We will have to wait one week, but the Page Pirates, fresh off their Pizza Hut Invitational Tournament title, will host the Dudley Panthers in a major Metro 4-A boys matchup, next Friday night at the Mac Morris Gymnasium…..
Page will travel to Southern Alamance next Tuesday, January 4 and Dudley will be home that same night, hosting the Western Guilford Hornets….
The game next Friday night will be a very important conference game and it will also give the Dudley Panthers a chance to see how they stack up, against the Pizza Hut Champs……Dudley was in the Beach Ball Classic this year, down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and with the game at Page next Friday evening, we can found out who has a chance to stay in the race for the Metro 4-A regular season crown…..Grimsley and Smith are both unbeaten, with the Whirlies having beaten Page at Grimsley and the Smith Golden Eagles topped the Panthers at Smith…Page has beaten Western Guilford and so has Smith, and Dudley knocked off Southern Alamance and Southeast….Only unbeatens so far though, are Smith and Grimsley in conference…..
Fans were already talking about that Page-Dudley meeting last night at the Greensboro Coliseum, right after Page had finished wrapping up it’s Pizza Hut Title….
Dudley at Page and not many Metro Conference teams, or any conference teams for that matter, have beaten Dudley in recent years….Smith got Dudley early in this season at Smith, but even Golden Eagle coach Bryan Jones knows, that game two between the two teams will be a bear at Dudley, when the Eagles take on the Panthers and that’s what he told me, back on Wednesday of this week…..
Dudley-Page and which way will this one go?????
Will Dudley go back to the Pizza Hut Invitational Tournament as an entry in the coming years? When will Dudley return to the Pizza Hut Invitational? Greensboro Sports Council President Donald Moore says the door was open for Dudley to return, but Panther Athletic Director Joe Godette says Dudley was not invited to attend this year’s tournament and therefore the Panthers made arrangements to play in the Beach Ball Classic, in South Carolina….A few years back, Dudley left the tourney to play in the Beach Ball Classic, but the Panthers came back to the Pizza Hut a year later, when extra toppings were added to the large pizzas….
The real topper is, that it would be great to see Dudley return, but then who would bow out and open the door for the Panthers to come back into the field/fold??? If Dudley is back in, then somebody else is out……Page, Grimsley and Smith are the charter members going back to the golden days of the Little Four, but Smith was almost on the way out a couple of years ago, when Northern Guilford and Ragsdale were in the process of being added to the eight-team field…….
When will Dudley return to the Pizza Hut Invitational Tournament? Will this talk cause more talk about expanding the field? Does Dudley really want to return?
How about we play the “Gate City Classic” on Donald Trump’s birthday and we’ll have in Round One:
Dudley vs. Greensboro Day School
Page vs. Oak Ridge Military Academy
Round Two?????
Round Two/Championship Game Winner?????
Just a few thoughts from the “Thinking Out Loud File”……
More on Dudley’s return to the Pizza Hut Invitational from today’s News and Record CLICK HERE…..
HAPPY NEW YEAR…….
Maybe I’m wrong for saying this, but why would anybody want to play the same teams in your backyard 3 or 4 times in a season. You already will play these teams twice in the regular season then again in the conference tourny……then again in the little 4 ?????? I personality wouldn’t want to do that myself.
Why don’t they open this little 4 up to include other local triad teams. Like { H.P. CENTRAL, THOMASVILLE, EASTERN GUILFORD, BURLINGTON WILLIAMS, REIDSVILLE and S.W. GUILFORD.
Make this a BIG Triad Event that could start new rivalrys. { Just A Start } Because if I was a Kid again, I would want to go against new teams that I normally don’t face or people I don’t see at the Mall on a normal bases…lol
The PHI needs US more than we need it…………..nuff said…….
Who wants to participate in the Greensboro Day School tournament?
This is my 3rd year in a row making the same request – open the tournament to all county teams and a select few teams from outside of the area. The Glaxo tournament in Raleigh always includes a lot of local school (both public and private) and some of the best teams from around the country. Regardless, if this tournament was open to the entire county, then the attend would go thru the roof. Make the first round a play in game or backet game so we do not start off with divisions similar to the easy schedule that the Northwest girls was given.
This tournament is lacking any real drama and the quality of the player is bad. Just the Dudley girls and boys alone would upgrade this tournament 10 fold (especially the girls). What a tournament if you had girls such as Dudley, ORMA, or guest schools with high ranking teams? What a tournament if you boys such as ORMA, Dudley, Westchester, HPW, HPC, or some team from out of state of interest?
