Sun Sports Q & A: Tom Tietze, Metro Sports/KC Prep National Invitational; event tips off today in Shawnee |
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| Written by Mark Dewar | |||
| Wednesday, 28 July 2010 00:00 | |||
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The 9th Annual Metro Sports/KC Prep National Invitational brings some of the top high school-aged boys basketball talents in the nation to Shawnee this week. Also included are some top homegrown talents, such as 2009-10 All-Sun second-team honoree A.J. Spencer, a senior-to-be at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, who plays for Kansas City Pump N Run. The event tips off today and continues through Saturday at the Mid-America West Sports Complex, 20200 Johnson Drive. Play begins at noon today and runs through 10 p.m. Thursday’s contests tip off at 9 a.m. and continue until 10 p.m. Friday’s session begins at 8 a.m. and lasts until 10 p.m. Play concludes Saturday with games slated from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The 2010 version marks the first July NCAA certified basketball tournament ever played in Kansas City that will air on Metro Sports television. The event will run on a tape-delayed basis Thursday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. According to a Metro Sports press release, there will be two games played at once with the television schedule posted on the Metro Sports Web site (kcondemand.com/Metrosports.aspx). All of the games will include play-by-play coverage and player interviews. Additionally, 610 Sports will air its morning show live from courtside from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday and Friday. Late last week. The Sun asked Tom Tietze, the event's organizer, for his thoughts on those elements that have combined to make the Metro Sports/KC Prep National Invitational a showcase event through the collective eye of the nation’s top summer basketball programs.
A. You can expect to see some of the finest high school boys summer travel teams in the country. Many of these players will be on television in a few years with their college teams, and I think that is what a lot of the diehard hoops fans really like. We have had two first-round NBA players participate in this tournament in the last five years and one NCAA Player of the Year. For example, a lot people were able to see Derrick Rose play here when he was a relative unknown. (Now he is expected to rise to the level of one of the best guards in the NBA). It was easily clear to anyone who watched Derrick that he was going to be special. The same was true for Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough.
A. We will have 64 teams consisting of two 16-team (one Platinum division and one Gold division) 17's age-group teams. These youngsters are rising seniors for the Class of 2011. We will also have one 16's (16-team Silver division - Class of 2012) plus one 15's (16-team Bronze division - Class of 2013). Pool play is generally scheduled for the first two days with the top two teams advancing into an eight-team tournament.
A. This tournament has continued to grow and attract more college coaches than any summer tournament held in Kansas City. Last year we had 322 college coaches attend in four days. These were largely (NCAA) D-I schools, but we also have D-II, NAIA and junior college coaches. We are fortunate in this part of the country to have great D-II, NAIA and junior college conferences. In the effort that college coaches make to recruit the best possible players, there is no substitute for being there. The Metro Sports/KC Prep, the National AAU tournament in Orlando, Fla., and the large tournament in Las Vegas are three of the tournaments that are must-see events for the live July recruiting period.
A. I would suggest that some of the teams to watch would be the St. Louis Eagles (one of the best guards in the country already committed to Florida and 6-5 Ben McLemore, who is being recruited by KU and a huge group of other schools), KC Pump N Run (over the past 10 years the best summer program in this town and one of the best in the country), Brandon Bass Elite (Vonzell Thomas, the coach of this team, told me last week, "Tom, I really think there will be 45 to 50 college coaches here to watch my team play."), Milwaukee Spartans, East Coast Fusion (from Virginia), Kansas Pray and Play (with 6-8 Perry Ellis - arguably one of the top three in the Class of 2012. We are fortunate to have some outstanding summer travel team programs in the metro area with the KC 76ers, KC Keys and Scott Wedman's Pumas. I know I have omitted some outstanding national participating teams, so I should probably stop. We will have something for everyone that likes high school-age basketball. There will be teams from 15 states participating. Those fans can evaluate, on their own, what players they like, and can say, "I saw him here at the Metro Sports Tournament."
A. I have had a high school scouting service for more than 21 years, and I know the majority of the coaches that walk in the door. Generally, they are as nice of a group of individuals as you would want to be around. There are a few stinkers in every group, but that is not unlike anything else in a particular business. Most of them are paid very decent salaries, so they usually have an upbeat and positive outlook. However, there is also the constant pressure to succeed and win games. I have seen the business change, in many ways, in the last five to eight years. There is not quite the humility level that some of the great teachers/coaches of the game had in the past. Still, there are some absolutely outstanding coaches in the business and many are more than willing to just say hello to anyone. I don't think you could find any more approachable college coaches than Mike Anderson, Bill Self or Frank Martin. Any parent could trust putting their son's education and development at these college coaches’ schools.
A. Without a doubt, the two best components (outside of the outstanding teams) of this tournament are one that just recently happened and one that has been a part of it from almost the beginning. Since this is an NCAA certified tournament, it is required that an NCAA Educational Session be presented to all participants. For many years, we have had Rick Evrard, with Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC provide this presentation. He has no peers. This is absolutely the best NCAA Educational Session of any tournament anywhere in the country. We have been so fortunate to have Rick here. If you ever heard him speak, you would know what I mean. Parents and players are impressed by this presentation every summer. The second addition to this tournament just happened last August. Two days after the conclusion of the '09 tournament, Shawn Beldin with Metro Sports called and wanted to visit about having this tournament on television. I was clearly impressed with what this opportunity provided to the youngsters participating. Then Natalie Moultrie, Metro Sports Youth Coordinator, proposed having a youth tournament (grades 3 through 8) be a part of this also (even though the games are played in different facilities). It was just a great proposal. (We have a total of over 170 teams participating this week.) Everyone at Metro Sports has been the best professionals with whom to be associated. Metro Sports doesn't get enough credit for all that they do in Kansas City and the extended area for high school sports and activities. Down through the years we have had tremendous support from Price Chopper as well as Chris Rivers from adidas. Longtime multi-high school conference commissioner Mike Etnire has always provided the officials clinic and John Dehan helps with the scheduling. Jan Handley has done a great job of being the tournament manager for two years and has the thankless job of keeping the event on schedule. Johnson County Parks and Recreation absolutely bends over backward to do whatever we ask in making our tournament a success. None of this could have happened without these businesses and individuals.
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