The word on the Street is

Luke Thomas, shooting guard from High Point Central to Greensboro Day School for the upcoming season. Thomas can knock down the threes and didn’t seem to blend in well with High Point Central’s chaotic run-and-gun system.

Thomas will have the option to re-class at Greensboro Day and if he chooses to do so, that will make him a junior for the 2009/2010 school-year instead of a senior. I spoke to GDS head basketball coach/Athletic Director Freddy Johnson earlier today and Coach Johnson said he feels that Thomas will fit in fine in the Bengals’ system.

Coach Johnson said that Thomas was enrolled at GDS for the upcoming school year, but Coach Johnson said he had heard nothing at all about the rumor that came our way yesterday saying that Eastern Guilford’s big-man Quayshad Williams was heading to Greensboro Day School.

Quayshad is in the 6’8 to 6’9 range now and the word on the street Monday was that he would be at Greensboro Day this fall, but Coach Johnson said, not to his knowledge, and that Quayshad had not enrolled at GDS for 2009/2010.

The private schools may get busy later on this week and as we head to the first part of August. There is still supposed to be a blockbuster laying out in the Street that will have a major impact on the Guilford County Schools athletics and we may have that out in the open by the end of the week.

Stay tuned.

If the Guilford County Schools are going to pay Oak Ridge Military Academy $27,000.00 per month to lease space at ORMA for the use of the evacuated Oak Ridge Elementary School after the severe mold issues, then Oak Ridge Military would have funds to not only hire coach Stan Kowalewski, but they might now have the dollars/bucks/funds to hire a completely new coaching staff for all sports and take it to the Streets.

Stay tuned, ORMA says they will be making major decisions about private matters regarding their 2009/2010 general policies in relation to corporal punishment with or without their top-ranking lieutenant this Wednesday.

To take this out of the military motiff, big talks coming down at Oak Ridge on Wednesday and don’t rule out Jay Canty at ORMA. He is back in the area after speding only one week out in Kansas…….

Again, Jay Canty, from CP3 All-Stars(Summer 2009) and formerly of Ragsdale HS is back, and he is still looking for a home for 2009/2010 and his only option may be the private route and Oak Ridge would be a good fit if ORMA can get all of their details worked out this week.

28 thoughts on “The word on the Street is

  1. With all the BS GCS is tying to implement as far as sports…every athlete with potential will transfer to the private sector to obtain the advantages associated with programs run by Coach K & Coach Johnson.

    NG will kick themselves in the ass for letting Coach K go. He will put together the best team/program in the area…. the talent will flock to him…he will stack the roster and fill the bleachers! If ORMA is lucky enough to get him then I will be a new fan of the Cadets!!

  2. I generally agree with you. I think the GCS new rules are a bit of an overeaction to an extent. Perhaps school choice like Forsyth County would be a lot easier. As far as NG kicking themselves, I think GC and not the school itself made that decision, and I doubt they will kick themselves because in the big picture, not winning basketball games is probably not a huge concern, though I would have thought they could have found someone with a lot more experience than who they hired, but who knows, maybe the new guy will be able to do o.k. As far as filling the bleachers at the military academy, that should not be hard. My son’s team played a game there and they barely have any bleachers other than about five rows and no room to add any. I think maybe Coach K already is the coach at Oak Ridge because my wife’s OBGYN said he already got a check from the Oak Ridge Military Academy Basketball Account. Sorry. That was mean but I couldn’t resist.

  3. heard that page’s star pg mitchell oats is heading to high point christian to play for former page coach brandon clifford. that could open up some other possibilities because cats always follow a good pg. wonder how kent feels about that situation

  4. If ORMA is getting $27,000 a month from GCS, then they sure as HELL shouldn’t be paying for new coaches who cannot teach. How about past due salaries, past due bills, a new admissions effort, etc. Coaches for sports are way down the list.

  5. Chaotic Run and Gun system? I am not sure if that puts the program in a positive light or not. I believe that the coaches at High Point Central did a great job with the talent that they had last year enough to make a great showing during the season and progress beyond the first round of the playoffs. Good luck to Mr. Thomas at Greensboro Day School. He should do well.

