Culligan City of Palms Classic Newsletter October 2017

Seniors:

Bol Bol (Mater Dei, Calif.) Sr. 7' 3" C Bol Bol, son of former NBA star Manute Bol, is paving his own path to the NBA. Although lacking his fathers "room changing" height of 7' 7", Bol extends his game well beyond the limitations of a typical rim defender. Shooting nearly 50% from beyond the arc at Nike's EYBL league, Bol is making a name for himself in the pick and pop game. Senior Bol is undecided on his next step of collegiate ball. He is currently being courted by UK, Oregon and more.

Nassir Little (Orlando Christian Prep, Fla.) Sr. 6' 6" PF Nassir Little, is a high energy two-way forward. With the speed and athleticism to play both ends of the court and the competitive edge to put a team on it's heals, Little is an emerging player. What he lacks in range he makes up for in body awareness and explosiveness to the rim. Committed to UNC, Little adds speed and athleticism to the Tar Heels 2018 class. With skills easily compared to Harrison Barnes, Little is sure to be a player to keep an eye on.

Emmitt Williams (Orlando Oak Ridge, Fla.) Sr. 6' 6" PF Emmitt Williams is a hometown favorite of the COP. Growing up in Lehigh Acres, Williams is a high-flying forward, playing well above the rim, evidenced by his win in the 2016 COP Dunk Championship. This year Williams joins a talented Orlando Oak Ridge team after transferring from nearby IMG. With UF, FSU, KU, Louisville and more all hot on the recruitment trail Williams is expected to put on a show his senior year.

Juniors:

James Wiseman (Memphis East, Tenn.) Jr. 6' 11" PF James Wiseman is shaping up to be one of the nation's top players. Averaging over 20 points at Ensworth School Wiseman joins fellow EYBL Team Penny teammates Alex Lomax & Malcolm Dandridge at Memphis East for his junior year. His extremely long arms (7' 4.5" wingspan) and body awareness are helping Wiseman stand above the rest of his class. He has a great handle on basketball fundamentals and has developed a solid foundation to build on his junior and senior year of play. His transfer to Memphis East raises the bar in the competition department and should challenge Wiseman to improve his skill to new heights. Wiseman remains uncommitted, as a variety of top schools have thrown their hats in the ring.

Vernon Carey Jr. (University School, Fla.) Jr. 6' 10" C Vernon Carey Jr. is a bruising lefty with the size to play in the post and the touch to stretch teams beyond the arc. A mismatch nightmare Carey is able to find a team's weakness and exploit it. Carey is always looking to score, from creating his own driving lanes to keeping his shoulders square for quick jump shots. Carey is showing why he is ready for the next level. It's no wonder this young center is being courted by the likes of UNC, Duke, UF, KU, Miami and more.

View Packages

Traditional Bracket

Archbishop Molloy Queens, N.Y.	Canterbury Fort Myers, Fla.	Chicago Simeon Chicago, Ill.	Hudson Catholic HS Jersey City, N.J.
John Marshall Richmond, Va.	Mater Dei Santa Ana, Calif.	McEachern Powder Springs, Ga.	Memphis East HS Memphis, Tenn.
Mountain Brook Mountain Brook, Ala.	Oak Ridge Orlando, Fla.	Orlando Christian Prep Orlando, Fla.	Ranney School Tinton Falls, N.J.
St. Augustine San Diego, Calif.	University School Fort Lauderdale, Fla.	Webster Groves Webster Groves, Mo.	Wesleyan Christian High Point, N.C.

Learn more about the rest of the 2017 COP teams >>>

Wisdom from the Whistle

Last month, we were able to dive a bit into the COP's officiating history. Learning why the COP has gone to the recruitment method for officiating and discovering one of the COP's longest tenured official Frank Reposo. This month is a busy one for supervisor of officiating Kevin Hetherington. This is a crucial month to lineup officials before they begin the regular season and commit to other various tournaments and one off holiday games. This task is especially difficult as Hetherington is set to suit up himself again this season. We were able to get a few minutes of Mr. Hetherington's time to discover a bit more about the details of his scheduling process.

Q. When does the scheduling process begin for the COP?

A. Scheduling for the COP tournament begins at the end of the previous year. Several officials block out their schedule for the following year so they won't encounter any scheduling issues. That being said, the vast majority of scheduling takes place from mid-October to early December. October is when the majority of college schedules come out, then I begin confirming available tournament referees. Once schedules are posted I will then start reaching out to prospective officials, identifying the crew chiefs, and putting together the rest of our crews.

Q. How do you coordinate schedules with over 50 officials?

A. Scheduling for all levels of play used to be all done on paper making scheduling tedious. Now there is a universal system known as Arbiter Sports that is used to manage the various levels. It is this system that allows officials to block dates and identify their schedule. This universal system also allows me to identify the 50+ officials that could fit into the COP schedule. This system coupled with constant email communication allows me to get the various officials scheduled and provide the COP with the highest quality officiating possible.

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Check out next month's newsletter as we unveil a few officials and explore some of the technology officials are utilizing to make the game run smoother.

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Follett Hospitality Pavilion

Enjoy one of the dynamic features Suncoast Credit Union Arena has to offer. This

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