Some of the nation’s top high school basketball players will compete this weekend at the Salem Civic Center, provided the Roanoke Valley is mercifully spared from yet another major winter storm, of course.
The Member One Valley Shootout will host several can’t miss games on Saturday, featuring top programs such as Oak Hill Academy, Hargrave Military Academy and Christ School, along with local high schools Patrick Henry and Cave Spring.
“It’s the best lineup we’ve ever had,” said tournament co-organizer Steve Myers. “There will be two top-20 high schools there, and around 30 Division I [recruits] players. It should be a lot of fun.”
Some of the schools who will be competing on Saturday:
Oak Hill Academy
The Warriors are back and better than ever, once again in the upper echelon of high school programs in the country. Currently 21-2, Oak Hill is ranked #7 in the latest USA Today poll, as well as 7th in the ESPN Rise poll.
The Warriors roster contains several Division I recruits, including guard Doron Lamb (currently considering offers from Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas, and Connecticut, among others), forward Roscoe Smith (Connecticut), guard Juwan Staten (Dayton) and center Baye Moussa Keita (Syracuse).
In the 2009 Member One Shootout, the Warriors dominated VHSL Group AAA Runner-up William Fleming High School 75-45.
Hargrave Military Academy
The Tigers enter the Shootout ranked #1 in the nation for postgraduate (PG) schools in the ESPN Prep 10 poll released in November. Currently 19-0, Hargrave boasts a competitive schedule with wins over Roanoke College and Hampden Sydney. The team has eight Division I recruits, including McDonald’s All-American guard Lorenzo Brown (N.C. State), guard Isaiah Epps (Pittsburgh), forward Dominique Ferguson (Florida International) and forward Shawn Kemp (Auburn), son of the former Seattle SuperSonics star.
Hargrave Military defeated Massanutten 107-82 in the 2009 Member One Shootout.
Christ School (Arden, NC)
The Greenies (26-1) will take on Cave Spring in one of the Shootouts more hyped contests. Currently ranked #14 by ESPN and #17 by USA Today, Christ School has had a tremendous recent run that has featured three straight NCISAA State Championships, helping vault the Greenies onto the national scene. Among their top players are guard Eric Smith (South Carolina), guard Tony Kimbro (considering Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, and Ohio State among others) and forward Marshall Plumlee, who is being heavily recruited by Duke, where both of his brothers play.
Below is a full schedule for the Member One Valley Shootout
3:00pm — Patrick Henry v. Lake Norman
4:40pm — Hargrave Military v. Fishburne Military
6:30pm — Oak Hill Academy v. Miller School (Charlottesville)
8:00pm — Cave Spring v. Christ School
By Matt Reeve [email protected]