  6. Often times, “Run and Gun” is a euphamism for fast break basketball. Some kids whom are slow and unathletic may not fit this style of play. This kids is probably just a 3pt shooter and nothing else. It does not take a special player to justbe a 3pt shooter .

    If ORMA hires coach K, then they should lose all credibility with the residents of NW Guilford county. A military academy should be training men to become leaders and not jus ta bunch of bball players whom, along with their parents and administrators, thumbed their noses at the law.

  7. Dear “Opie”,
    If you could spell, you’d have a little credibility yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, so give the guy a 2nd chance. If he blows it, then that’s it!
    Dale

  8. I predict that ORMA will hire Stan – they need him. He can bring students into the school and get them back on their feet. If ORMA goes under, THEN they will have no credibility. Stan is a great coach with an IVY league degree. Some love him, some hate him, but everyone is talking about him and the kids will follow him. In the end, it could save ORMA. Opie, do you have another leader in mind who could do that?

  9. If ORMA hires SK, then the very first person to greet him at his office door should be the executive director of the NCISAA to let him know that he will be watched like a hawk throughout his time there. The stink has followed this guy around like no other, and the ADs in the NCISAA are not going to be thrilled with his presence. He would be great at a place like an Oak Hill or Findlay Prep, where his overall philosophy would fit much better — coaching extremely talented players without the administrative concerns of things like, for instance, rules.

    And the notion that he can “save” ORMA, coming from someone calling himself “ORMAfan” is disconcerting. Desperation can cause people to drink the Kool-Aid too readily. The only thing that is going to save ORMA are full-pay boarders who can increase the revenue stream, a tuition hike, and more money pumped into the endowment. There is a school called the Patterson School in Lenoir that has had the best post-graduate basketball program in the US the last few years. Its business model, evocative of the hopes of ORMAfan, was that bringing in great players to play for a coaching maestro — Chris Chaney (his coaching bio makes SK’s look rather meager: http://www.pattersonschool.org/athletics/prepbasketball/index.htm) — would save the school. It has in fact done the opposite, and Patterson is on the verge of closing its doors.

    You cannot build a successful, sustainable private school around a handful of students, many of whom will not pay full tuition in all likelihood. That is fantasy.

  10. i have been informed since my post yesterday that nothing is official on oats going to hp christian, and apparently the realtionship between the 2 coaches is completely fine

  11. D-Bones,
    You seems to imply that Patterson’s failure was connected to Cheney and the SK will do the same at ORMA. Newsflash – ORMA is already on the verge of closing its doors. If SK brings 5 players with him, that increases enrollment by 7%. Can it save ORMA alone? Of course not, but it can help. And many will be able to pay full tuition through scholarships not funded through ORMA.

    SK is a great coach and his players love him. Somehow I doubt he cares what anyone thinks but them.

    And if you have a better idea for helping ORMA, let them know. Easy to criticize – come up with a better idea – they need all the help they can get. The idea that SK will hurt ORMA is silly.

  12. If Oates left Page and went to High Point Christian it would help HPC and Coach Clifford more than it would hurt Page.

    Oates is a very steady and solid guard. I feel like I discovered Oates and Christian McCain at Page in basketball a couple of years ago when they were pretty much unknown. I put these kids on the media map and I’m happy for both of them and hope they continue to do well no matter where they end up.

    I do enjoy following these kids on the basketball court.

    I see Coach Kent at Page for three more years and then when his son graduates and is finished, I believe Coach Kent will cut down the nets and head home. He will have his 30 years in and he can run some camps on the side…..

    Andy Durham

  13. I think the who ORMA saga is far from over. Hearing lots of rumors about lawsuits being prepared on the part of employees and State Labor Board bringing in the Federal Labor Board possibly shutting them down before they begin if they don’t pay backpay to employees which they can do. It sounds like a complete mess but who knows. How would the ball players being brought in pay the tuition. Doesn’t it cost like $20,000 or more to go there? They obviously have no money for financial assistance. The newspaper said they don’t have any endowment to speak of. How would this all work? They have to legally pay back all the employees their backpay before they can open and pay anyone new. Perhaps they have a different plan. Guess it will be interesting to see. Would they play in the private school league or just play independently? Guess we will find out.
    I think Coach Kent and Page will do just fine either way. Coach Clifford will do a solid job at HPC also.

