Thump Thump party with Kepdawg tonight!

[Gsquared]

Meeting up at the Ginger Man at 5 where Kep will lay his credit card on the bar to cover the tab. Afterwards head to Moody at SMU to see Duncanville vs Oak Hill Academy (I think). EVERYONE is invited.

[3afan]

Duncanville out to chop down Virginia's mighty Oak Hill

By DAMON L. SAYLES / The Dallas Morning News
dsayles@dallasnews.com

DUNCANVILLE – Duncanville's boys basketball team, a defending state champion in the midst of a 53-game winning streak, has been anticipating tonight's game against Oak Hill (Va.) Academy for months.

After all, four of six national high school polls chose Oak Hill as their mythical national champion for the 2006-07 season.

"They have the national reputation," Duncanville coach Phil McNeely said. "They have what our guys want."

And Duncanville could only watch when Oak Hill visited Dallas last season to play San Antonio Cornerstone. Duncanville played South Oak Cliff in the final game of a five-game showcase.

"People didn't think we could hang with them," Duncanville forward Shawn Williams said of Oak Hill. "But we heard all that last year, about a lot of teams."

So Duncanville players were a bit disappointed when Oak Hill (12-2) surrendered its No. 1 ranking in several polls after losses to St. Benedict's (N.J.) and Richmond (Va.). Benedictine in a three-day span last week. Duncanville will be the higher-ranked team at the inaugural Dallas DunkFest at Moody Coliseum.

"We were hoping we'd both be undefeated," said Duncanville point guard Brian Talley, whose team is 14-0. "But that's how it goes, I guess. Even the No. 1 team can be beaten."

Oak Hill coach Steve Smith was impressed after watching Duncanville last season. That team won its games by an average of nearly 19 points. Smith is expecting an even tougher Duncanville team tonight.

"They're really athletic, and they have size," Smith said. "They've played together for quite a while, and it shows. They're playing with confidence."
Duncanville will be taking a shot at Oak Hill in the inaugural Dallas Dunkfest.

Arizona-bound Brandon Jennings, considered the No. 1 point guard in the nation by ESPN, leads Oak Hill. Teammate Glenn Bryant, a junior, is being recruited by Kentucky, Florida and Ohio State.

Duncanville counters with forward Kevin Butler, the MVP of last season's Class 5A title game and a TCU signee, and Talley, who has signed with Southern. Star juniors Williams and Roger Franklin have been heavily recruited since they were freshmen.

Duncanville players say their winning steak and their 5A state championship last season are not motivating factors. They seem to derive motivation from the perception of themselves as underdogs.

"We play like we're looking for respect," Williams said, "and we're going to keep playing the way we play until we get more respect."

The irony is that Duncanville, with Oak Hill's losses, has moved up to No. 1 in the SI.com poll. And it is No. 2 in the USA Today Super 25 poll, the National Prep Poll and HoopsUSA.com's traditional school poll.

Oak Hill has slid out of the top 10 in all polls that have been updated since its losses.

"We don't have anything to lose. They have history on their side," Franklin said. "We're the underdogs, so we'll just go in and do what we've been doing since last year."

Duncanville's schedule the next 10 days is hectic and offers a chance to cement its national standing. After playing Oak Hill, Duncanville faces defending Class 4A state champion South Oak Cliff on Friday.

The following week, Duncanville will be in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at the 2007 Beach Ball Classic, a tournament featuring teams from nine states and Canada. Duncanville opens with Suffolk (Va.) Nansemond River and aims to become the first Texas team to win the Classic.

Franklin said the schedule forces the team to stay alert and precise. It also helps eliminate butterflies for games like tonight's.

"All we're doing is taking everything step by step – from the district championship to a regional championship to a state championship to national contender," Franklin said.

McNeely added: "What I like most about these kids is they want to play the best. They're very businesslike right now, but that's been their personality the last couple of years. They're ready."

DALLAS DUNKFEST
(Today at SMU's Moody Coliseum)
Game 1: St. Mark's (5-7) vs. Episcopal School of Dallas (10-4), 6:30 p.m.
Game 2: Duncanville (14-0) vs. Oak Hill Academy (12-2), approx. 8 p.m.

Tickets: $12-$55, available at Moody Coliseum or by calling 214-768-4263.

10 PLAYERS TO WATCH
Top players at tonight's Dallas DunkFest.
Name School Ht. Cl. Comment
Emmanuel Acho St. Mark's 6-5 Sr. Texas football commit a force inside
Glenn Bryant Oak Hill 6-7 Jr. Recruited by Kentucky and Florida
Kevin Butler Duncanville 6-5 Sr. Athletic forward signed with TCU
Roger Franklin Duncanville 6-5 Jr. The team's muscle and sparkplug
Keith Gallon Oak Hill 6-9 Jr. 300-pound Texan nicknamed "Tiny"
Jeff Georgatos ESD 6-7 Sr. Inside-outside game makes him intriguing
Brandon Jennings Oak Hill 6-3 Sr. Considered the nation's top-ranked PG
Brian Talley Duncanville 5-9 Sr. Lightning quick with a nice stroke
Trenton Wesson ESD 5-10 Sr. The area's hottest shooter last week
Shawn Williams Duncanville 6-7 Jr. Can play four positions effectively

NATIONAL RANKINGS
How Duncanville and Oak Hill Academy are ranked in national polls that reflect Oak Hill's losses.
Poll DHS OHA
SI.com Top 25 1 13
USA Today Super 25 2 17
National Prep Poll 2 17
HoopsUSA.com 2* 11*
* Duncanville is ranked in HoopsUSA.com's Traditional school poll. Oak Hill is ranked in HoopsUSA.com's National school poll.

[Gsquared]

Sweet!

[kepdawg]

Oak Hill 78 Duncanville 77 OT

Duncanville appeared to have the more well rounded team while Oak Hill had the star, Brandon Jennings.

[Gsquared]

Kepdwg proposed to me at halftime :eek:

[3afan]

and your answer was ?

[Gsquared]

Originally posted by 3afan
and your answer was ?
Its gonna be no but since it was a tense situation I told him id think about it. Boy freaks me out.

[kepdawg]

Originally posted by Gsquared
Kepdwg proposed to me at halftime :eek:

Would you like some nachos is not a proposal! :rolleyes:

[pirate4state]

:D :D :D :D

[Gsquared]

Originally posted by kepdawg
Would you like some nachos is not a proposal! :rolleyes:
Whew good, I was gonna have to go rabbit punch a dude in the neck to get my boyhood back.