Festival Preview: New Year, New Challenges, For NCA
The Beltway Bandit, Guest Writer
December 3, 2008 - National Christian Academy's coach Trevor Brown looks forward to every new season with his Eagles Squad. This group possess a great challenge, as his team fields nine new varsity players; Brown knows there will be a teaching curve for his six sophomores and two juniors.
After opening the year with the Bull City Classic- where the Eagles won the Consolation Bracket after facing some tough teams – NCA is 1-1. Brown knows that his team should have won both of their games by avoiding miscues down the stretch. “We'll be fine this year” he prognosticated, before saying “All I ask of the kids is to play up to our potential as a team and we should be pretty good if we do that”.
In the middle of this year’s team is Dante Taylor, a center/forward who will make noise next year at Pitt. Aiding NCA’s star player as a foundation is senior Keith Ellington, a true point guard and honor roll student. Ellington, 6’0”, has been waiting in the wings and now assumes the responsibility of not only running the Eagles but getting the ball to the program’s new wings.
Being thrust into the fire is a crew of talented yet untested players.
Recent transfer Ayodeji Egbeyemi loves to play above the rim.
Ayodeji Egbeyemi is an athletic 6'4" junior swingman that Brown loves, as the recent transfer plays tenacious defense, creating steals and getting out on the break to finish with authority. “Deji is strong going to basket and doesn't mind the contact as he finishes above the rim” remarked Brown. “His defense and rebounding are keys in his growth to becoming an elite player and helping our team to have a successful season".
According to Brown 6'3" junior Jon Miller is the outside threat this year, which can open up the middle for Taylor to do his thing in the paint. Miller is also athletic and will be needed to turn up the defensive pressure. "Miller doesn’t know how good he is" said Brown.The following six sophs are expected to have roles this year for NCA: Jarrell Briggs, Javon Moore and Travis Trim (all 6’1”), J. Clemmons (6’5”), Brian Akinkugbe (6’8”) and Robel Huri (7’1”).
"We look forward to the DTLR Festival and to play an opponent like St.John's Catholic Prep who has some good players on their team” said Brown of the DTLR National High School Hoops Festival Presented by Nike and the Eagles’ opponent. “We just want to play our style of basketball which is similar to the Vikings.
This is good what Nike has done in allowing good teams to play each
other. Each team has a dynamic player and the match ups are great. I hope
to continue to put NCA in events that will help us get better playing
against the best...."