  14. Dave Williams

    Are you freaking kidding me… a second chance. This is not the first, not the second, but the third time he has done something that was dishonest or wrong. Bishop, HPC, and Northern. He is a crook and only in it for his own arrogance. After he cheats and wins he sits back and tells everyone look how great a big spender I am and coach I am. If he did it with players that he didn’t spend money to play for him then I might say he is a great coach, but in my eyes he is a coach that sees talent and knows how to spend and recruit to get that talent.

  15. Actually my name is Dale, but don’t worry about that. I am not that familiar with his past so help me if you will on the Bishop McGuiness and High Point situations, please. What is perceived to have gone on at those two places?

  16. Stan is a great guy this summer he is has taking kids to showcases and put them in front of alot scouts. He works hard and does a great job with the kids. i have one question where is the dudley,page,grimsley coaching @ why they are not getting there kids attention this summer? any basketball player knows how much the summer means to them getting looks from coaches. i can tell you where there are @ worried about there programs in the gym telling kids to get better to help us win and in the long run they are left behind b/c there are not on the circuit getting looks that is very selfish and the after the kid career is over he is at the ymca saying i should have played for Stan and maybe i would be on somebody campus playing ball. Stan is working hard for the kids he put them in front of kids and tell them you are now it is up you and that is all a real ball player wants.

  17. Again it is all abou money. K has the means which does not make him a better coach. Another coach can put in just as musch time but it not be in the lime light or going to another state so everybody and their brother doesn’t know about it. If every coach could afford to do that I can gaurantee you that the vast majority of them would.
    If you don’t know his happenings at Bishop and HPC you might ought to learn them before giving your opinion on recent happenings.

  18. The kids from dudley, page, grimsley, etc are all out playing, they just aren’t being financed by their high school coach like Stan does for his kids. He is a millionare, they are public school teachers. If you knew anything you would see those kids are on AAU teams, showcase teams, etc, they just aren’t all playing on the same team flown around by their rich coach. If you knew anything you would be aware of that. If you knew anything you would know that dudley, page, grimsley regularlly put kids into division one programs. Name a player Stan coached that plays D1.

  19. Who has played D1 from Grimsley? just curious . ..

    My son has been coached by Stan. Money wasn’t involved. Stan was awesome. The money is great, but it is not all about the money.

  20. Who is this Luke Thomas kid going to GDS? Is he rated by anyone in guilford county let alone the area. I do not think Dave Talep knows anything about this kid. Can we keep those coaches who dont send players to college, dont care about teaching the kids values, and arent coaching anymore away from the page!!!

  21. Coach Stan Kowalewski has not done anything wrong. What Coach Kowalewski did was bring a winning attitude and lets get it done now mentality to the public schools. Coach Kowalewski is associated with the NC Gaters AAU progrram. This is a highly successful AAU program that has produced some great professional athletes. He brought national attention to the Guilford County Schools basketball program. That benefited all the schools in this area. Our team played Northern last season and lost. We were preparing to play Northern and to be more competitive this year because Northern set the standard. I teach my son to rise to the level of competition. If the scouts would be there this year and my son played a good competitive game against Northern he would get some much needed recognition and attention towards obtaining an athletic scholarship. But the scouts will not be watching Northern Guilford this year. They will probably only watch Greensboro Dudley, Greensboro Day, Weschester County Day, Forsyth County Day and likely Oak Ridge if Coach Kowalewski shows up and possibly Ragsdale.

    I think Coach Stan Kowalewski was doing what he does best and that is doing the things losers do not like to do. Winners go the extra mile, losers complain and take the easy way out. Losers do not like to sacrifice weekends and the entire summer to develop skills and athleticism to be able to compete at a national level.

