Leander's Mark Nwakamma To Hartford

Nice guys reall can finish first!  2011 F Mark Nwakamma a 6'6" beast from Leander, TX and a 5 year alum of the Texas D1 Ambassadors has just sent me a text that he has committed to the University of Hartford. He joins fellow Cen Tex star Yolonzo Moore of Austin Akins as an incoming freshman in the America East Conference.

Mark Nwakamma (shown below with Texas D1) rebounds and goes up for the short jumper vs Memphis Magic.

The soft spoken, humble and hard working Nwakamma has found a perfect fit of quality basketball coupled with his 4.6 GPA and near 1800 SAT score.  He'll like pursue Pre-Med on his way to becoming a doctor.. An unfortunate break of his foot derailed Nwakamma's Junior high school season.  He played for three weeks and finally the pain became unbearable.  After an extensive rehab period ending last June he just did not have his trademark explosiveness on the circuit last July.

Fast forward to this spring and Mark accompanied the Texas D1 Ambassadors to the Elite 8 in the Desert last month. He quickly attracted the attention of the various media outlets on hand, including http://www.d1nation.com/ and http://www.areacodesbasketball.com/   He not only was his old explosive self but he's also added a new dimension with range out to the three point line, and improved handles which makes him a big three/faceup four man.  This versatility will serve him well at Hartford.  They are getting a hard worker, a great team mate, an excellent student and an even better person.

Congratulations to Mark Nwakamma and His Family-Coach Max Ivany and the D1 Ambassadors Family

Pangos All American Camp Wrap Up

Day Three at Pangos saw all 4 of our Texas D1 Ambassadors players continue to build their reputations in their final (4th game) of the camp which was played Sunday morning.

2012 Chase Brogna of Houston St. Thomas saw his confidence grow from session to session as he finished with 13 points. His smooth jumper began to fall which makes him tough.  Ask Prestonwood Academy as his 25 points in St. Thomas' TAPPS 5A State Championship win would attest.  He can flick it.  A 3.2 GPA coupled with a 1720 SAT makes Brogna a guy to target in conferences such as the Patriot, Northeast, Atlantic Sun and any other academically stringent school looking for a guard.

2012 P 6'9" Connor Lammert ended up with 6 points in his final session.  In a camp where guards chuck it up like it's a hot potato, the workmanlike 16 year old kept plugging away without complaint.  Put Lammert in the high end academic spectrum as well.

2012 Uche Ofoegbu showed his athleticism all camp long. He had 12 points on the final day and showed wasn't shy about banging heads with other high major guys.  The common theme here is that Ofoegbu is also an excellent student. His two older brothers (Ike and John Ofoegbu) are pros, so don't be surprised if you see a late growth spurt out of him where he ends up at 6'7" plus and moves to a whole new level.

2012 Alex Caruso of College Station A&M Conslidated did his thing from start to finish.  He is now on his way to the NBA Players Association Camp in Charlottesville, VA in a week having earned an invite with his all around play.  Caruso can play the 1, 2, or 3 but is at his best with the ball in his hands.  I respectfully disagree with my friend/colleague Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop Online that Alex is not a "point".  Don't be surprised if Caruso tops out at 6'7" as he has just turned 17.  He was selected to the Top 25 Cream of the Crop Game, but had to leave after two trips on the floor so we could catch our flight back to Houston.
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Once again, Dinos Trigonis gets it done.  He had an incredible array of talent at camp this year as per usual.  There is no question that Andre Drummond from Connecticut, Shabazz Muhammad (LasVegas, NV and Anthony Bennett (Toronto, Canada) were the studs of the camp.  Throw in Cameron Ridley (Houston, TX) and Isaiah Austin (Dallas, TX) and you've got a who's who of the 2012 Top 10 Nationally.

Pangos Camp-Day 2

Texas D1 Ambassadors @ Pangos Camp
2012 G 6'5" Uche Ofoegbu of San Antonio Stevens continued his aggressive play.  He scored 12 in one game and 17 in the next including an impressive windmill dunk that had the crowd buzzing.

2012 G 6'0" Chase Brogna of Houston St. Thomas had 4 points in the first game, and upped it to 9 in the second game as he got touches his shot began to fall.  It included a nifty crossover dribble to the left, where he finished at the rim with some slick English to finish over the shotblocker.

2012 P 6'9" Connor Lammert of San Antonio Churchill was frustrated by a lack of offensive touches but that didn'y keep him from hustling, defending and rebounding all camp long.  He had 4 in the first game and 6 in the second including an impressive flush.

