It’s an adventure for IMG, including Flyin’

Emmitt Williams of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) is like a lot of highly recruited high-risers. He’s 6-foot-8, has a wingspan from here to Columbus and a potential upside that has enticed many college basketball programs.

A junior, he’s counting on the emerging athletic complex that’s anchored at Bradenton, Fla., to help take him to the next level. Besides, the academy’s website proudly boasts it has placed 89 alums at NCAA Division I programs since 2012, including Wayne High School grad and University of Wisconsin freshman D’Mitrik Trice.

To that end, Williams is confident about his roundball future, but he’s clueless on IMG’s next opponent.

“I have no idea who we play next,” he admitted after delivering 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in a 70-57 thumping of Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) during Friday’s opening doubleheader of the 15th annual Premier Health Flyin’ to the Hoop at Trent Arena.

“I don’t know the schedule, I just be ready to play.”

That’s a good MO for Williams and his barnstorming peers throughout Prep School Nation. The games are plentiful, the matchups an intriguing mix of prep powers and tradition-rich local high schools throughout the country. That’s what lures teams like IMG to venture here.

“It is different,” said Williams, a Fort Meyers resident who hadn’t heard of IMG until contacted by the school. “We travel so much. We’re here (on Friday) and we’ll be at Massachusetts (Saturday morning). We play like a college schedule, jumping around and everything. It’s kind of new for us but we enjoy it.”

Williams and his teammates were a hit with wide-eyed youth afterward, posing endlessly for selfies and exchanging words of encouragement. IMG (17-1) plays Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) on Sunday at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Last season Wayne defeated IMG and Trice at Flyin’, 68-58.

“It’s very cool to come here,” Williams said. “I love the way the fans treat us. The little guys, they look up to us and we thank them coming out to support us. We love coming here and showing our talent.”

• There will be a noticeable difference in Sunday’s matchup between prep powers Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and Huntington Prep (W.Va.): a 24-second shot clock will be used.

Prep team coaches are becoming increasingly concerned about playing high school teams in which the offense isn’t revved by a shot clock. That goes against their practice routines and further hinders their players’ progressions to the next level. That’s what Flyin’ creator Eric Horstman has heard.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association prohibits its boys and girls members from using a shot clock. Prep teams like those that play at Flyin’ must agree to a clock-less game when matched against high school teams.

“For that reason we’re not going to use one, but we’ve talked about it,” said ESPN recruiting analyst John Stovall, a longtime Flyin’ guru who Horstman leans on to pair teams. “We’d love to do it.”

• Stovall on streaking Springfield (10-1): “They’ve got that three-headed monster with (Michael) McKay, (Danny) Davis and (Leonard) Taylor. Those guys score for them and they’re showing some toughness, too.”

The Wildcats have beaten Centerville, Wayne and Columbus Eastmoor Academy in a span of five days to ascend to the top of the area’s best Division I programs. Senior football/basketball standout Danny Davis (19.6 ppg.) continues to lead the Wildcats. Stovall said he thinks the uncommitted Davis likely will play football in college.

“I would think he has the higher offers in football but I think he might like basketball better,” Stovall said. “He could do either one.”

• A Flyin’ highlight is watching teams dunk in pregame warmups. Horstman must gain permission from the OHSAA to allow high school teams to jam. There is no such rule forbidding prep teams to dunk in pregame and dunking in a game is OK.

Fairmont athletic director Chris Weaver was standing under the basket prior to Friday’s second game between IMG Academy and Hamilton Heights (Tenn.) when first a bolt, then a washer fell off the back side of backboard. The warmup was suspended and a maintenance crew replaced the wayward bolts.

“These are big-time athletes and these rims and this equipment is not used to taking that sort of abuse on a regular basis for four straight days,” Weaver said. “I’m not worried about the Fricker’s and Smoothies. I’m worried about the rims and the equipment.”

• Weaver oversees many events at Trent Arena through the year. Flyin’ and the boys Divisions II, III and IV regional basketball tournaments take the most planning and preparation.

“It’s not how you hit the fastball, it’s how you hit the curveball,” he said. “You know something is going to happen in the course of those four (Flyin’) days. There’s similarities but there’s also big differences. These are true basketball fans. It’s neat to see that over the course of four days.”


MORE ONLINE

View photos and video from the game at MyDaytonDailyNews.com

About the Author