    Here is a list of NC Gater players that play or played sports in college and professionally.

    Name School Graduated College Pro
    Shamarr Bowden Miller Academy Prep 2008 Virginia Tech
    Johnny Thomas Greensboro Day 2007 NC State
    Evan Fjeld Durham Academy 2007 University of Vermont
    Jermaine Armstrong High Point Central 2007 Redlands Comm College
    Justin Burton Riverside 2007 Winthrop
    Josh Chavis Dudley 2007 USC Upstate
    Landon Clement Sanderson 2007 UNCG
    LaMarshall Corbettt Bartlett Yancy 2007 Kilgore
    Brandon Davis Greensboro Day 2007 UNC Asheville
    Evan Fjeld Durham Academy 2007 Vermont
    DeAngelo Jackson Harnett Central 2007 UNCG
    Dominique Lacy Wilson High 2007 UNC Wilmington
    Mark Wright High Point Central 2007 Greensboro College
    Josh Lanham Greensboro Day 2007 St. Andrews
    Ernest Bridges W-F Rolesville 2007 High Point Unversity
    Mezie Uzochukwu Northeast Guilford 2007 USC Upstate
    Marcus Wilmoth Starmount 2007 SCC
    George Valentine Fayetteville 71st 2007 Winthrop
    Johnny Thomas Greensboro Day 2007 NC State
    Calvin Daniels Washington 2007 Louisburg College
    Ridge McKeither George Washington 2007 Kilgore
    Samuel Mason Broughton 2007 UNCG
    L.D. Williams Montverde Academy 2006 Wake Forest
    Doneal Mack Statesville Christian 2006 University of Memphis
    Marsharee Neely Page HS 2006 ODU
    Shamari Spears Blair Academy 2006 Boston College
    Jeremy Goode Providence Day School 2006 Mt. St. Marys
    Vince Jacobs Providence Day School 2006 UNC-Chapel Hill
    Brian Wynn Smith High School 2006 WSSU (football)
    Ishmael Smith Central Cabarrus HS 2006 Wake Forest
    Tyson Stewart Northwest High School 2006 ECU (football)
    Donald Summers Statesville Christian 2006 USC Upstate
    Tavaris Alston Smith HS 2006 North Carolina A&T
    Shelton Carter Page HS 2006 Charleston Southern
    Rhett Bonner North Forsyth HS 2006 Presbyterian College
    Justin Reissmann Forsyth Country Day 2006 West Va. Tech
    Tyler Sandborn Elkin HS 2006 Guilford College
    Tyler Murray Ragsdale High School 2006 North Carolina Weslyan
    Robert Johnson Dudley HS 2006 North Carolina A&T
    David Weaver Owen HS 2005 Wake Forest
    Montez Downey Bishop McGuinness 2005 UNC-Wilmington
    Takayo Siddle Hargrave Military 2005 Gardner-Webb Unniversity
    TJ Gwynn Cummings HS 2005 VCU
    Mark Campbell Ravenscroft 2005 UNC-G
    Freddie Brown Jay M. Robinson HS 2005 South Carolina
    Ryan Abraham Starmount HS 2005 Appalachian State
    Everson Simmons Ravenscroft 2005 UNC-Greensboro
    David McClenny Ravenscroft 2005 UNC-Greensboro
    Monquel Pegues Wilson HS 2005 Cape Fear Community College
    Robert Johnson Greensboro Day 2005 UNC-Chapel Hill
    Kevin Swinton Dudley High School 2005 Wake Forest
    RJ Peace Lee Senior 2005 Lenoir-Rhyne
    Freddie Little Concord Robinson 2005 UNC Wilmiington
    Simon Harris Millbrook High School 2004 Elon
    Craig Thomas McMichael HS 2004 Pfeiffer College
    Albert Weber Mt. Zion Academy 2004 Alabama
    Mack Montgomery Clayton HS 2004 Columbia
    L.J. Hunter Bishop McGuinness 2004 Southern New Hampshire
    JamesOn Curry Eastern Alamance 2004 Oklahoma State
    Kris Clark Laurinburg 2004 New Orleans University
    Branden Smith Bishop McGuinness 2004 Radford
    Monty Sanders Cardinal Gibbons 2004 Richmond
    Jason Thompson Chatham Central 2004 ODU
    Glen Dandridge Mt. Zion Academy 2004 Missouri
    Ken Hunt, Jr. Alta Vista 2004 UT-Chattanooga
    James Mays Garner High School 2004 Clemson
    Josh King Trinity 2004 East Carolina
    Cedric Simmons West Brunswick 2004 N.C. State New Orleans Hornets
    Paul Bode Cardinal Gibbons 2003 Dartmouth University
    Donte Mintor West Rowan 2003 Virginia
    Bryant Camp Asheboro High 2003 Greensboro College
    Drew Williamson Cummings 2003 ODU
    Todd Hendley Lee Senior HS, Sanford 2003 UNC Wilmington
    Darryl Thompson Leesville Road HS 2003 Appalachian University
    Steven Rush Greensboro Day 2003 UNC-Asheville
    Casey Long Seventy First HS, Fayetteville 2003 UT-Chattanooga
    KJ Garland Greensboro Day 2003 UNC-Asheville
