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Updated November 20, 2007 Men's Pro Basketball Updates GERRIT BRIGITHA HEADED BACK TO HUNGARY Brigitha enjoyed a successful year with Albaregia Sport Basketball Club out of Hungary during the 2007 season. Gerrit provided strong interior play while averaging 12.2ppg & 7rpg while shooting over 70% from the floor. Combined with his guard like skill set, Brigitha possesses great mobility and jumping ability for his size (6'8", 240lbs) making him a tough match up for any opposing team. We look forward to following Gerrit over the next few months and hope to see him back in Tampa training with SEBA in the off season. ANTONIO RUSSELL TRAVELS TO PUERTO RICO Antonio Russell recently traveled with an agent based ball club out of Chicago, Ill, to Puerto Rico. The trip is designed to help un-signed players showcase their talents on a five day 5 game road schedule. Stay tuned on updates on Russell as he travels to England within the next couple of weeks. Men's College Basketball THOMAS KAISER - ST LEO UNIVERSITY - 6'4" SOPHOMORE SWINGMAN Jesuit High's Thomas Kaiser enters the 07'-08' season to increase his role with the Lions. Thomas has made significant improvements in his ability to shoot from behind the arc while gaining a better understanding of Coach Madagan's style of play. So far this year, Thomas is averaging just under 15 minutes per contest while shooting an impressive 42% from the field. WALTER PERKINS - ST LEO UNIVERSITY - 6'7" FRESHMEN POWER FORWARD Tampa Prep's Walter Perkins leading the Lions in field goal percentage shooting close to 70%. Walter has helped provide strong interior play for the Lions while averaging 4 ppg and 4 rpg. Just a Freshmen, Perkins has impressed Coach Madagan with his work ethic and desire to get better. ANTHONY GOMEZ - ST LEO UNIVERSITY - 5'9" FRESHMEN POINT GUARD The same assets Gomez used to help lead the Wharton Wildcats to their most successful season under Tommy Tonelli have seemed to transfer over to the next level for the tough point guard. A true Freshman, Gomez is averaging just under 17 minutes a game providing much needed ball handling for the Lions while averaging 7ppg, shooting 58% from the field to go along with 44% from behind the arc. RUDY JEAN - UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA - 5'6" FRESHMEN POINT GUARD ANDREW DARST - RPI - 6'3" FRESHMEN SWINGMAN RASHRD SIMMONS - RPI - 6'1" FRESHMEN POINT GUARD THEO SMALLING - HAMPTON PIRATES - 6'7" SOPHOMORE SMALL FORWARD Smalling providing substantial minutes for the Pirates through the first 8 games of the season. Always a physical presence, Smalling has worked hard in the off season on his offensive skills. So far this year he is averaging 23 minutes per game to go along with 4 points and 6 rebounds. Smalling's best outing of the year happened to be in a huge win over Virginia Commonwealth (64-55) where he logged 6 boards, 9 points, 2 blocks, and 3 steals in 25 minutes of play. MICHAEL GUTOWSKI WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON - 6'3" JUNIOR POINT GUARD Women's College Basketball Sophomores Dayna Esposito and Kristina Darby Having A Major Impact On The Hornets Early Success MESSINA TWINS CONTINUING SUCCESS AT RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS While playing for different schools for he first time in their careers, both Giana (USF) and Catriana (UT) are finding their roles. Catriana joins a very successful program under the direction of Tom Jesse. Returning a number of players off of last years Elite Eight squad, Catriana has stepped into a significant role for the Spartans averaging 12 minutes per game and shooting a red hot 57% from the field. Some of her highlights include a team leading 18 point performance versus PR - Rio Piedras. Gianna finds herself averaging 17 minutes per game scoring just under 6 points per contest. She provided some much needed scoring in a big win over in-state rivalry UCF where she had a career high 15 points. More to come on the twins, stay tuned. High School Boys Varsity ZAK KAZANSKI - BERKELEY PREP - SR. 6'3" SHOOTING GUARD Zak has been pitching in his part helping Berkeley jump out of the gates to a 5-0 record. Arguably the best team in the county, Zak has provided the Buccaneers with 