The tournament needs some excitement before it becomes an after thought. If the format does not change, then Dudley should not come back because it will only mean that most years GDS, Dudley (and possibly Page) boys will play in the finals and on the girls side Dudley and whoever.
Tourney doesn’t need Dudley. Dudley chose to leave for what they felt were greener pastures. That’s cool, can’t blame them. But now they have to wait their turn to get back in.
Dudley should be back in the tournament, Dudley is PHI/Little Four. They are the leading champion’s and well respected team in the state, in fact Dudley has been known throughout the US. The tournament should be opened to all guilford county schools and dropping GDS. This tournament was grounded on Grimsley/Page/Dudley/Smith. Either open to all GCS or go back to the original Little Four.
Page has won the Little Four, Congradulations! I have seen comments about all other teams in the county but there is no love shown for BLS, BLS is on the rise. Coach Brewington doing his thing with Football, and Coach Jones and staff are working and producing some wins that has not happened in years. In fact Jones has been with BLS for 4 years and in his 3rd year finished 3rd in conference, Conference Tournament Runner up, and first round of states, this year beat Dudley for the first time since who knows. Yes Dudley is rebuilding and lost some key players but they are still a tough team with a lot of HEART! you just don’t have that with a lot of teams that are not stacked like your Prep Schools. Dudley is the King around here and you can’t change that, the stats speaks for itself. Much Respect for Dudley
Dudley left because they could not beat the Day Schol
Trust me, Dudley REALLY does NOT miss the PHI………we are doing just fine haivng competed recently in locales such as Phoenix, AZ; Minneapolis, MN; City of Palms last yr and we even went to Puerto Rico 2 yrs ago. Girls came up just short against Mater Dei up in DC……….yeah, i’d agree the PHI needs us more than we need it.
We got this!!
The tourney is not doing well without Dudley. “Dudley has to wait to get back in,” is a hilarious joke. When GDS and others play them, they get no calls and Ed Hardin of the News and Record had mentioned that before.
The Pizza Hut Invitational blows major. Greensboro can have their tourney. Dudley is doing fine without the headache. I wonder is the coliseum locked down like a police state since Dudley does not bring its fans to watch the criminalization of black adolescent children?
why all the focus on dudley? boys got beat by a public school from south carolina…they lost to smith earlier in the year..i dont know what you guys want from the little four..it was originally set up for the 4 city schools, but there are some other decent schools in greensboro..we are not a hotbed for basketball…we get 3-5 kids per year in college, maybe 7-8 if you include d2 and d3..i don’t get it; it’s bad ball in public school in greensboro right now, and dudley cant change that by playing in the little 4..
the high point tournament and eastern tournament had some decent players, both winners probably would have won the little four…
montay brandon and jarquell richmond @ HP Weslyn; both are college prospects
mitchell oates and jordan wethee @ HP Christian; both reclassed and are 5th year seniors. (these two teams got beat in HP and also could have won the little 4)
derek grant @ HPC; has football or basketball options
HP Andrews played well..
Fayetteville Christian was in the Eastern Tournament; has 3 or 4 college prospects
I dont remember the little 4 being exciting since will graves and company lost to GDS, and that was at least 5 years ago; but i still go every year to support the kids and get a chance to see the local talent at one venue…
Let me ask you a question? Why would kids who get the chance to play at private schools choose to stay in public school? It’s almost like a a kid choosing A&T, High Point or UNCG when they can play in the CAA or Atlantic 10..No sensible reason not to leave..
Miyagi, your comments are ill-conceived, totally erroneous and it is evident you have absolutely no knowledge of what you speak. It is clear that you have psychological issues that cannot be addressed on a mere sports blog, I highly encourage you to seek immediate professional help due to your depraved sense of reality.
To address your ludicrous comments about the PHI, the PHI is doing fine with or without any individual school. The whole premise behind the tourney is that it is a huge fundraiser with 100% of the proceeds going to the 8 participating schools and charities. Last year the Greensboro Sports Council donated $80,000 to the 8 schools and over the past 11 years more than $1 million has been donated back to the schools. This money has been an essential element in funding for these schools, especially during these economically depressed times when funds are constantly being cut by Guilford County School System. We are all fortunate that the PHI and its ideals of giving back to the comminity will continue with-or-without any one institution. We desperately need the PHI and more unselfish charitable events like it.
If any one school chooses not to participate in the tourney then that is their option. But don’t come on this site and speak of “criminalization” when the only criminal act that I see,are your preposterous comments assaulting the common sense and rationality of 99.99% of these readers.