2012 G 6'6" Alex Caruso was his usual self.  he didn't score a lot, but he scored enough.  He accumulated rebounds, and dropped several sweet dimes.  His second impressive tip dunk of the camp was icing on the cake.  After the second game ESPNU's Dave Telep informed us that Alex was invited to the prestigious NBA Players Camp in Charlottesville, VA from June 15-19th.  Expect the high major offers to start flowing for Caruso.
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Here's what Fox Sports Evan Daniels had to say today:

CARSON, Calif. -- Aaron Gordon and Shabazz Muhammad showed off their high level motors today, while Texas native Alex Caruso made his presence felt on day two of the Pangos All-American Camp.

Winston Shepard, PF/SF – Much like Muhammad, Shepard, a 6-foot-7 combo forward, plays with a strong motor and a lot of energy. During the nightcap, Shepard channeled his energy to pushing the break, rebounding and attacking the basket. He seemed to live at the free throw line and is certainly capable of finishing through contact when he goes to the basket.  (Props to Houston native Winston Sheppard, the former Texas D1 Ambassador who now attends Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, NV).

Alex Caruso, SF – It’s always nice to see a guy breakout and that’s exactly what Caruso did. Earlier in the spring he received some attention and he certainly built on that at Pangos. With a number of scouts looking on during an afternoon game, Caruso made a handful of terrific basketball plays, including a one handed no-look touch pass for a bucket, a sweet dunk in traffic and a floater in the lane. It’s clear he knows the game and he has the ability to score from all three levels.
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Texas' two marquee big men, Isaiah Austin (Baylor) and Cameron Ridley (Texas) tangled with Connecticut big man Andre Drummond in separate games.  Drummond is clearly the most ready at the moment with his combination of athleticism and his physicality and likely will be the NBA's #1 draft pick if the choice was made today.  Austin is more skilled but has to catch up body wise.  Ridley is not as athletic.  However, I felt Ridley was the hardest worker and under the tutelage of Keith White, with his work ethic who knows what Cameron's ceiling will be.

Pangos All American Camp-Day One

Myself and Coach Richard Law arrived in California yesterday to attend the Pangos All American Camp. Two of our players are in tow (2012 Chase Brogna and 2012 Alex Caruso) with the other two (2012 Uche Ofoegbu and 2012 Connor Lammert) joining us later today at the camp. We took an unoffcial visit to Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA on what is arguably the most beautiful campus in America). 

Pepperdine University

Early this afternoon we took the boys out into Long Beach Harbor, rented a speed boat and checked out the Queen Mary , sea lions basking in the sun and the whole California beach scene.  I'm a big believer in taking as many campus visits as possible when we travel witho our players as well as immersing them in the local culture.

Texas D1 Ambassadors @ Pangos All American Camp

For those fortunate enough to get an opportunity, Dinos Trigonis' Camp is one of the most talented and classy events in the country.  There's always a load of talent and Trigonis makes sure the media and the players are treated like kings.  He puts us up in 4 star hotels near the beautiful Long Beach waterfront, feeds the players and always has a great venue (This year it's Cal State- Dominguez Hills).

2012 Alex Caruso 6'6" G from College Station A&M Consolidated

Look for Caruso to continue his climb up the lists of high major sleepers.  He can score, has great court vision, is unselfish and is a high level athlete.  (Caruso plays with a balance of swagger and respect for the game. He had 7 points, including an impressive dunk while making sure that Houston Bush's Cameron Ridley (Texas) got to touch the ball.

2012 Chase Brogna 6'0" G from Houston St. Thomas

Brogna will get a chance to show off his high level shooting ability, and his improved handles and ability to run a team.  He's not new to high level play as he led St. Thomas to the State Championship with a 25 point finals output. (Brogna was off the ball most of the time, and received limited touches.  He did have a nice steal, several assists and finished with 4 points.

2012 Uche Ofoegbu 6'5" G from San Antonio Stevens

This camp is best suited for Ofoegbu and his athletic game.  He'll get up and down the floor, rebounding and scoring above the rim and beyond the three point line. Ofoegbu was not shy about getting his.  He had 14 points, including a couple of three pointers.

2012 Connor Lammert 6'9" P from San Antonio Churchill

All star camps are always tough on big men, as the guards tend to dominate the ball and take most of the shots.  Still only 16, Lammert will show his varied skill set which includes a three point shot in his arsenal. (Lammert had almost zero touches in game 1, but he did have an impressive tip-dunk.

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Here's some National ink received on Day One by Texans

By Josh Gershon of Rivals.com

Recruiting Analyst

CARSON, Calif. - The Pangos All-American Camp is always loaded with high level recruits and the 2011 version is no different with prospects such as Shabazz Muhammad and Cameron Ridley showing off on Friday.

