Article about Henry Carr in the Toronto Star

Interesting article.

Stay at home strategy involves taking Father Henry Carr basketball team on the road

Good article.Would't it be nice if we had some of these US teams come up here and play @ Xmas for us fans to see how well we can compete.Probable not cost effective though when you consider the venue rental / maybe some sponsorship could help with the costs.I remember when Erie prep would come up and play in tournaments/those days are gone I guess.

I remember when I was in Gr9 Mount Carmel held a Prep tournament I think. A team from Philly and a couple teams from New York (Brooklyn, Bronx) I believe came up to Mississauga and gave me some of the best high school basketball I have ever watched live.

Best live game I ever saw was in the mid 90's when Oakville's St. Thaomas Aquanis played a team from New Jersey that was ranked top 10 USA /gym was packed /Ben GORHEN from St.Thoamas Aquanis was jumping out of the gym with some amazing dunks and the Jersey team pulled it out in the last seconds/the whole gym was estatic.Ironically St.ThomaS Aquanis who were ranked #1 that year never even made it to OFSAA that year.(I think Nelson beat them out but didn't do much after that /can't be sure if they made it to OFSSA that year or not)

btownfan wrote:Good article.Would't it be nice if we had some of these US teams come up here and play @ Xmas for us fans to see how well we can compete.Probable not cost effective though when you consider the venue rental / maybe some sponsorship could help with the costs.I remember when Erie prep would come up and play in tournaments/those days are gone I guess.

Maybe if people parents and supporters would go to games to support and not cry over a $5.00 entrance fee it would help.

Your right bigred @ the St.Mike's tournament 2 weeks ago I went over to the arena next door to get something to eat @ half time and they were charging $6 to get in and see 8-9 year old's who could hardly skate.They must of had over 200 people watching.Just the mind set of Canadians I guess.

btownfan wrote:Your right bigred @ the St.Mike's tournament 2 weeks ago I went over to the arena next door to get something to eat @ half time and they were charging $6 to get in and see 8-9 year old's who could hardly skate.They must of had over 200 people watching.Just the mind set of Canadians I guess.

Yes and no, 8 and 9 year olds come with parent drivers. So that's a given. They also complain about the cost of entrance and registration fees. Thus the reason basketball is on the rise and hockey on the decline. Walking to the rink may not show this, but hockey is on the decline in comparison. The People who come to watch rarely complain about paying 5$, it's when they are driving 6 guys to their game to help a basketball team out in order to cut costs and compete. Then at the door have to pay to watch the 6 kids they drove to help the team. As for the prep teams coming north, if you build it they will
Come. Advertise advertise advertise.

[quote="btownfan"]Best live game I ever saw was in the mid 90's when Oakville's St. Thaomas Aquanis played a team from New Jersey that was ranked top 10 USA /gym was packed /Ben GORHEN from St.Thoamas Aquanis was jumping out of the gym with some amazing dunks and the Jersey team pulled it out in the last seconds/the whole gym was estatic.Ironically St.ThomaS Aquanis who were ranked #1 that year never even made it to OFSAA that year.(I think Nelson beat them out but didn't do much after that /can't be sure if they made it to OFSSA that year or not)[/quote]

1996-97 was the season. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) was the team. Mark Karcher was their star player & was named a McDonald's All-American that same year. He had a nice career at Temple & became a second round NBA draft pick after his junior year.

Aquinas had a nice trio of Ben Gorham (later starred at Ryerson), 6'7" wing Andry Sola (George Washington & Drake), & point guard Rodney Baptiste (McMaster), with role players like guard Peter Spolitakiewicz & big man Jason Gloger. You're right, they lost to Nelson by two in the Halton final. Then Westdale beat Nelson 51-50 for the OFSAA bid.

US teams have been travelling to play in Toronto for many years. The Jarvis tournament hosted Long Island Lutheran, Rochester East, and Rochester Franklin at different times; Runnymede (and Oakwood) used to host Elmira Free Academy; SUNUSA brought up several US teams, most notably Erie Cathedral Prep; St Frances played St Thomas Aquinas in 96-97; etc.

FHC tried to step in and help this year when St Benedict's was scheduled to travel to Toronto. The biggest issue seems to be the cost of subsidizing their travel, meals and accomodation. It is a huge cost.

FHC has some plans in the works but they are only at the earliest stages at this point.

Coach Melnik

huntington prep is playing at MacNab in February. Go to hoopla.com for details

BJH thanks for the correction's / Mark Karcher as I remember was a hybred of Earl Monroe and Charles Barclay the way a person of that size made those behind the back passes and his dribling skills by such a large person was amazing.Couldn
't remember his name.Thanks btownfan

Bill Wennington may have played for the Long Island Lutheran team many years ago when they came to Jarvis. I also remember DeMatha coming to play at a Cathedral tournament years ago and a team from Tennessee which may have been ranked in the USA today Top 25 at the time.

Was the SUNUSA tournament the one at Varsity Arena that had a number of top ranked American Prep Schools in the tournament? The final was broadcast on SportsNet or TSN. I know future NBAer Caron Butler was on one of the teams in that tournament and there was another 6-8 or 6-9 player whose name escapes me who was considered one of the top 3 prospects in the U.S. at the time and was being touted as going right into the NBA Draft but his career fizzled out.

I also recall that Kevin Garnett may have played for a team of Chicago high school all stars in a tournament in Hamilton before he turned pro out of high school.

It was Dermar Johnson, whom Im pretty sure you are referring to. He was playing for MCI, a prep school in Maine. Was a star one year at Cincinatti then played shortly for Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks.