's taken on a prominent role in the advertising and promotion of this event. Not to mention, she's been instrumental in getting sponsors which has helped reduce the cost for the campers by $20 from last year! Karen, thanks a million!
With all 80 campers signed up and registered, the next few days are devoted to monitoring the injury wire. We're hearing Reggie Bullock should be OK. However, freshman sensation Bernard Sullivan is not. Per doctors orders he's on the shelf for a few weeks but he's coming to spend the day with his peers. Give him a lot of credit, it'll be tough sitting there and not playing but he'll have two more cracks at the Challenge!
Leemire Goldwire, one of the best shooters in the history of 49er basketball is our speaker on Saturday. He's going to come talk to the kids. Lee's a great story. He bypassed BCS conference schools, picked Charlotte and had a great career. I hope the guys listen to him about picking a school where you fit. BTW, Lee's also a father and husband. He's a big time kid and I'm psyched he's coming to spend the day with us!
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- March 21st, By Dave Telep
Next Saturday the biggest names in North Carolina high school basketball will lace them up. The Walls, Bullocks and Plumlees of the world are household names (or at least should be).
The Carolina Challenge is about opportunity and seeing who can raise their game and in turn their profile. Here are 5 kids to watch next weekend and why we think they could emerge in a big way.
Jay Canty, 2010 – While the bigger names steal the headlines, Canty has quietly gone about getting bigger and better. A versatile wing, he’s got all the tools to be a high level player.
Brandyn Curry, 2009 – Aside from John Wall, the junior crop of points isn’t deep in the state. Curry was the conference POY and already has a big rep in Charlotte. Look for him to go statewide.
Jacob Lawson, 2011 – An explosive player, he’s a tad undersized but makes up for it with his athleticism and leaping ability. This guy is going to sneak up on people.
Ian Miller, 2010 – Again, the Queen City is all over him and the rest of the state is slow to catch on. Could the Challenge be his breakout event?
K.J. Sherrill, 2009 – This could be the mid-level frontcourt player to emerge. He hails from a perennial state power program at West Rowan and now with a chance to drop the hammer on the kids from the bigger cities will he seize the chance?
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- March 18th, By Dave Telep
I got a chance to call the state championship game with my friend Mike Solarte. We had a blast. East Meck deserved the title after the murderous slate of teams it defeated along the way. Jason Grube’s team won its last 5 games by 62 points.
Challenge alums Reggie Bullock and Bo Ingram led Kinston to the 3-A title. Ingram excelled throughout the playoff run. Bullock turned an ankle in the finals so we hope he’s healed up for the Carolina Challenge.
Big man Reggie Johnson broke the state record for rebounds in a title game with 23. His Winston-Salem Prep team won the 1-A title in a blowout. Alum Marcus Wright was terrific as well.
Now, it’s time to get ready for the Carolina Challenge. We’ll release the teams before the event but for now, we’ll name drop and let the names of the 80 campers out of the bag!
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- March 7th, By Dave Telep
Major props go out to Damier Pitts (Carolina Challenge alum) and Dee Bost (2007 state champion, Concord H.S). The two friends combined to lead Hargrave Military Academy to the prep school national championship. Bost, the MVP of last year's state football and basketball championships, earned the honor at the prep tournament. Pitts, who is headed to Marshall, continues a long run of successes. The Thundering head may have a future all-league floor general on its hands. The two best 2008 point guards at last year's Challenge own rings. In addition to Pitts, lead man Andre Cornelius captained Victory Christian to the 2-A private schools state title last month. A few seasons from now when Pitts and Cornelius take their teams to the NCAA Tournament the hope is more kids in the state realize there's good ball played beyond the confines of the ACC!
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- March 5th, By Dave Telep
Aside from watching the top prospects in the state of North Carolina test each other head-to-head, the most rewarding facet of the Carolina Challenge is knowing the kid’s individual stories.
Take Jaron Lane for instance. The 6-foot-4 D.H. Conley small forward is a junior and a good player. His squad got bounced after giving Dudley all it could handle in the 3-A eastern semifinals.
Conley, which is 10 minutes from East Carolina’s campus, doesn’t get a lot of attention and Lane is deserving of Division I looks. A good student, he hung 26 on Dudley and I’d be shocked if he’s ever gotten a recruiting letter. Kids like Lane will always be what the Carolina Challenge is about.
He’s coming on March 29th. Of the 80 kids there, he may be the least recognizable but likely the one young man with the most to gain. You can bet he’ll empty his tank that day, force everyone else to play hard and when it’s all over, maybe a few more folks might become familiar with his story.
On Tuesday night I sat next to scout Mike Talbot and Carolina Crusaders coach Needham Cheely. When it comes to the eastern part of the state and identifying under the radar players, Cheely’s pretty darn solid. His AAU team won’t have the high profile, national level kids but he’ll always have guys who can play.