14ppg while shooting an astonishing 70% from the field. Kazanski, known as a slasher, has made significant strides in improving his ability to shoot from behind the arc raising his 3pt field goal percentage to 50% for the season. We look forward to following Berkeley through the Kingdom of The Sun Holiday Tournament at the end of this month. Good Luck Coach Reinhart. DYLAN FUGATE - NEWSOME HIGH - SR. 6'4" SWINGMAN Coach Mackey has his team playing extremely well resulting in a 7-1 start to the season including three big wins versus county foes Bloomingdale, Tampa Tech, & Freedom. Dylan Fugate, a starter on varsity since his freshmen year, has proved to have a huge hand in the Wolves' success. Fugate has the ability to play several positions allowing Coach Mackey to utilize him in miss match situations. Please check back for an update on Fugate after Newsome visits in town rival Brandon this Friday night (12/14). CALLUM TOWNSEND - BLOOMINGDALE HIGH - JR. 6'5" SHOOTING GUARD Callum Townsend enters into his Junior season as one of the top scoring guards in Hillsborough County. So far this season Callum has emerged as the Bulls go-to-guy shooting 54% from field goal range including 14 of 29 (48%) from the arc. Thus far Callum is averaging 27.8 ppg to go along with just under 10 rebounds per contest. He keeps his reputation as one the areas top free throw shooters checking in at 88%. We look forward to following Callum through a tough District schedule in the upcoming weeks. KHIRY ANFIELD - MIDDLETON HIGH - SR. 6'3" SHOOTING GUARD Khiry enters his senior season unsigned and hungry. "One of the most gifted athletes I have ever seen" Coach McManamey says, " combined with his work ethic and potential, there is no question this kid can play at the next level." Anfield playing extremely well for Coach Smith and the Tigers. He is averaging close to a double double with 14 points and 8 rebounds per game. A natural 2-guard, Coach Smith finds himself using Anfield in a number of positions including Power Forward due to his athleticism, strength, and ability to defensively shut down the opposing team's best player. Anfield has his best basketball days ahead of him. We look forward to seeing him compete in the upcoming CTC to be held at Tampa Prep. ADAM SOLLAZZO - ARMWOOD HIGH - SR. 6'5" POINT GUARD Adam is regarded as one of the top college prospects in
Hillsborough County. His size combined with his true Point Guard
style of play makes him a tough match-up for any opposing team.
Adam's stats for the season thus far are as follows: JAKE SEYMOUR - JESUIT HIGH - SR. 6'2" SHOOTING GUARD Seymour, a verbal commit to Washington University in St Louis, continues to demonstrate his scoring ability through county play averaging just under 20 points per game. Jesuit (4-4 overall, 2-4 Class 5A District 10) is still looking for its groove after being reclassified into a new district. We look forward o following up on the Tigers after the take on Bayshore Christian in the Jesuit Invitational. PJ POTTS - LAND O LAKES - SR. 6'1" POINT GUARD JARED PAUL - ARMWOOD HIGH - SR. 6'3" COMBO GUARD SEAN COOPER - WIREGRASS HIGH - JR. 6'1" POINT GUARD JEROME HARRISON - LAND O LAKES - SR. 6'3" SHOOTING GUARD CONNER FENLON - TAMPA PREP - SR. 6' PONIT GUARD BEN PATRICK - LARGO HIGH - SOPH 5'10" POINT GUARD ANTHONY MANUEL - WHARTON HIGH - SR. 6'4" SWINGMAN DAVID WALLER - TAMPA PREP - SR. 6'6" SWINGMAN CHARLIE MILLS - JESUIT HIGH - SR. 6' COMBO GUARD JORDAN DAVIS - SICKLES HIGH - SOPH. 5'10" POINT GUARD DEVIN TOWSON - BISHOP MCLAUGHLIN - JR. 6'4" SWINGMAN
Updated December 11, 2007 NIKE Show - Now & Zen Productions Once a year SEBA is contracted out through Now & Zen Productions to provide NIKE with Basketball Players to help model next year's spring fashion line. SEBA just completed a show this past November 29th providing 11 players who not only looked the part of a basketball player, but could also act the part. A special thank you to Now & Zen for continuing to utilize SEBA's vast array of services and for the opportunity & exposure for our SEBA players who participated. King High's Leader goes down with season ending injury - written by JC Smith Many times I heard the news from sources of all ages and from different teams. The shockwave it sent throughout