Festival Preview: Holding a National ‘Chip’ Hargrave is Again Loaded

Ron Bailey, Publisher

December 3, 2008 – Hargrave Military Academy, coached by Kevin Keatts is without a doubt one of the premier prep school programs nationally, a school that routinely sends almost its entire roster to Division I schools. According to Keatts, defending this group is a challenge.

“I like my team because we have a lot of interchangeable parts” opined Keatts. “We have inside-out ability too. On any given night one of the guys can us in scoring or rebounding”.

A younger Chris Braswell (left) in Triple Threat (AAU) silks.

Pacing Hargrave on and off the floor is post graduate frontcourt man Chris Braswell. Standing 6’8” and having returned to the school after spending his senior year at Hargrave, Braswell is the unquestioned team leader, leading Keatts to note “For us, it’s been great just to have Chris back”.

As the team captain and a player who experienced last year’s 29-0, National Championship season, Braswell not only instructs but leads by example. This extends to rebounding, scoring, defending, passing, and physical development. Essentially, the team’s rock, Chris is headed to Charlotte next year.

Hargrave has a host of other standouts as well.

Maurice ‘Mo’ Creek, is a 6’4” senior shooting guard can not only shoot but rebound, defend, handle, and pass. He’s joined in the backcourt by 6’5” post graduate shooting guard Freddie Riley, a player Keatts described as “a scorer who has the ability to put the ball in the hole”. Riley, who will be at UMass next year and Creek, a future Indiana Hoosier, play on the perimeter with postgraduate ‘two guard’ Ledrick Echols. Son of former Washington Bullet Ledell Echols, Ledrick is a 6’3” scorer who can drop points around and away from the cup.

Senior power forward DeShawn Painter, standing 6’9” and headed to Florida next year, is a run and jump big man capable of rebounding and hitting the 15-20 foot jump shot. Post graduate swingman Luke Hancock, who at around 6’5” is Keatts’ utility man can play all three perimeter positions (he will be at George Mason next year). The team also enjoys according to its coach by several other “mid-major to high major guards” that are a factor.

Keatts said of the DTLR National High School Hoops Festival Presented by Nike “I like it. I think Keith (Stevens, who along with Kenny Johnson organized the event) a great job”. Regarding Hargrave’s much anticipated contest there with Patterson (NC) , also considered one of the best prep school programs in the United States, the school’s head man shared “Certainly it’s a big game” one of many in their uber-challenging 30 game schedule.

Rest assured his team will be focused for it. So will fans in Festival attendance.