Will Avery Stars 14u AAU Team Advances to Classic Bracket at AAU National Championships

As the coach of the Will Avery Stars 14 and Under AAU basketball team, Rodney Johnson is in an enviable position.  He coaches a highly talented group of players who live in the same area, who have played together for several years, and who genuinely enjoy playing together.

In addition to winning three local tournaments during the Spring, the Will Avery Stars have posted runner up finishes in the highly competitive Nike Memorial Day Classic in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Super 32 Showcase in Aiken, South Carolina.  The team also finished as one of the top four teams in the Wallace Prather Memorial Classic in Atlanta, Georgia.

After winning all but 7 of the team's nearly 50 games, these rising freshmen are now focused on finishing the season with a bang at a special tournament in a special place.  The Stars defeated the Kentucky Elite Sunday night to advance to the Classic Bracket of the 2011 14 and Under AAU National Championships in Orlando, Florida.  The win brings the Stars' Pool record to 2-1 for the tournament after a win against the Future Players from Maryland and a loss to powerhouse Memphis YOMCA.  The next scheduled game is against the Hollis Biddies All Stars at 6:30 P.M. Monday.

This is Coach Johnson's fourth trip to the National Championships.  The Stars have finished in the top 25 of the tournament before, but the team has yet to finish twelfth or higher.  Breaking into the top ten this summer may prove difficult without the services of inside player Maurice O'Bannon (Glenn Hills High School).  O'Bannon is nursing a wrist injury.

Check out highlights of Aubrey McRae (Glenn Hills High School), Reggie Reid (Harlem High School), Niquia Andrews (Richmond Academy), Tony Daggett (Richmond Academy), Victor Johnson (North Augusta), Darrius Williams (T.W. Josey), Desmond Dunn (Glenn Hills High), and the rest of the Will Avery Stars during the team's 98-59 victory over the Smyrna Stars in the Super 32 Showcase last weekend.  And check back over the next several days for updates of the team's progress in Orlando, including additional highlights from the tournament.