the SEBA family was very painful. For the second time in Nicole Hensel’s career a knee gave away limiting her basketball season. This time the injury came during her senior season at King High School. Nicole not only led the team in three pointers but also with her senior experience and her basketball IQ. For the injury to occur to someone who loved the game so much just doesn’t seem fair. Nicole is a true student of basketball. Her work ethic to always improve is matched only by the few pushed by her example. While training at SEBA, Nicole usually arrived first and warmed up with her form shooting routine. The first knee injury constantly nagged her training, yet she refused to quit during workouts unless forced to take it easy by Mike, Nick, or myself. This was rare because she would refuse to let us know she was ever in pain. Excuses are not a part of her character. Nicole was involved with every camp SEBA offered, and rarely missed a day despite having numerous obligations such as the King cross country team. Nicole and her best friend Katie Davis would compete to see who could first knock down the set number of jumpers for each part of the workouts. And at the end of the workouts when students apply their skill sets in one-on-one, the two would battle benefiting each other’s knowledge of how to execute under defensive pressure. From those battles came to fruition two of the county’s best players and all around characters. Her friendship has affected us all; students and teachers alike. Whether Nicole wants to play in college or not is in her hands. There is no doubt she has the skills and savvy to play at a higher level. If she decides to hang up her sneaks formally, then the standard of excellence in any academic field she chooses awaits her contribution. Nicole excels even more in the classroom than she does on the court. Because she doesn’t just go through motions; she has the determination to push limits. SEBA has been lucky to have had her as one of its most loyal students. She has also helped teach and mentor younger SEBA campers at our day camps throughout the past couple years. Hopefully, SEBA and its campers will be blessed to have her help again. Thanksgiving Day Classic Results November 23, 2007 Wharton couldn't
overcome a sluggish start or Lakeland Kathleen's up-tempo offense as
the Wildcats fell 63-48 in the opening round of the Tampa
Prep/Southeast Basketball Academy Classic tournament. November 24, 2007 Shockers at SEBA
Basketball Classic Academy's Katie Davis Blog -Catch up with Katie and the rest of the Jags through her monthly blog. Hi I’m Katie Davis and I’m a junior at the Academy of the Holy Names. Thank you to Coach Mike McManamey for helping me prepare for this season and giving me this opportunity to blog. I’ve trained with Coach McManamey since seventh grade and he’s really helped me to raise my game to the next level. This summer I trained with him and my teammates three times a week at Mary Help, a gym without air conditioning. That really got us in shape! I went to basketball camps at Harvard and Dartmouth and was named the top junior in the SEBA Showcase. I shot and lifted weights about everyday to prepare for this year. Before the season our team did pre-season conditioning with our coach Casey Higgins. We ran tons of sprints and lifted weights. Practice started in October and we ran even more, suicides for every missed lay-up, missed box-out, missed free throw, and for anything else coach can think of, but it pays off and we’re definitely in shape. Our first pre-season game was against IMG, a sports academy. We lost but played well for our first game against a very talented and athletic team. I scored 26 points and had 8 rebounds. We won the second game against Armwood High School and I had 19 and 7 boards. Our first actual season game was against Lennard High School and we won by more than 50 points, I had 21 points and 11 rebounds. The next day we played our first home game against Clearwater Central Catholic and won by 40, I had 31. Then, two days later, we played Keswick Christian, a close game at first, then after a quick time out and encouragement from Coach Higgins, we picked up the intensity and pulled ahead. I had 33 points on 16 of 25 shots. Our next big game and one of our