It's getting close to decision-making time for Corprew

Over the course of the season, Deshawn Corprew of Quality Education Academy (NC)

emerged as a legitimate major-college basketball prospect. 

   It was 10 months ago when Deshawn Corprew of Quality Education Academy (NC) made a summer trip that planted the seeds for what proved to be a spectacular basketball season. The 6-5, 180 pounds shooting guard opened a lot of eyes at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, which annually attracts the best of the best college prospects.

   As a late selection to the camp, Corprew came in without any fanfare to speak of. But after four days of showcasing his talents against elite-level players, there was no doubt that he deserved to be ranked among the nation’s best. Some scouting services have him ranked among the top 60. He was 98^th in ESPN’s Top 100.

   Corprew added to his resume considerably as the prime factor for the Pharaohs, who recently advanced to the Grind Session’s national championship game before bowing out to Victory Rock Prep (Fla.). Over the course of the season, Corprew became a prize recruit for a host of major-college programs, which included Kansas, Florida State, Cincinnati, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Missouri – to name a few.

  

Corprew shot 47 percent from 3-point range

in his final season of high school hoops.

   Here’s a brief summary of observations from the college scouts: Corprew is described as athletic and quick enough to defend any position on the perimeter. Offensively, he has the complete package as a ball handler who can score off the bounce, and from mid-range as well as from beyond the 3-point arc. He is a physical player who routinely finishes at the basket in spite of body contact.

   For the season, Corprew, a senior from Norfolk, Va., averaged 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

   There was never a question in coach Isaac Pitts’s mind that Corprew would prove himself as one of the top high school players in the country. “Deshawn has always been a very good player,” Pitts said. “The biggest area of improvement is basketball IQ. For him, it became a thinking game.

   “He performed at a level which made everybody around him better. Not only that, but he learned h

ow to pick his spots (to take over a game) and make the right plays at the right time.”

   Looking back on last summer, Corprew realized that compared to many of his camp counterparts, he was an unknown and definitely not on the recruiting radar screen of a lot of big-time college basketball schools. As far as he was concerned, that was never an issue. All he wanted was the chance to show what he could do.

   “They gave me a chance, so I had to take advantage of it,” said Corprew. “I went out and played and people respected my game. That’s why I kept doing the things it takes to get better and I continue to develop my game. I wasn’t really surprised by what happened at camp last summer. I always knew that I had it in me. So, I just brought it out when my opportunity presented itself.”

  Now that the basketball season is over, Corprew is going through the process of deciding where he will play in college. If he has narrowed his choices of schools, he’s not making that known at this time. The signing period for Division I basketball is April 13 through May 18.

  Initially, there was nothing for Corprew to consider in terms of picking a college. That’s because prior to the start of the season, he verbally committed to Arkansas-Little Rock. Two months later, however, he rescinded his commitment. “I didn’t take my (recruiting) visit, so I think I made the decision too early,” Corprew said in November. “So, I’ll take all of my visits and see what they have to offer.”

Don't sell the Camels short in 1-A Regional final

Armani Hampton leads the Camels who are having the best season in school history.

   It’s safe to say that that few people believed that Atkins’ girls would make an extended run in this year’s Class 1-A state basketball playoffs. Through four rounds of postseason play, the Camels have delivered stunning victories as the West Region’s No. 12 seed.

  Atkins pulled off an eyebrow-raising 48-44 upset win over top-seeded Hiwassee Dam earlier this week to confirm its status as a bona fide contender for a state title. Coach Louis Lowery’s crew takes the next step on Saturday, when they face archrival Winston-Salem Prep in the regional final at Joel Coliseum (2 p.m. tip-off).

   The winner earns a trip to Chapel Hill to play for the state championship on March 12.

   “If we play the way we’re capable of playing, I like our chances against anybody,” said Lowery. “Everybody on this team has a role and we’re playing together and we’re playing with a lot of intensity.”

   There’s no doubt that Atkins will be the underdog in most people’s minds. After all, Winston-Salem Prep is the defending state champ, and for the most part, the Phoenix appears to be primed to win back-to-back state titles.

   Even so, don’t overlook Atkins (21-6). Over the past three years, the Camels have given Prep (26-3) all it can handle every time these schools get together on a basketball court. This year, for instance, Prep won both regular-season games, but in each case, the outcome could’ve turned out differently.

Atkins has proven itself as a genuine state title contender.

   The Phoenix beat the Camels 44-37 on its home floor and managed to squeeze out a 35-34 victory in the second meeting at the Atkins gym. But that’s not all. A year ago – the same season in which Prep won its first state title in girls’ hoops – the Camels earned a split by winning one of their two regular-season games. The year before that, the teams were 1-1 when they went head-to-

head.

   “We’ve had some tough losses to Prep,” said Lowery. “But now we get another chance. Now, we’ll get to see how much we’ve learned from our mistakes. This group has gone through some adversity, but they’ve become better and they’re stronger because of that.”

   Based on the recent history of these teams, folks can expect a low-scoring, defensive struggle. Both teams have quickness in the backcourt and strong performers on the front line. The outcome, though, is likely to come down to composure, turnovers and free-throw shooting.

   No doubt, Prep, No. 2 in the West Region, is formidable. But so is Atkins.

   As the 12^th-seed, the Camels have raised their level of play in posting road wins over No. 4 Elkin and top-seeded Hiwassee Dam. What’s most impressive is the defense. In those two games, the Camels held the opposition to 38.5 points per game.

   Even though Atkins is viewed as this year’s Cinderella team, Lowery isn’t surprised by the results. A year ago, the Camels had the look of a serious contender, but fell short in a shocking upset loss to Bishop McGuinness in the opening round of the playoffs.

   It was a disappointing time because Atkins had two convincing wins over McGuinness during the regular season. The surprise loss wasn’t a case of the Camels being overconfident. It was a case of being idle for a week-and-a-half because of a snow storm that forced all schools in Forsyth County to close.

Louis Lowery, Atkins coach

   Since the schools were closed, no team was allowed to practice, in accordance with the rules issued by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. When the Camels took the court against the Villains, it was evident that the lengthy time off caused major problems. They were woefully out of sync and clearly rusty.

   “It took all of us a while to get over that,” Lowery recalled. “We moved on, but the kids remembered the experience. That’s why they’ve continued to push. All of that came to play in our last win. They endured under adverse circumstances on the road. And they stayed in the fight all the way until the very end. That was a very tough game.”

   Armani Hampton, a 5-11 forward, is Atkins’ marquee player. For her career, Hampton, who signed with Appalachian State, has averaged over 15 points a game. Her length, quickness and court savvy make her a difficult cover for opposing defenders.

   Hampton, however, is not a solo act.

   Saryna Carpenter, a 5-11 power forward, is a solid two-way player in the post. Her ability to hit shots from the perimeter makes her especially lethal. In the middle, 6-1 center Chandler Robinson isn’t known for her scoring. What she does best is snatch rebounds and block shots. As an inside presence, Robinson is equally effective at altering shots whenever opponents take the ball to the basket.

   The backcourt has more than held its own. Tyler Mercer, Tyler Davenport and Mikalah Muhammad have all had their superlative moments this season.

In the win over Hiwassee Dam, Mercer’s scoring and assists accounted for 10 points in a decisive 14-0 run in the third quarter that helped Atkins take control of the game.