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Holiday events provide plenty of prime perks

By DAVID MURPHY
Published December 27, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - Thaddeus Young. Brandon Powell. Robert Swift. Greg Carr.

Two years from now, all four could be household names. Two years ago, they participated in the Kingdom of the Sun Tournament in Ocala.

Though Hernando did not have a player like Swift, a 2004 first-round pick of the Seattle Sonics, or Young, one of the most touted recruits to come out of Memphis, its participation in the annual Christmas tournament provided a chance to watch - and play - some pretty good basketball.

"I always try to look for a challenge for us," said Hernando coach Jeff Laing, whose team that year was led by current James Madison freshman Kyle Swanston, "something that is going to help prepare us for the state playoffs."

Every year, the settings change - Hernando is heading to Daytona Beach this year, Nature Coast to The Villages, Central to Ridgewood - but for the most part, the philosophies remain the same.

In addition to the allure of the open road, Christmas tournaments provide coaches with a chance to face quality competition they normally wouldn't get to see. Players get a break from the monotony of conference and district schedules and get a chance to see - and be seen by - other players, coaches and scouts.

Though the trips are pricey - Laing estimates Hernando will spend more than $1,000 for its trip to the Father Lopez tournament this week - nobody seems to mind.

Part of the intrigue is the travel, part of it the competition, but an equally valuable component is the exposure. Two years ago, Laing said Swanston - who averaged 21.3 points in three games and eventually signed with James Madison - was helped by his performance in the tournament.

"Any time you have a tournament like that, scouts are going to be there," Laing said. "And not just scouts, but people like rivals.com and magazines that can help get your name out."

There are off-the-court benefits, too.

Hernando will spend two nights in Daytona Beach with four players staying in each hotel room. The tournament lasts three days with each team playing three games. Thursday night, the Leopards will travel as a team to Central Florida to watch the Knights play North Florida in the UCF Holiday Classic.

They also will find time to hit the boardwalk.

"The kids look forward to it," said Laing, who added he would like to one day take a team to an out-of-state tournament. "It's nice to go away as a group and get away from school."

The Springstead boys are the only area team not participating in a holiday tournament. Eagles coach Craig Swartout said after casually looking for a tournament before the season, he decided to give his players some time off. The Springstead gym floor will be repainted during the break, and the Eagles will resume practice Jan.2.

Nature Coast coach Travis Priddy tried that last year but decided against it this year.

After not playing from Dec.15 to Jan.5, the Sharks lost their first game back to a Crystal River team Priddy said they would have beaten "any other time we'd played them."

"We went three weeks without playing," he said. "That's basically starting your season over."

This year, the Sharks will avoid that rustiness and play in The Villages tournament.

Priddy's players don't seem to mind.

"If I'm playing basketball," guard Joe Silvestri said, "I'm happy."

[Last modified December 27, 2005, 02:30:20]