biggest rivalries is against Tampa Catholic on Wednesday November 28. Our team is ready and working well together with a positive spirit. Updated November 15, 2007 Othello Hunter Finding His Groove HCC's own Othello Hunter is finding his groove for the Ohio St. Buckeyes. The senior forward is averaging 12 ppg & 8 rpg for the Buckeyes thus far. Hunter seems to be more comfortable scoring on the low block and has developed the ability to knock down the 17 footer on a regular basis. #45's most out standing characteristic is his tireless effort on defense and his ability to get up and down the floor. The Buckeyes will face a test this upcoming Wednesday when they play host to the young but talented Orangemen of Syracuse. We look forward to watching his development over the season. ACADEMY OFF TO A FAST START Academy of the Holy Names appears to be in mid season form as the come out of the gates 2-0 (3-1 including pre season). The Jags are led by Junior Shooting Guard Katie Davis, Sophomores Alley Daigle, Salena Castillo, and Mehgann Ligori. Davis looks to have made great improvement on her overall game boasting 97 points scored through the first four games including a 26 point effort versus a highly talented IMG Academy in the preseason. The Jags will only strengthen their guard position when Stephanie Socias rejoins the team from Cross Country. Officially Davis is shooting 68% from the field and averaging a double double with 26 ppg and 10.5 rpg. Keep an eye out for Katie'e blog as we follow her through Academy's 07'-08' season.
Updated March 15, 2007 TAMPA SPORTS COMMISSION APPOINTS SEBA AS HOST TO NC STATE SEBA Director Mike McManamey and Trainer JC Smith received an invitation to host NC State during the ACC Tournament March 8 - 11 held at the ST Pete Times Forum. Mike McManamey commented on the experience as "a great opportunity to see how the behind the scenes operation works at a big time basketball rich university." As it turned out 10th seeded NC State made a run at the ACC Tournament championship but ended up running out of time in the final game dropping to UNC. After downing Drexel this past Tuesday night, NC State hosts Marist in the second round of the NIT. Updated January 13, 2007 GERRIT BRIGITHA HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS The SEBA Holiday clinic had a special treat when former Central Michigan star Gerrit Brigitha stopped in for a workout with students during the 3 day Holiday Clinic. Gerrit was in town keeping his skills sharp and his keeping his conditioning in top shape before heading back to Finland for the second half of the season. Currently Gerrit is averaging 17pts & 9 boards per contest while leading Kouvot to a 12-7 record. We look forward to following Gerrit the rest of the way in 2007. ACADEMY IN THE NEWS They are fast, skilled, and fierce competitors. They are undersized and young with the exception of their two main guns, yet, they have managed to dominate local and surrounding Hillsborough County schools coming out of the half way mark with an impressive 21 wins and 1 loss. Led by the Messina twins combined average of 39ppg and the strong play of underclassmen Katie Davis (9ppg, 88% FT), Alison Daigle (2ppg, 7rpg). Stephaine Socias and Julianne Callahan have played important roles in several big games with their ability to knock down the perimeter jump shot. Academy will miss the strong interior play of Mehgann Ligori, out 4-6 weeks with a stress fracture. Hopefully they can put it all together and get ready for an intense District tournament headlined by 2006 State Runner up St. Pete Catholic. JESUIT'S GUARD PLAY KEEPING THE HOPE ALIVE With the loss of Tommy Whyer and Alex Doyle, Jesuit is relying on their guard play to get the job done. Jesuit has been in almost every contest but have come up short leaving the Tigers with a 5-13 record. Led by Senior Andrew Darst (17ppg 7 rpg) & Junior Jake Seymour's 16ppg, Jesuit hopes to make some waves come District Playoff time. DYLAN FUGATE COMING INTO HIS OWN Longtime SEBA student Dylan Fugate is combining his athletic ability with his increasing skill level propelling him as one of Central Florida's best Juniors. Dylan leads Newsome with 17ppg and 9 rpg. We look forward to seeing him compete come District Playoff time.