Cameron Ridley, C (Houston Hoop Stars): The physical post was a beast on the glass and when he got touches in the paint, he converted easily, throwing down a handful of dunks in the second half. Potential matchups with Andre Drummond and Isaiah Austin are looming, but if Ridley brings it like he did Friday night, he's going to be competitive in any matchup thrown his way.
Alex Caruso, SG: (Texas D1 Ambassadors) The scoring was sporadic, but the passing was terrific. Cameron Ridley wasn't getting a ton of touches, but once Caruso got the ball in his hands, he made sure the big guy got the ball where he needed it around the hoop. A versatile player, Caruso did a good job rebounding and defending even though he wasn't scoring as he's capable of. This is a big weekend for the temporarily under the radar guard and Friday was a good start.

Great American Shootout Results-Monday

It's always a good sign when you're playing on the third and final day of an event.  Texas D1 Ambassadors-Hardge were down to 6 players on Monday as half the team had to return to Austin for final exams on Memorial Day as the semester was extended by bad weather days. 

Texas D1 Ambassadors-Hardge  62    Top Achievers Pistons  51
2012 Michael Hardge led the way with 17 points, and 2013 T.T. Williams added 15 as D1 cruised to the win in the quarter final game.

Dallas Mustangs  66  Texas D1 Ambassadors-Hardge 55
The Mustangs are always a tough opponent, and the Texas D1 Ambassadors bowed out of the seni final game the same way they began the tournament on Saturday morning, with a close loss to the same Dallas squad.  An 8 point half time lead disappeared as the Mustangs kept coming with their deeper bench and some timely 3 point shooting by Niem Stevenson and the tough inside play of 2012 Zach Leday.
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Thanks to our friends at http://www.texashoops.com/  for recognizing two players from the Texas D1 Ambassadors as part of their Baker's Dozen of the Top 13 Performers at the Memorial Day GASO Tournament. Below is their overview of Michael Hardge and Uche Ofoegbu.

MICHAEL HARDGE


Class: 2012


Height: 6'0"


School/AAU team: Georgetown HS/Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Hardge


Notable: Hardge was one of the best ball-handlers of the entire tournament. When he had the ball, he showed his explosiveness. He also showed how difficult he was to stop. Look for Hardge to be one of the GASO's most consistent players.

2012 Michael Hardge

UCHE OFOEGBU


Class: 2012


Height: 6-foot-5


School/AAU team: San Antonio Stevens HS/Texas D-1 Ambassadors-San Antonio


Notable: Ofoegbu showed that he can put the ball in the hole at the GASO. On a team full of potential scorers, Ofoegbu had one of the better offensive productions throughout the tournament. He also showed his ability to play defense.

2012 Uche Ofoegbu

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The following is also an article from www.texashoops.com where they interview Texas D1 Ambassador Allex Austin.  Texas Hoops Writer Damon Sayles shows his age as he recounted to me that he interviewed Pops Charles Austin back in the day when he was a cub reporter at then Southwest Texas State University.
CARROLLTON, Texas - When it comes to pure athleticism, the expression "like father, like son" couldn't be any more accurate for dual-sport athlete Allex Austin of San Marcos High School.


A couple weeks ago, Austin won the Class 5A high jump title at the UIL state track and field meet. He jumped 6 feet, 10 inches to win - and he did so while battling injuries. He also did so in his very first year of competing in varsity track.


Part of his success stems from genetics. His father is Charles Austin, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1996 and is currently the U.S. record holder in the sport with a jump of 7 feet, 10 ½ inches. Allex, in addition, has a vertical leap well over 40 inches.


Allex admitted that as talented as he was in track and field, he has a passion for basketball. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound, high-flying forward suited up with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors-Hardge over the weekend at the Memorial Day Great American Shoot-Out in Carrollton.


TexasHoops.com Senior Writer Damon Sayles had a chance to sit down with Austin to discuss basketball in the present and the future.
2 MINUTES WITH ALLEX AUSTIN


Congratulations on winning a state gold medal, first of all. How does it feel?


"It feels good, but I don't let it get to my head. I don't talk about it much unless someone else brings it up. I don't let it get the best of me."



How long have you been high jumping?


"Not long. This was my first year doing it. It was something I just started picking up on, just something to do extra."


How long have you been playing basketball?


"I've been playing for as long as I can remember. This is my first year with the Ambassadors. I like the competition a lot."

2012 Allex Austin

Your dad is a world-class athlete. What advice does he give you when you're competing in track and field or basketball?


"He'll tell me to worry about myself and not to let the things I can't control get to me. With hard work, everything is going to pay off."


I'm sure you're getting plenty looks in track. What about looks in basketball?


"Colorado State has called, and TCU has called. I've heard from Stephen F. Austin, too. The rest of the schools just call my dad. He tells me not to worry about it and just focus on working hard."