As I remember it was Dudley that chose to vacate the tournament. I think it was beause Greensboro Day School beat them and they whimed about the refs. The Day School owns Dudley. Thats why they left
To Fan:
You sound like an extremely mature KID talking off the top of your head. If by chance
you’re an adult you’re just a SIMPLE JACK-ASS! The statement GDS owns Dudley???
Don’t think so! Playing PHI is the only real competition GDS gets all year …period!
Anyone can win a game with luck… at least once! Dudley is the real deal! Don’t hate!
Don’t hate? Take some of your own advice.
Dudley at Page is the game that hoop fans are looking toward for next week…..
Page was in the game at Page last year and then Reggie Dillard took over for Dudley and he got real hot in the second half….Dillard is back for Dudley this year…..Page has a very good defensive scheme that can pressure you and get you in trouble….If force Dudley to beat them from the outside like Page did Northern, then that could get interesting…..Dillard can hit from the outside and Hunt can too if he is looking for his shots….
Jackson Kent, from Page, has what many feel to be the best three-point shot in the County and his range is pretty open…..Could be real interesting from the outside and Dudley has been looking more to Brandon Clyburn and DJ Alston on the inside and Page has Summers and Conner that can match up with them inside and don’t forget the Pizza Hut MVP Frankie Eaves and Dillon Sykes is playing brand of inspired ball for the Page Pirates….
Looking forward to Friday night at PAGE…..
btw….John McBeth from Northern has super rotation on his three-point shots and his foul shots and you really should be shooting them both the same way…One with a little movement from outside and the other almost stationary at the foul line, but it all goes back to the rotation…..Dylan Berry had while at NG and could bury the threes from the corners and now he is doing it at Roanoke College for the Maroons and Coach Paige Moir…….
Friday night we will be saying TGIF….Donna Summers may be there at Page to sing the anthem, you never know…….
Don’t get it twisted Dudley has more wins than GDS, Dudley is a public school GDS is a 5 year school with Seniors trying to get to college, how many players from dudley that has played in a powerhouse D1 college that is on tv vs. GDS? I rest my case DUDLEY…… Give them there respect
The HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUP BETWEEN DUDLEY & GDS is about even. GDS may have a small lead, but not y much.
But to be honest most of the time a PREP SCHOOL Should be able to beat a PUBLIC ANYWAYS….. To say DUDLEY is scared is stupid. Up until this year, Dudley played OAK HILL PREP every year for about 9 years straight, and loss to them every one of them. But they played them. I think I would be more SCARED to play OAK HILL, THAN GDS.
The year Dudley took the Puerto Rico invitation is the same year the little 4 became PHI..with PHI having the ability to invite and drop any team they so choose. They were dropping Smith that year UNTIL Dudley chose another event. PHI wants Dudley to give a comittment of multiple years not year to year…which they themselves have the ability to uninvite any team yr to yr…ie Southwest used to be in tourney..they got kicked out same yr Smith was getting kicked out..to be replaced by Northern and Ragsdale…so don’t think its on Dudley..its called Politics. Now don’t get me wrong PHI is a great fundraiser for the schools and they should hve the ability to invite and univite any community team they so choose..keep in the community but for public schools only..Dudley could care less about what others say about being scared. They are taking advantage of once in a life time opportunities for (girls and guys)..GDS being private does not hve the same rules as public schools….So kudos to Panther administration for allowing the kids wonderful experiences..For the rest of u on the outside looking in “put a sock in it” What’s good for goose is good for gander if u hve the ability to kick me out year to year I should hve the ability to commit year to year
The bottom line is that the sponsor are the ones that make the tournamnet go each year. If you want the tournament to change its format, then you need to start calling the sponsors directly and make your case. No one wants their business to be attached to anything that seen as a negative on the community. If no one calls, then the sponsors can only assume that all is well. The tournament organizers will tell the sponsors that all is well and people really enjoyed the games and supported it with their ticket sales. What the sponsors often will not hear are the calls for change until the tickets drop.
I would love to see a New Tournament Format that would be a cross section on teams thurout the Peidmont.
Just imagine this wish of mines.
Have 15 teams from all over the Triad joining the some of the local Greensboro/ Guilford Co. Schools, having 7 games the first day/night being played, starting at 9am,11am,1pm,3pm,5pm,7pm and lastly 9pm. One team would have a 1st round bye, making the total teams 15.
