commercialappeal.com [excerpt]

September 30, 2011 – Oak Hill (Va.) Academy basketball coach Steve Smith has coached NBA all-stars like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony, so he knows talent when he sees it.

And some of the very best, he said, is right here in Memphis.

Smith was on hand Thursday at the Westin Hotel downtown to help announce Penny Hardaway’s Hoopfest Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Oak Hill, a perennial national powerhouse, is one of the teams that will be participating in the event, which will match teams from Memphis against top squads from around the nation.

“You go to New York, L.A. there are always the same three or four teams (that dominate),” Smith said. “Memphis has so many quality teams. … I’m excited to bring my team here. It’s the highlight of the year on our schedule.”

Click here to read the full article.

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This is Smith’s 26th season at Oak Hill.  His overall record is now 800-49, a winning percentage of 94%, the highest in high school basketball history.

Congratulations, Coach!

Click here for the full game recap.

susanshan.com [excerpt]

December 11, 2010 — 11 years ago, I attended my first Iolani Classic. The championship game that year featured No. 1 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. No. 2 Dominguez (Compton, Calif.). Oak Hill won in a 54-50 thriller, and Kentucky-bound Cliff Hawkins was named the Most Valuable Player. In addition, I got to interview Tyson Chandler.

Oak Hill head coach Steve Smith said in a phone interview yesterday, “I remember that game. I remember that game well. It was a really good game – close and exciting.”

Over a decade later, not much has changed. Oak Hill is once again No. 1 in both the USA Today and ESPN RISE rankings with an 11-0 record. They have one game left vs. Sumter on Saturday before they leave for Hawaii.

Smith, who has his choice of holiday tournaments, has been bringing the Warriors to Honolulu since 1988 (though not every year).

“The Hawaii tournament has top-notch competition. Semifinals, finals, you can’t find a better game on your schedule all season long. Obviously, being in Honolulu, Hawaii, that’s an attraction. Most of our kids have never been there. I like taking our guys to different places, places they’ve never gone to,” he said.

Click here to read the full article at susanshan.com.

Watch as Oak Hill takes on Quality Education Academy from North Carolina in Benton, KY at 9:00pm eastern.

Click here to watch the game live!

Throughout the 2010-2011 season, OakHillHoops.com will feature personal stories from our players.

Three Month Report Card

We’ve now been up on “The Hill” for about three months.  It doesn’t seem like I’ve been gone from St. Louis that long at all.

My senior year is going really well.  I just didn’t realize it would all come this fast.  In just three short months, being in this new environment has helped me a lot both on and off the court.  I feel like I’m getting ready for my start in the real world.

My communication when meeting new people has improved, and I’m definitely learning to be a better student and player.  I’m also now able to better focus on my goals and know how to actively pursue them.   I know I’ll have a lot of opportunities in life, and being here was the best decision for me.

So our basketball season is also going really great so far.  We are 6-0 heading into the Thanksgiving Break!  Next game is December 3rd on the road.

I’m trying really hard every day…can’t wait until that big day when I graduate from Oak Hill – my family will be so proud of me.

-Ben #23

Throughout the 2010-2011 season, oakhillhoops.com will feature personal stories from our players.

Taking Flight

The season has taken off, and needless to say, we are maintaining flight.  We are 6-0, and by the way we have been playing, I can’t see anyone contending with us.  Through tough practices and tough lessons on the court, we have not only become a better team, but we have also grown even closer, becoming a family.  Every player on the team has maintained their strong work ethic, and it is great to see everyone improving their game.

Off the court, school has kept us all busy and everyone has learned how our academic system works.  The schedule and routine for everyone is now second nature.

It was nice last week to see three of my teammates (Sidiki, Daniel and Quinn) sign their NL of Intent with me.  It was a moment I will probably remember for the rest of my life.

Everyone is looking forward to taking a break and going home for Thanksgiving this week, then it’s back to work!  Until next time…

-Keith

Quinn Cook – Duke
Daniel Gomis – Oregon State
Keith Hornsby – UNC-Asheville
Sidiki Johnson – Arizona

Junior Damien Wilson

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