    Doug Stewart Grace Christain Acad 2003 Liberty University
    Anthony Atkinson Greenfield Academy 2003 Campbell University
    Anthony PJ Tucker Enloe HS, Raleigh 2003 University of Texas Toronto Raptors
    Anthony King Southern Durham 2003 Miami
    Larry Blair II Camden Military Liberty University
    Jeremy Ingram Kinston High 2003 East Carolina
    Chris Paul West Forsyth 2003 Wake Forest New Orleans Hornets
    Cameron Bennerman Hargrave Military 2002 NC State
    Wes Miller New Hampton Prep 2002 James Madison University
    Richard Joyce Oak Hill Academy 2002 Wake Forest
    Justin Gray Oak Hill Academy 2002 Wake Forest
    Eric Wilkins Oak Hill Academy 2002 Miami
    Rashad McCants New Hampton Prep 2002 UNC Chapel Hill Minnesota T’Wolves
    David Noel Southern Durham 2002 UNC Chapel Hill Milwaukee Bucks
    Mario Boggan Hargrave Military 2002 Florida
    Juan Wheat Fayetteville 71st 2002 Yale
    Lee Marsh Harnett Central 2002 Campbell
    Manny Lawson Eastern Wayne HS 2002 NC State San Fran 49er’s
    Sasha Kovalcevic E. Wayne HS, Goldsboro 2002 Guilford College
    Ross Perkins Greensboro Day 2002 Duke University
    Shawann Robinson Leesville Road HS 2002 Clemson
    Carmelo Anthony Oak Hill Academy 2002 Syracuse Denver Nuggets
    Antaywane Robinson Oak Hill Academy 2002 Temple University
    Trent Strickland Hargrave Military 2002 Wake Forest
    Raymond Felton Latta High School 2002 UNC-Chapel Hill Charlotte Bobcats
    Will O’Neill Northeast High 2001 Guilford College
    Wilbert Perry Southern Vance 2001 US Naval Academy
    Brandon Smith Western Alamance 2001 Dartmouth
    Ivan Jenkins Southern Durham 2001 Winthrop
    Jacques Dumas Asheboro High 2001 UNC Chapel Hill
    Josh Conner Northwest High 2000 Guilford College
    Konrad Wysocki Greensboro Day 2000 Princeton
    Karon Washington Burlington Williams 2000 Fayetteville State Un
    Dshmael Scheotz Wesleyan 2000 Wake Forest
    Dan Kalbaugh Bishop 2000 High Point University
    Brent Halsch Greensboro Day 2000 High Point University
    Carlos Dixon South Rowan 2000 Virginia Tech
    Brandon Clifford Page 2000 UNC Wilmington
    Ron Bradford Greensboro Day 2000 Guilford College
    Danny Gaithings Carver 2000 High Point University
    Travis Holcomb-Faye Reynolds 1999 East Carolina
    Jaisun Hope Graham 1999 Fayetteville State
    Anthony Moore Mt. Tabor 1999 Wintrop
    Adam Duggins Page 1999 William and Mary
    Ime Archibong Bishop (WS) 1999 Yale
    Victor Carter Marine Military 1999 NC A & T
    Bryan Foxx Western Alamance 1998 East Carolina
    Jason Capel St. Johns PH 1998 UNC Chapel Hill
    John Carter Greensboro Day 1998 Guilford College
    Brendan Haywood Dudley 1997 UNC Chapel Hill Washington Wizards
    Nathan Jamison Wesleyan 1997 UNCG
    DJ McDuffie Greensboro Day 1997 East Tennessee
    David Schuck Ragsdale 1997 UNCG
    Darius Coulibaly Greensboro Day 1997 Vanderbilt
    Marty Parrish Northwest 1997 Greensboro College
    Jason Blackwood HP Andrews 1997 Guilford College
    Aaron McMillian Greensboro Day 1996 Guilford College
    David Wall Andrews 1996 Southern Mississipi
    Davor Krushevlanin Greensboro Day 1996 Catawba
    Justin Gainy Greensboro Day 1996 NC State
    Julian London Greensboro Day 1994 Citadel
    Kenny Miller Greensboro Day 1994 Elizabeth City
    Al Murphy Greensboro Day 1994 Emory and Henry
    CC Harrison Reidsville 1994 NC State
    B.J. Grinage Greensboro Day 1993 VMI
    Milton Williams Grimsley 1993 Loyola of MD
    Sean Stimpson Grimsley 1993 NC A&T
    Matt Kovarik Grimsley 1993 Maryland
    Junior Braswell Page 1993 Appalachian
    Clyde Lynn Page 1993 UNC Chapel Hill
    Eric Cuthrell Lexington 1992 UNCG
    Billy Kretzer Page 1992 NC State
    Pearce Landry Page 1992 UNC Chapel Hill
    Rusty Larue Northwest High 1992 Wake Forest Chi Bulls
    Damon Wallington Reidsville 1992 Virginia Tech
    Mark Lewis Page 1991 NC State
    Freddy Barnes Dudley 1989 Penn State
    Monty Bumper Greensboro Day 1989 Western Carolina
    Mike Dearman Dudley 1989 St. Augustine
    Thomas Roberts Greensboro Day 1989 William and Mary