Do you want to do both sports in college?


"That's what I'm looking for the most. I want to play both."


So what's it like having an Olympic gold medalist for a father?


"Everyone seems to freak out, but to me, it's cool. It helps because I know what he had to do to get where he is. It makes me want to put in the work.

Great American Shootout-Sunday Results

Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio  96   Las Cruces Dons (NM) 67
The final pool game, early Sunday saw Cole Martinez (Air Force) score 20 points, and 2012 Uche Ofoegbu of San Antonio Stevens chipped in with 19 in the win.

The Air Force Academy  has gotten a steal with Central Catholic's Cole Martinez

Bracket Play
Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio 65  Corpus Christi Islanders 56
After the Islanders upset Team hardge in pool play for their first win over the D1 Ambassadors in 11 years, the San Antonio squad showed that lightning doesn't strike twice in one place as they controlled this game from the opening minutes behind the athletic play of Uche Ofoegbu and the above the rim display put on by 2012 F 6'5" Aaron Ramirez.  Ramirez, out of tiny 2A Santa Rosa by way of Mississippi will be a force to be reckoned with.  Stay tuned.

Flower Mound Marcus  67  Texas D1 Ambassadors-San Antonio 62
The Marcus squad has now won back to back GASO events.  They've got a tough squad who have structure and familiarity with each other.  Couple that with a will to win and 3, and quite possibly 4 D1 players (Marcus Smart, Phil Forte, Nick Banyard, A.J. Luckey) and you can see that their championships are no fluke.  Texas D1 could not hold their 6 point half time lead. Uche Ofoegbu had 21 points, while Ramirez added 14.  Phil Forte had 23 to lead the way for Marcus.  Oh yeah, Marcus Smart is a beast, no doubt about it!  Texas D1 finished 5-1 in the event without their twin towers, 2012 6'7" P Shelby Lane of Alamo Heights and 2012 6'9" Connor Lammert of San Antonio Churchill.

Texas D1 Ambassadors-Austin 69  Champions Select 66
Balanced scoring from 2012 Mike Hardge of Georgetown and 2012 Matt Gramling of San Antonio MacArthur led the way to the victory.  D1 led by double digits all the way.  This was Gramling's first action in 3 months as he had some nagging injuries and also participated in some spring football drills as he ponders whether to take on the QB role in his senior year.

2012 Mike Hardge of Georgetown brings intensity and quickness to the party.

Texas D1 Ambassadors-Austin  85   Run N Shoot (OK)  76
2013 T.J. Williams of Pflugerville is firmly establishing himself as one of 2013's best in Texas as he scored 26 points in the win.  2012 Allex Austin of San Marcos, fresh off the best high jump in the Nation (7'2") quickly began to get his bsketball legs under him and he went for 17 points.

2013 T.J. Williams of Pflugerville Panthers is on the prowl with his amped up game

Franchize All Stars Memorial Day Tournament---Sunday Report

Franchize All Stars Memorial Day Tournament-Houston, TX
With many players having to make up "bad weather" days, the Houston event packed in a lot of games in a two day period.  The Texas D1 Ambassadors-Houston had to cancel their Chicago trip but finished the local event 5-2, while nursing injuries and kids attending prom, graduation etc.

Texas D1 Ambassadors  69   Gulf Coast Blue Chips-Will   56
Balanced scoring was the order of the day as 2012 Alex Caruso had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists; 2013 Johnathan Motley had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks;  2012 Chase Brogna had 10 points and 3 assists; and 2012 Maurice Letcher-Ellis had 9 points & 4 rebounds.

Texas D1 Ambassadors  87   D Gib Hoops 63

2011 F Keynan Willis

When things go well it's usually because of a team effort.  Texas D1 poured it on with 2011 Keynan Willis scoring 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.  Alex Caruso had 11 points and 6 rebounds,  Chase Brogna had 13 points and 3 assists. Johnathan Motley had 16 points and 12 rebounds while 2012 Joshua Hagins of Bossier City Airline had 16 points and five assists (including 4 three pointers).

2012 Joshua Hagins

Texas D1 Ambassadors   84  Texas Airmen  73
Texas D1 was led by 2012 F Maurice Letcher-Ellis of Houston Yates who had 18 points and 7 rebounds. 2011 Keynan Willis of Crosby had 16 points & 11 rebounds, Johnathan Motley had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Chase Brogna had 12 points and 7 assists, while Joshua Hagins had 8 points and 8 assists.

2012 Maurice Letcher-Ellis

Gulf Coast Elite-Jackson   77 Texas D1 Ambassadors  59
For the most part, the guys were a no show in this one. Motley had 14 to lead the way in the stinging defeat.