....what should it be? I'd like to experience a local rivalry, preferably with some above the rim action, and a real possibility of getting a ticket. I have no idea how to go about it, or which teams to catch. Thanks for some ideas....
I'd say go see that dude from Westbury Christian. Ndudi Ebi. He signed with Arizona and is supposed to be the best outta high school (according to some) next to Labron James. From the Chron: 6-10 Ebi not one to be pigeonholed By SARAH HORNADAY Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle When you're a 6-7 eighth grader who can't miss from 17 feet, people are going to talk about your basketball future. But Westbury Christian senior forward Ndudi Ebi didn't just rely on potential. He worked harder than everyone else. Ebi is considered one of the top high school seniors in the country behind Ohio's LeBron James, and it's not hard to see why. Ebi, 6-10, has the skills most guards would kill for and is also a force inside. The Arizona commitment is also the Chronicle's preseason boys basketball player of the year. "He works hard. He's a competitor," said Ugo Ihekweazu, Ebi's Westbury Christian teammate. "He loves to win, and he'll do anything to win." Ebi has long produced good numbers and garnered the attention of Division I schools, but in the last year, he has taken a jump to being recognized as one of the country's elite players. This past summer, he participated in the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo., and was named the event's Most Valuable Player. He is ranked the No. 1 strong forward in the class of 2003 by the Sporting News as well as the No. 1 player in Texas by Texas Hoops, a basketball newsletter. This wasn't something that happened by chance for Ebi. There have been plenty of hours in the gym leading to this point. "I'm not going to back down. I'm always going to give 100 percent," Ebi said. "There may be players that may be bigger or have more skills, but nobody outworks me." Westbury Christian coach Greg Glenn provides his players with a summer conditioning program. Ebi didn't just follow that; he found different workout programs from colleges and even the Rockets that helped him. He worked on his shot and his passing and in the weight room concentrated on specific muscle groups that would help him in ways beyond strength. As a freshman and sophomore, Ebi helped the Wildcats to their seventh and eighth consecutive state TAPPS championships, a streak that ended last year when they fell 53-46 to Arlington Grace Prep in the state final. Ebi averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds per game last season, doubling his numbers from his sophomore campaign. But those figures are deceiving, because Ebi could score more if that's what Westbury Christian needed. He shot 57 percent from the field and defensively averaged five blocks and 2.5 steals per game. Despite all the attention, he doesn't have the ego that makes him feel like he has to pump up his statistics. "I'm just trying to win," Ebi said. "(Blocks or rebounding stats) aren't important. As long as we get stops, it doesn't matter." Ebi isn't going to match up with players his own size many times in high school, so he doesn't have to have a perfect shot to dominate at that level. Nonetheless, Ebi followed the advice of college coaches to get a higher release on his shot. "I didn't see any point in waiting to make the change," he said. "I know I needed to improve (my shot) when I compete at the next level." Ebi made the change in August. He watched videotapes of himself shooting and felt comfortable with his new shot by October. It's this type of attention to detail and hard work that had college coaches from around the country knocking on Ebi's door. Ultimately, he chose Arizona over Duke, Texas and Houston. "With Ndudi, he's already looking forward even when he's on that lower level," Ihekweazu said. "(His higher release) makes him even harder to guard." Though he plays forward, Ebi prides himself on his versatility. "I'm a big guard," he said. "Why be a 6-1 guard when you can be a 6-10 guard and play the post?"
Don't settle for one game.......be greedy: <A HREF="http://www.visionsports.com">Academy Tournament</A>
Yep... I went to that tourney last year and had a great time seeing powerhouses like Rice HS, Oak Hill, De La Salle, Male HS, Westchester HS, etc all in just 1 day. If I don't have to go on a family vacation after X-mas, I'll definitely make the drive up north again. That is the tourney where I got to see Perkins suck, and Ebi thive.
If this Ebi kid is as good as everyone says he is, he should probably go to the NBA straight out of high school. I doubt he'll do Arizona much good playing there for only one year, and he'll be taking the spot of somebody that might be going to Arizona for something other than NBA preparation. I guess he doesn't want to share any of the spotlight with Lebron.
Ebi is not physically-ready to go to the NBA ala Rashard Lewis 5 years ago. Skill-wise, Ebi is ready, but he must gain at least 20-25 lbs of muscle. As great as Ebi is, it won't be easy to start at Arizona from Day 1. They are loaded at the SG/SF position. If Ebi is a 4, then yes he probably will start from Day 1. Ebi's the best player in Houston in a while. Better than Rashard, Kendrick Perkins, TJ Ford, Emeka Okafor, etc.
I was gonna say the same thing. I was there last year too. I only paid ten dollars for my ticket and I saw about 5 games. Its definately worth the money.
