College Exposure
PRESS RELEASE from Michael T. White
INFORMATION RELEASE
Southern Starz affiliate with Michael T. White!
I am excited to announce our exclusive affiliation for the 2008 season with Michael T. White (www.michaeltwhite.com). The Southern Starz will be the exclusive organization in the state of Alabama affiliated with MTW joining a number of other top AAU programs in the country. Michael T. White (most recently with Adidas), with his marketing ability at the grassroots level, has brought national attention to girls’ basketball throughout the country. College coaches flock to Michael T. White’s exposure events (such as the Deep South Classic in April 2008) because of the top flight teams and prospects he attracts. White’s events offer outstanding competition in the finest facilities available along with quality officiating and superb game scheduling. (See more info on the 2008 Deep South Classic at http://michaeltwhite.com/dscg). Starz players will also participate individually in the Top 10 All-American Camps in Atlanta in July 2008 (see http://michaeltwhite.com/ttcg).
When college women’s basketball coaches discuss the top scouting services, it is a very short conversation that begins and ends with Michael T. White’s “All Star Girls’ Report” or ASGR (http://michaeltwhite.com/agr). Since its inception in 1995, the ASGR has out-performed all rivals in the number of athletes rated and the accuracy of these ratings. ASGR staff members also serve on the McDonald’s All-American Game selection committee, as well as the Parade All-American list.
Our partnership with Michael T. White will afford our Starz players national exposure at the highest level! Scheduled events include the Deep South Classic on April 18-20, 2008 (North Carolina) for 13u to 17u, the Top 10 All-American Camp on July 6, 2008 (Atlanta), 17u Tournament of Champions on July 7-9, 2008 (Atlanta), Top 10 Underclassmen Camp on July 9, 2008, 16u Tournament of Champions on July 10-12, 2008 (Atlanta), Top 10 Freshmen Camp on July 12, 2008 (Atlanta), and 15u Tournament of Champions on July 13-15, 2008 (Atlanta), in addition to others. Stay tuned for more exciting details …
With this relationship, our Southern Starz teams will also continue to participate in AAU competition as in the past!!
STARZ Shine at 2009 BlueStar College Showcase!
On Satuday & Sunday, Oct. 3 & 4, nearly 30 of our Southern Starz high school players participated in the Battle of the Programs and the BlueStar College Showcase in Murfreesboro, TN on the campus of MTSU during the NCAA Fall Evaluation weekend. Starz players were divided into 4 teams and played in the Team Event on Saturday & Sunday morning against some of the top travel teams in the Southeast! Starz 2010, 2011, and 2012 (2 teams) participated. Many of the Starz players then participated in the Blue Star Showcase event on Sunday. Many college coaches were in attendance for both events. For more than 25 years BlueStar has been one of the most influential organizations in selecting and advising such publications rankings and listings as found in The Sporting News, USA Today, Gatorade Circle of Champions, and McDonalds All American Team just to name a few. These rankings and evaluations are part of the national BlueStar Report available to media & colleges across the country. All of our Starz players put on a fine performance!
College Exposure Pays Off for Haley Nelson of Scottsboro!!
In October of 2006, Haley Nelson (Class of 2008) a 6’2″ post player and currently a Senior at Scottsboro High (5A) participated as a guest with our Southern Starz group at the Blue Star Showcase College Exposure event held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This week, Haley signed a Division 1 scholarship to play college basketball with Belmont University (Nashville, TN) of the Atlantic Sun Conference. At a recent game between Belmont & Mississippi State (& former Starz ’89 player Shai Wilkins) in Nashville, Starz Director Doug Bush asked Belmont Head Coach Tony Cross how they had found Katie. Coach Cross replied that Belmont had found her when she played with the Starz group at the Blue Star Showcase in 2006!! Thus, our College Exposure is working!!
STARZ Shine at College 2007 Showcase in the Boro!!
On Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 29 & 30 the Starz 15u and 14u teams participated in the team competition at the Showcase in the Boro in Murfreesboro, TN in front of college coaches from across the nation. While playing short-handed, our Starz 15u team (class of 2009) defeated 2 premier teams including the Blue Chip Elite from Kentucky (Saturday) by a score of 57-48 and one of the top Nike travel teams in the nation, the Tennessee Flight-Silver by a score of 50-47. Our Starz 14u team (class of 2010) also played very well finishing with a record of 3-1 with only a 3-point loss. Most of the Starz players then participated in the Blue Star Showcase event held on Sunday with more than 80 college coaches in attendance. Congrats to all of our Starz players who participated!!
College Interest – 2007 AAU Nationals & July Exposure
As a result of our participation at the AAU National Tournament and the Battle in the Boro Exposure Event in July 2007 (and events from prior years) … AND due to the passing of the Sept. 1 (Junior Year) deadline allowing schools to send unlimited correspondence, our Southern Starz 15u (Class of 2009) players have received letters of interest and/or scholarship offers from the following Division I colleges: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, UAB, Louisville, Memphis, Florida State, Wake Forest, St. John’s, TCU, Louisiana Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Tulane, Lamar, UT-Chattanooga, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Southern Miss, SMU, Furman, Charleston-Southern, Charlotte, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, W. Kentucky, Georgia State, Mercer, Valparaiso, McNeese State, Southern, Arkansas-Little Rock, Kennesaw State, Murray State, Hampton, UMASS, Birmingham Southern, Samford, and Stetson. [this listing will be updated as we hear from more schools …
Blue Star Showcase
Starz participants … Vee Young (2008), Jala Harris (2009) and Danielle Vaughn (2009) each were All-Star Selections at the Blue Star Showcase in Murfreesboro, TN on Oct. 1, 2006. Click this link to view results – http://girlshoops.scout.com/2/581574.html
College Interest – 2006 AAU Nationals
As a result of our participation at the AAU National Tournament in July 2006, our Southern Starz 14u players have already received letters of interest from the following colleges: Florida State, Notre Dame, Memphis, Texas A&M, Furman, Kansas Univ., Ole Miss, Tennessee, Temple, Southern Miss, UT Chattanooga, Mississippi State and Jacksonville State, Rice, Middle Tennessee St., Vanderbilt, Texas State, Richmond, Penn State, and SMU.
College Exposure – Blue Star College Showcase October 2006
For the 2nd consecutive year, on Sunday, October 1, 2006, Coaches Doug Bush, Kent Looney & Willie Harris took more than 20 10th-12th grade girls from our Southern Starz program to the 2006 Blue Star South Fall College Showcase event held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. Blue Star Basketball is the longest running national scouting and college showcase organization in women’s basketball. The weekend of Sept. 30 / Oct. 1 represented a special NCAA Fall Evaluation Period for 2006 giving players a chance to showcase their talents in front of college coaches & scouts. Blue Star hosted event in 4 regions of the country (East, Midwest, South & West)
There were more than 200 high school girls from across the Southeast representing the high school classes of 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 who displayed their talents & skills for more than 55 coaches & scouts from colleges at all levels including the SEC, ACC and other conferences from Division I to Division III. Included in the player participants was the #10 rated player in the nation in the 2008 (Junior) class, Alicia Manning of Etowah High School of Atlanta, Georgia who has verbally committed to play for Tennessee.
The Southern Starz organization was specifically invited to attend and participate in this high profile event. We plan to participate in this and similar events in the future.
College Interest – 2006
As a result of our participation at the AAU National Tournaments and the Blue Star College Showcase in Tennessee, Southern Starz players have received letters of interest from the following colleges: Tennessee, Alabama, UAB, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, TCU, Univ of Virginia, Southern Miss, Missouri, Univ of Memphis, Middle Tenn State, UT Chattanooga, Tenn Tech, Lipscomb Univ, Western Kentucky, Furman, Toledo, Texas State, Univ of Arkansas-Little Rock, Birmingham Southern, Jacksonville State, Auburn, Clemson, Arkansas, SMU, E. Kentucky, Georgia State, South Alabama, Jacksonville University, Randolph-Macon, So. Carolina St., Tennessee St., Troy, Gardner-Webb Univ., Freed-Hardeman, Hampton University, Kansas, Univ of Massachusetts (UMASS), and Pittsburg and UAH. (This list will be updated …)
So… Hard Work does pay off! … and College Exposure will also pay off!