Updated January 5, 2007 PERKINS HAVING IMPRESSIVE SENIOR CAMPAIGN Tampa Prep Class of 2007 Senior Forward Walter Perkins is having a very strong Senior season. The 6' 7" Forward, who is one of Central Florida's top Seniors, is close to averaging a double-double with 16 PPG and 9 rebounds per game. Walter was recently was named the MVP of the Keswick Christmas Tournament leading his squad to the Tournament Title. Walter than followed up that performance by being named to the All-Tournament Team in the City of Tampa Championship Tournament, where Tampa Prep finished in Second place. Walter scored his 1000th career point back in November, placing him amongst Tampa Prep's All-time career leaders. The St. Petersburg Times recently named Walter as one of the Area's "Top Five Performers" in their Mid Season report. Walter has several colleges that are showing a strong recruiting interest in him. He will be an excellent Spring Signee for a school looking to bring in a strong, athletic forward with the ability to bang defensively, rebound on both sides of the floor, as well as score in the paint. Updated November 16, 2006 ACADEMY LED BY MESSINA TWINS Academy of the Holy Names basketball team has enjoyed tremendous success over the past 4 years. The success has can be attributed to both Coach Casey Higgins and the arrival of the Messina twins. Gianna (5-foot-6) led Hillsborough County in scoring last season with 20.7 points per game She also averaged 7.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 5 steals while her twin sister Catriana (5-foot-6) led the county in assists with 7.8 per game. She also was good for 14 points, 5.4 steals and 4.8 rebounds. Both girls signed scholarships with local colleges - Gianna with USF and Catriana with the University of Tampa - to stay close to home and play in front of family and friends During the past four seasons Academy boasts 3 District titles along with 4 trips to the State Playoffs with a FINAL FOUR appearance in 2004-2005 season. The twins are joined by a strong supporting cast led by sophomore guard Katie Davis. Davis enters her sophomore year after an intense off season training regiment. We look forward to following Academy this season.
Updated May 8, 2006 Updated March 23, 2006 Brandon High (FL) senior point guard Korri Ennis verbally committed to the University of California Riverside. Ennis chose the Highlanders over offers from Central Florida, Jacksonville and Wofford. "It's a good opportunity for me to play right away. It was a beautiful campus in a nice location. It's a very good school academically and I've always wanted to attend school in California," he said. Ennis, a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaged 19.3 points and 5.7 assists last season. He led the Eagles to a 22-7 record as a senior, plus four consecutive district championships. The Eagles had a 92-14 record during Ennis' four years as a varsity player. Ennis said he is most proud of his 4.9 grade-point average, which he said will be bumped to 5.0 when the new report cards are released. Updated March 13, 2006
College Players SEBA student Tyler Azzarelli, who is a 4-year starter at the PG position for Monmouth was averaging 15 ppg and 4 apg before a stress fracture in his foot sidelined him. Azzarelli has been a key contributor his entire career at Monmouth, which included a Northeast Athletic Conference Championship and appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2004. He is expected to return from his injury within the next two weeks and be at full strength for the bulk of the conference schedule and hopefully will lead his Monmouth back to the Big Dance. SEBA standout Antonio Russell has emerged as Western Carolina’s most consistent scorer averaging 14.3 ppg while shooting 48% from the 3 point line and 89% from the free throw line. He has scored 19 or more points in 7 games including a 23 point performance versus Northern Iowa. Antonio is a Criminology Major with a 3.1 GPA. Still perfect, Florida Southern boasts an 8-0 record. SEBA students Hurley Dunbar, Blake Williams, and Arnaldo Abreu are all playing significant rolls for the Mocs. Hurley Dunbar has provided stability, along with a knack for scoring and outstanding defensive prescense for FSC. Senior Blake WIlliams is leading the team in rebounds with 10 per contest and has compiled 6 double doubles thus far. Tampa native Arnaldo Abrue is playing quality minutes off the bench while averaging a solid 7.5 pts per game. Abrue turned in a 8 for 8 from the field performance against Palm Beach Atlantic. Three former Berkeley Prep standouts are all enjoying success at the college level. Spiros Federigos has