After 21 years, Hoop Mountain continues instructional excellence

Ivan McDowell, Southeast/Mid-South Editor

August 1, 2007 - Dion McKinley is the director of the Georgia faction of Hoop Mountain and he couldn’t be happier about where Hoop Mountain came from and is going.

“Hoop Mountain Georgia is a local basketball events and services organization, one of several regional camps currently functioning under the umbrella of Hoop Mountain Inc. With over 20 years of experience in dealing with basketball training and exposure, Hoop Mountain has, positively impacted thousands of athletes over the years.”

The regional camps have grown exponentially since their inception in 1985. Currently there are eight franchises in existence; five boys camps and four girls camps stretching from the Northeast down through the Southeast and into the Midwest areas of the country. The Georgia camp naturally targets the Southeast and has featured not only local basketball players, but has hosted international ballers from Ireland, Italy, England and Puerto Rico.

“At our events, aspiring basketball stars achieve their lifelong goals of developing their skills while often earning scholarship opportunities for post-high school educational endeavors,” remarked McKinley.

Focusing more on the teaching aspect of basketball as opposed to just “playing games”, kids seemingly appreciate the tutelage more than the up and down pick-up style showcased in many of the shoe company sponsored events during the summer.

“We like to teach. We like to focus on the second-tier athlete that wants his or her game to go the next level. These kids are looking to gain scholarships, not necessarily basketball stardom.” stated McKinley.

In the upcoming fall event, Hoop Mountain Georgia will host about 60 high school kids coached by some of the finest coaches from Division II, Division III, and NAIA. There will be a defensive and shooting clinic, as well as, a YBOA style of tournament.

“A lot of kids don’t get the exposure needed. We try to help kids who love basketball and want to work hard get that necessary exposure.”

At the recently completed summer session trophies and awards were given in the following categories:

Spirit -Widly Guerrier, rising frosh, Atlanta, GA

Sportsmanship -Zach Behm, rising frosh, Middleburg, FL

Most Improved – Preston Hodge, rising soph, Peachtree City, GA

Best Defender- Aaron Pringle, rising senior, Beaufort, SC

Best Rebounder- Collin Lewis, grad senior, Snellville, GA

Best Passer- Bryant Corcoran, rising senior, Waterbury, Ct

Best Shooter- Zach Bryant, rising junior, Liberty, SC

MVP- A.J. Broadnax, rising junior, Russellville, AR

Coaches from Emory, Oglethorpe Oxford College, Savannah College, Stillman College, Anderson University and Paine University were all in attendance to watch some of the up and coming talent featured. Here are the top performers at Hoop Mountain Georgia:

Bryant Corcoran, 6'1 guard, Waterbury, CT. - As a Junior, Bryant averaged 17ppg. He also carries a 3.2 GPA and scored a 980 on the SAT. Bryant played smoothly and under control during the camp. He is getting looks from Youngstown St., Tufts University, Stillman College, Paine College and Anderson University.

AJ Broadnax, 5'9 point guard, Russellville, AR. - As a sophomore, AJ averaged 16ppg 6ast per game. He routinely got to the basket during camp and coaches from Arkansas State, UALR and Central Arkansas all took notice.

Colby Wohlleb, 6'6 shooting guard, Boca Raton, FL. A rising senior from Boca Raton High, Colby posted an impressive 20 points per game average, while using his size to snag 11 boards and drop five dimes a game. He continuously shot the lights out in Georgia and is a true sleeper. Colby has Liberty University, UNH and Holy Cross all over him at this point.

All of the young men in attendance obviously gained much needed exposure and training to improve their basketball skills.