Kinston and Dudley are going to play for the right to do battle against the best from the west in the state finals. This one is a total pick-em game. Kinston sophomore Reggie Bullock and senior wing Bo Ingram combined for 42 points and 18 rebounds against Northern Vance. Props to Northern Vance who finished the season 24-2. Carolina Challenge alum Nick Jefferson fouled out in the final high school game of his career.
Dudley got all it could handle from Lane and Conley. Carolina Challenge campers Brennan Wyatt and P.J. Hairston are big factors for Dudley. Hairston banged knees in the second half and was limited. Wyatt, another name to watch for on March 29, handed out 7 assists. By the way, can someone give rapidly improving senior sharpshooter Marcus Heath a scholarship?
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- February 24th, By Dave Telep
The private school state championships are over. Congrats to Word of God, Victory Christian and Christ School. Each was paced by Carolina Challenge alum.
John Wall led the Rams to 30 wins. Teammate C.J. Leslie was an all-stater and freshman workhorse Dezmine Wells debuts at his first Challenge.
2-A went the way of Victory Christian. At last year’s Carolina Challenge point guard Andre Cornelius had the best day of any senior-to-be guard. He’ll be a dynamo at George Mason next year.
Greensboro Day made a game of it but Christ School was the best 3-A team all season long and despite surgery on his finger, Miles Plumlee ended his high school career with a state title. Challenge campers Mason Plumlee and Lakeem Jackson also earned all-state honors. Freshman Marshall Plumlee (yes, he’s the last Plumlee in the pipeline!) will be one of 5 Christ School invitees to the Challenge.
Almost forgot about last week’s trip to the ME-CA7 Conference tourney in Charlotte. Man, that league is laced with good underclassmen. Vance won the league title over Hopewell. D.C. import Daryl Traynham was the unofficial MVP for Vance. Junior Brandyn Curry was the driving force for Hopewell as he saved them from a semifinal upset. Loads of prospects from the conference will be at the Challenge. I have the honor of broadcasting the state title game and there’s a good chance I’ll get to see a team from that league again.
Public schools state playoffs tip this week. Can New Hanover retain its title? Can a freshman lead Dudley back to prominence? Who is this year’s Petey Hausley? <p>
If you’re like me, settling on which game to see in the first round is hard. I know my week will end in New Orleans for the Hornets-Jazz game. Chris Paul and Deron Williams starts my March!
Final Thought: I’ve been thinking about some potential Carolina Challenge matchups. Here’s a few to ponder: Mason Plumlee against Ryan Kelly? How about P.J. Hairston versus Bernard Sullivan in 2011? I know I’d like to see Reggie Bullock and J.T. Terrell check each other! Who will step up to John Wall’s challenge? Brandyn Curry? Stay tuned!
Carolina
Challenge Blog
- February 19th, By Dave Telep
We’re a little over a month away and
registration has been going exceptionally well. The neat thing about
the process is that some guys have played their way into invitations.
For instance, South Meck’s Ian Miller, a sophomore, turned in the
kind of year worthy of an invite (and he got one!).
I’m excited about the playoffs this week in
particular, the conference tournament involving North Meck, Vance and
Hopewell. Last year Vance was a state playoff team and sent Anthony
McClenny to the Carolina Challenge. This time around freshmen Marquise
Rankin and Jacoby Davis are coming. Plus, Vance has a newcomer in
Daryl Traynham out of D.C.! North
Meck has multiple invitees, as does Hopewell led by outstanding guard
Brandyn Curry.
I can’t emphasize enough to the guys that have
been invited how important it is to get your registration and waiver
in. We invited 87 kids for 80 spots and so far have received great
feedback!
It looks like this year we’ll be joined by
Charlotte 49ers senior guard Leemire Goldwire, one of the top scorers
in the history of their program. Goldwire has a cool story to tell. He
was that recruit that could have signed with one of the 4 big
conferences but wanted more immediate playing time and the result was
a storied career in the A-10!
WALKER IMPRESSIVE AGAINST THE BEST (Charlotte
Observer) / Click
here for more
OBSERVATIONS (Charlotte Observer)
/ Click here for more
4 LOCAL ATHLETES TRY TO PROVE THEMSELVES
(Charlotte Observer) / Click
here for more
THE CAROLINA CHALLENGE (Wilmington
Star-News) / Click
here for more
CAROLINA
CHALLENGE RECAP (Scout.com)
/ Click here for more
TOP
10 PLAYERS AT CAROLINA CHALLENGE (Charlotte Observer)
/ Click here for more
THE
BASKETBALL BLOG: CAROLINA CHALLENGE (Wilmington Star-News)
/ Click here for more
CAROLINA
CHALLENGE PREVIEW (Scout.com)
/ Click here for more
CARY
HOSTS TOP HOOPSTERS (Raleigh News & Observer)
/ Click here for more
IMPRESSING AT THE CAROLINA CHALLENGE (TriangleHoops.com)
/ Click here for more
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