turned into a go to guy for Emory University in Atlanta. Spiros, who is a sophomore, is a two year starter averaging 16 ppg and 6.6 rpg, while shooting just over 80% from the FT line. He has also been one of Emory’s top defensive players. Mason Conrad has proved himself to be a force in the paint leading Case Western University to an early 6-1 record. He is currently averaging 13 ppg along with 7 rpg. Additionally, Freshman Brandon Suarez is getting minutes for MIT, which has began with one of the best start’s in the school’s prestigious history. Tampa High School Performers Korey Ennis (2006) is off to a great start leading Brandon High with a 19 ppg average while also maintaining his status as one of Hillsborough County’s Top Defenders. One of Korey’s numerous highlights has been hitting a buzzer beater to defeat county foe Bloomingdale. At his size 6’1” 180lbs. he plays much bigger due to his dominant athleticism and strength. Korey is going to make a tremendous guard for whichever college he plays for at the next level. He is going to wait until the spring to sign and is currently receiving recruiting interest from Jacksonville University, Birmingham Southern, and the University of Chicago. Tampa Jesuit’s Thomas Kaiser (2006) has developed into a very complete and skilled guard. His uncanny ability to score in any situation has made him one of the toughest match-ups in the Tampa Area. He is currently averaging 20.5ppg, 8rpg, to go along with 2 steals. Kaiser’s elite performance thus far was against rival Robinson High School, where he scored 26 points to go along with 12 boards. Thomas is receiving recruiting interest from a number of colleges including Stetson, UCF, LaSalle, William and Mary, and Davidson. He is a terrific student with a 4.1 GPA. Three year varsity Point Guard Patrick Rice (2006) hasn’t fully found his groove yet, but he is sure to have a big second half of the season for Jesuit. Patrick is one of most athletic guards in Hillsborough County and that, coupled with his ability to knock down the three ball, makes him a very tough matchup. Patrick has very deep shooting range and will need to step up big for the Tigers to make a run in the state playoffs. Newsome High's Todd Dinnehy (2006) has picked up right where he left off last year averaging 18.4 points per contest. He and teammate Dylan Fugate (2008) provide for a very strong duo. The young sophomore Fugate is averaging just under double figures at 9 ppg and 6 rpg. His athleticism gives him the ability to shoot over the top of pretty much any defender makes him such a tough match-up. Dylan possesses the skill to play with his back to the basket as well as the ability to slash to the basket. As he consistently improves his jump shot he will prove to be one of our county’s top scorers over the next couple of years. Tommy Tonnelli’s squad is off to a solid start behind the scoring and leadership of Shawn Vanzant (2007) (14.6ppg & 4.6apg) and Anthony Gomez (2007) (14.4ppg & 4.4apg). The Wildcats are currently one of the best teams in Hillsborough County with early wins against Brandon and Chamberlain. In addition to his strong ball handling, Junior Adam Noble has provided steady outside shooting chipping in 9ppg. Anthony Manuel has returned from injury and is also ready to contribute for Coach Tonnelli. Land O’ Lakes sophomores PJ Potts (‘08) and John Weatherford (‘08) have stepped up as leaders on a young Gator team. Two year starter Potts is averaging 10ppg and 4apg. Standing all of 6’2” John Weatherford continues to show it not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. He is leading Pasco County with 13 boards per contest. John has chalked up 3 double doubles thus far. Gaither High is off to a rough start this year but one definite bright spot has been the sterling play of Sophomore Kornelius Donnel. Korn is averaging 14ppg on a young Cowboy squad. Tampa Prep’s young squad has gotten off to a good start playing undefeated ball in the District games thus far. Sophomores Conner Phenlon (2008) and Chad Linville (2008) have provided Coach Joe Phenlon with solid front court play. The duo is combining over 10 points and 10 assists per contest. Leading the County in scoring is Sophomore Sensation David Waller (2008) with 21.5 point per game average. Emerging as a deadly players on both sides of the ball, David uses his size and athletic ability to score from inside and out. Updated January 15, 2006 Scores: January 6, 2006 @ Hillsborough Community College Scores: January 7, 2006 @ Hillsborough High School (Memorial) Top Scorers PTS./Gm Aaron Holmes (St. Pete Catholic) 26.5
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