Tonight October 14th the Mulberry Street Recreation Center in Lenoir, NC will be the setting for the fourth annual “Battle of the Blue Ridge” hoops scrimmage featuring perennial powerhouse Mouth of Wilson, VA, Oak Hill Academy squaring off against Lenoir, NC, Patterson School Prep team.

The fourth annual “Battle of the Blue Ridge” hoops scrimmage will feature perennial powerhouse Mouth of Wilson, VA, Oak Hill Academy with a 34-4 record last year, and rated as the nation’s No. 6 high school team by USA Today. Oak Hill has won the high school national championship five times since 2000. Coach Steve Smith’s Warriors, have compiled an amazing record of 282 wins and only 12 losses in this decade. On October 14 Oak Hill will go against one of the nation’s strongest prep school programs, Lenoir, NC, Patterson School Prep team. Last season, Patterson School Prep posted a 35-2 record, and finished third in the national prep school poll. In 2004 Patterson School Prep coach Chris Chaney had a 40-0 season, to claim the national prep school championship at Laurinburg (NC) Institute. The depth of talent on this year’s Patterson Prep squad will again be outstanding. This scrimmage will include twenty-four players now being recruited by Division I programs, and will have more “hoop stars of tomorrow” than any other prep basketball game played in this state this season! 

Coach Steve Smith’s outstanding Oak Hill Academy Warriors will be led by New York City product, 6-1 Sr. point guard Lamont Jones, who has a long list of interested schools, including Clemson, Virginia, N.C. State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Seton Hall, Texas, and others. Jones played last year with All-American Tyreke Evans, at Aston, PA/American Christian. He will be joined in Oak Hill’s three-guard alignment by a pair of Top 20 rated juniors, 6-2 1/2G Pe’Shon Howard from Lakewood, OH, and 6-5 2G Doron Lamb of Brooklyn, NY. Lamb is being heavily recruited by many major colleges, including Duke, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Memphis, Kansas, and others. The Warriors may have the nation’s most talented high school backcourt .

Oak Hill’s prolific roster also features massive, 6-9. 300-pound, Sr. center Keith “Tiny” Gallon, from Houston, TX. Reportedly, Oklahoma is the present leader for Gallon, with Texas A&M, Tennessee, L.S.U., Arkansas, Mississippi State, and others still on his recruiting list. Versatile Top 100 rated 6-8 Sr. power/wing forward Glenn Bryant, Detroit, Mich. is a returning starter from last year. Senegal resident, 6-10 Jr. center, Baye Moussa Keita, is an intimidating shotblocker and rebounder.  Charlotte resident, 6-8 Sr. C/F Chasen Campbell, is being courted by Wake Forest, Charlotte, East Carolina, Appalachian State and others.

The Patterson School Prep team is led by the nation’s #1 rated post-graduate prep school big man, 6-9 center Rashanti Harris of Columbus, MS. Harris recently committed to Georgia State, rejecting offers from Memphis, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Alabama, Clemson, Texas, Georgia, and others. Coach Chris Chaney again has a loaded squad, with perhaps fifteen Division I propects on his “global roster.” Patterson has players from Iran, Sudan, Turkey, Lebanon, Mali, and from 12 states outside North Carolina. Among the most impressive performers in the Bulldogs practices to date are Pittsburgh commitment, 6-4 Prep. 2G DeAndre Kane; recent addition, 6-8 Prep. PF Clarence Trent from Gig Harbor, WA, who has committed to Washington; multi-talented 6-8 Sr. WF Arsalan Kazemi, a resident of Iran, and being pursued by N.C. State, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Seton Hall, Colorado, and many others. Also, towering 7-1 Jr. center David Nyrasuk from Sudan, and rated in the Top 40 in the Class of 2010; Gastonia, NC, resident, 6-11 Sr. C Hassan Whiteside, who is now considering offers from Charlotte, Nevada, Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, and others; 6-1 Prep. PG Hunter McClintock, Durham, NC, who has drawn attention from Boston College, Charlotte, Clemson, Wake Forest, Appalachian State, and East Tennesstee State; and Top 50 rated, 5-8 Jr. PG Darryl Traynham of Washington, DC, are only a part of Patterson’s extremely deep 16-player roster.

In last year’s action-packed play Patterson, paced by Arkansas recruit, 6-1 PG Courtney Fortson with 19 points, defeated Oak Hill 46-33 in the first 20 minutes segment. Oak Hill, was led by the nation’s No. 1 player, 6-1 PG Brandon Jennings with 14 points. The second 20-minute segment was closer with Patterson again prevailing 50-41. Fortson had 29 total points, and Jennings 24 total points for both segments. Incidently, Jennings, who had signed with Arizona, decided to by-pass college, and has become the first U.S. high school senior to sign a contract to play professionally in Europe directly out of high school. He will play for a pro team in Rome, Italy.

Scrimmage Date and Time:
Tuesday, October 14, 7:00 pm at Mulberry Street Recreation Center, Lenoir, NC. (Off NC Highway 18-west bypass, next to the Lenoir Mall.)

Admission: $5.00 General Admission
$10.00 V.I.P. Section (includes Hospitality Room pass)

Advance Tickets on Sale: Parkway Bank – All branches
Bank of Granite – All branches.
American Trade & Loan – 532 Harper Ave., Lenoir
Mulberry Recreation Center-- Mulberry Street, Lenoir
All Star Sports – 118 Mulberry Street, Lenoir

On October 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m., tickets will be sold at the Mulberry Street Recreation Center main entrance.