My teams would be……… DUDLEY vs. W. ROWAN
E. GUILFORD vs. THOMASVILLE
PAGE vs. TRINITY
SMITH vs. BURINGTON CUMMINGS
GRIMSLEY vs. BURINGTON WILLIAMS
N.E. GUILFORD vs. REIDSVILLE
N. GUILFORD vs. H.P. CENTRAL
S.W. GUILFORD { BYE } *
* ANYONE OF THESE TEAMS COULD BE THE ONE SEED, I JUST PICK SOMEBODY.
But could you imagine the crowd support and buz this would draw each year. TRINITY & W. ROWAN WOULD BRING THE THE WHOLE COUNTY OF THEIR AREAS FOR SURE. THIS WOULD BE PLAYED IN THE MAIN COLISEUM…….WOW !!!!
High schools can’t play but 3 games a week….this would put them at 4 and 5 games for a tournament championship……
Dudley had a chance to go places . I didn’t see Greensboro Day in Puerto Rico.Dudley Girls and Boys have had exposure to places none of our local schools have had. The Dudley Women’s just came in 2nd place agaisnt #3 school in the country. Why would they want to play local schools all the time . Good competition, builds Good charcter.So the hell with Pizza Hut .Dudley is moving on to Bigger and Better .I hope they never go back.
Bigger and Better….I don’t think Dudley has any issue “playing” in the pHI or local schools. Its just so happens that they have had other opportunties at the same time. I hope no one blames them for taking advantage of those opportunities.
To Perry…keep in mind it is a fundraiser for the schools..I say keep it local….all Guilford County Schools….which includes Eastern and HPC. have to keep in mind High schools can only play a certain amount of games a year too
invite oak ridge and money will be made.and attendance will be high for pizza hut tournament.
In reading these conversations,there seems to be quite a bit of hostility,seems like the 60’s all over again.(for shame) Seems as though there are a bunch of sour grapes relating to past tournament results . . .the past is the past. This is now a different time and place,deal with it, and when your favorite teams plays your arch enemy cheer loud and cheer proud. Everything must change,nothing remains the same,the young become the old and time heals all wounds.Sports with kids involved is a great adventure, until, we as adults bring politics in it,then it becomes a personal battlefield, and that’s not good for anybody. Let these kids have their time ,and you . . . . your memories . . .that’s what life is all about anyways. See you at the best games going on this week !
Paws 4 the Cause.. Are you serious the Dudley girls came up just short against Mater Dei????? Yea i bet if you would have made a couple more free throws and made a few more defensive stops you would have closed the gap on that 32 point shlacking you took. You gotta be kidding. Saying you came up just short the final score was 69 to 37!! dudley got throttled!!!!!!!!
to real deal..u were not there Dudley girls played #1 ranked team in nation tight for qtr 1/2..they were up 8 0 at one point..some things are hard to defend like a team shooting 6-10 transitional 3’s..u do know what a transition 3 is don’t you? Their coach even stated that he had girls play better than they have all season cause they felt like dudley could beat them….keep it closed the score inly tells part of picture…btw what school u represent?
Well lucky for you I just happened to be in the DC area over the holliday break and I happened to catch the massacre that you call a close game. I am from that area and I have a niece that plays at Seton high school in MD. who was in the same tournament that Dudley played in at the Trinity center In DC. As a matter of fact they played Mater Dei the day before with a similar out come as the Dudley game I think there score was 66-38. So I was there to see that game. If I wasnt there i wouldnt have commented on it. Oh…. yea the way that you defend transition 3 pointers is to identify the shooters especially the girl who drains the first 4 for of them and get a hand in her face and make her put the ball on the ground!!! Dudley beats people by 30 all the time around here. This time it was your turn. That game got out of hand. Hopefully a game like that puts in perspective whats gotta happen to contend on a national level. Not loosing sight of the point the game wasnt as close as you are trying to make it seem!
I didn’t call it a close game….I said the girls played them well the first 12min! Secondly, if you were there then you also know that once it was realized that the Panthers weren’t going to win their subs went in….and if you were there you also know that Mater Dei kept their starters on the floor through the mid 4th qtr.
Yes identify the shooters…you are right but you first have to get back on defense to get in her face and it wasn’t one shooting it was 2 shooting transition 3s. Meaning on the offensive rebound they are running back catching and shooting from the 3..not from a set offense. It is hard to defend…the only way to stop that bleeding is to concede the offensive rebound and send two girls back and soon as the ball is shot.
Also if you were there there were several times that good defense was palyed on her and she still made the darn 3!!!!
Were there some adjustments that could have been made …plenty. Yes it is a different level…..So like I said the score doesn’t tell the whole story.