Grind Region Preview: Ferguson Elite
We may be in the middle of high school basketball season but it’s not too early to look ahead to what’s coming up on the AAU circuit. Over the next few months we will be taking a look at the teams that will be participating in the PrepHoops Circuit Grind Region and here’s a look at Ferguson Elite.
Ferguson Elite will have a team in the 15U division of the Grind Region. They will be participating in the #GrindSzn Kickoff, Midwest Grind Session, and Grind Region Finals.
Here’s a transcript of a conversation we had with coach Harrison Brumley.
Why did you start your program? How long have you been around?
Ferguson Elite started in 2015 as Team USA the summer after the boys finished 5th grade. Four of the boys had played on Athletes First for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade but a change in direction was needed. Reggie Williams took over as the head coach and Team USA added 5 new boys that helped this team be the best team in the state for their age group during the next 4 years. In 2018, Terrance Ferguson of the Oklahoma City Thunder began to sponsor our team and a name change was appropriate. Our head coach, Reggie Williams was Terrance’s coach when he was a kid living in Tulsa. Once he made an NBA roster he was excited to give back the same way Reggie had given to him.
What is the goal of your program for 2019?
The goal of Ferguson Elite in 2019 is to create an environment, a family, where young men can develop on the court, and off the court. We desire to help these young men grow as a play and earn a college scholarship. But, even more importantly we desire to see them grow in their character using basketball as a way to learn how to navigate life. Virtues such as hard work, communication, perseverance, accountability, patience, humility, respect, and attitude to name a few.
What is your program’s mission each year?
To make a positive, lifelong impact on not only every young man on the team, but their families as well.
Do you know of any players that will be back in your program this year? Who should we have our eye on?
This is the best collection of players we have ever assembled. There are a few that stand out as most likely to lead the team: Reid Lovelace, Jaylon Orange, Kaden Vande, Jarrett Grisham, and Jamel Graves
Why did you choose the Prep Hoops Circuit?
We chose Prep Hoops first because of the relationship we have had with Matt Reynolds over the last three years. Prep Hoops also works hard to ensure they have a great product to offer in a basketball world that can be very unorganized, unprofessional, and very frustrating to say the least. Finally, it also gives our young men a chance to compete in front of regional college coaches. This is very important to us as most of our boys will end up playing regionally and need the local exposure with these college coaches.