    http://www.gateraau.com/aboutus.html

  22. To in the gym all day,

    Look man, you wouldn’t be on anyone’s campus because it wasn’t the coaching that didn’t get you there…At least be honest with yourself…If you had been any good, somebody would have found you…So, you can keep right on bashing all of these programs, but I could have sworn that each of those schools have kids signing to play on somebody’s campus…Maybe you should have just been better and not blamed everything on the coach…

    As far as Stan, he probably is a good coach and everyone that he coaches probably does love him, but the reality is that he has done some shady things…Who wouldn’t love the man if he paid for my trips to New York and paid for all of the AAU tournaments…I mean come on…Money does talk, and he has definitely used it to buy winning teams…Winning at all costs to support an ego will eventually lead to a dismantling, and the proof is in the pudding…Where is he now?

  23. to grimsley mom,
    Grimsley has put two kids in division one programs in the last 3 years.Shamarr Bowden at charlotte, and Keith Manley at gardner webb. also andy just wondering if you have anymore updates in orlando because i know there are some other local kids down there. word is that carter gourley(grimsley) and mitchell oates(?) have been gaining some division one intrest with strong play at super showcase and 17u aau nationals

  24. Carter and Mitchell are both there and their team is 2-2 so far. They are in single eliminaton now. Aaron Toomey from Bishop also there, his team 3-1 so far in double elim bracket

  25. Thanks let us know how they do the rest of the way. i know mitch and carter are playing for phoenix basketball. what about toomey?

  26. Toomey plays for Mid state magic sports….think they are out of graham. they also have wyatt from dudley and big jake llteras from ?

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