Standifer stands out in Vegas

Kevin McCarthy
 

Charles Standifer is a member of the Play Hard Play Smart (PHPS) basketball club team as well as a student-athlete at Woodcreek High in Roseville. He was named to the 2008 All-Sierra Foothill League boys basketball team after averaging 16 points per game. A 2009er in recruiting parlance, Standifer is a 6-foot-4, 170-pound lefty backcourter possessing a 3.0 grade point average and has already taken and passed the SAT.

Standifer and his PHPS teammates recently played in the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas. Here is an excerpt from his diary.

Day 1 - Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Today we played Colorado Chaos at Foothills High. From the ride to the airport in Sacramento to the van ride to Foothills High gym with my teammates, I was full of excitement and filled with adrenaline as I mentally prepared for what we’ll encounter on the big stage in front of many college coaches. I am more excited than nervous because I know that I prepared well to get to this point and I know that now I just have to go out there and play.

Standifer was one of the top scorers at the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas

As we arrived at Foothills High, I quickly began observing many players, sizing them up to find out their names and what their strengths and weaknesses might be and how I could be successful competing against them.

As we walked on the campus, we were instructed to watch a NCAA video that talked about ways to be successful both on and off the court both before and after being recruited. After the video ended, we went into the packed gym full of players, coaches, spectators, and most importantly, college coaches. The game prior to ours then ended and we took to the court.

From the tip, the Chaos were the aggressors and displayed more energy than us, leading to an early deficit. Soon we countered their intensity and cut the lead in the second half to three (41-44) but i’ wasn’t enough to get the win.

With foul trouble, missed free-throws, and a rushed offense on our part, as well as great perimeter shooting and offensive execution down the stretch for Colorado, we lost in spite of Robert Garrett’s strong inside presence and Martin Anderson’s relentless hustle and strong overall play. The final score was 73-60 -- I scored 14 points.

The next game tomorrow should be a win because we now have witnessed the speed and physicality of this tournament -- something we haven’t seen since the Vegas tournament last spring. Also, we have rekindled our team chemistry after a month off as the Rumble in The Bay, where we placed fourth, was the last tournament we were together.

Another adjustment we made after the Colorado Chaos game was Coach Brian Hamilton and the staff coming up with a new offense, along with some inbound plays that would help against the kind of defense we would face.

Day 2 - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

We started the day watching film of the Colorado Chaos loss. I was extremely confident that today’s game against Northwest Houston would be a win even if we had to wake up and play at 10 o’clock in the morning.

In the beginning of the game, we came out better than the first game but still found ourselves behind, fighting to take the lead. Down by six with 1:07 left in the game, I checked back in, got the ball and quickly drove to the basket from the baseline, attempting a dunk that was blocked. But I got the rebound and put it in to put us within four.

The next possession we got a steal and I caught the ball in transition and hit a three to put us within one. With less than 25 seconds left, we got another stop and Juawonn Springfield raced to the basket, was fouled and went to the line. He hit two clutch free throws to give us a one point lead with 4.3 seconds remaining.

Northwest Houston inbounded the ball but we got a steal and won our first game of the tournament. A great performance from Zachary Nelson, along with Will Davis’ defensive presence in the middle were major factors in the win. Final score: 51-50 and I contributed 12 points.

Day 3 - Thursday, July 24, 2008

Today we played the East Coast Fusion squad. Unlike the previous games, we were the aggressors. We quickly took the lead and led throughout the entire game. Zachary Nelson continued to be a dominant force for us at both ends of the floor. Yevgeniy Dyachenko was also a solid contributor, slowing highly recruited Benn Boggs to five points. Our defensive specialist, Juan Basped, added numerous momentum-changing plays. I scored 26 points and the final score was 65-49.

Day 4 - Friday, July 25, 2008

From the time I woke up I felt excited and ready to play an elite team in an elimination game, ready to meet the Inland Reebok I team on the main court at Green Valley High. Before the game, I iced my left thumb and pointer finger and watched game film of the East Coast Fusion game. Then I worked on my ball handling up on the balcony. Today, I was more relaxed than I have been in the entire tournament.

As I watched the game before our game, I listened to five songs: Hustlers Ambition by 50 Cent, Back down by 50 Cent, Picture Me Rollin by 2pac, Fast-Forward by Jodie Breeze and Money on My Mind by Lil Wayne. These five songs get me fired up to play. I began to imagine I was playing in an empty gym with nobody but my team and the other team. I imagined that I was playing at 24 Hour Fitness; loose and relaxed, shooting threes, penetrating to the rack, and hitting seemingly impossible shots.

In warm-ups, I handled the ball and shot it with a relaxed confidence, not dwelling on the mistakes or misses. I did the Carmelo dunk in warm- ups -- that is when you jump up off both feet, put the ball behind your head with two hands and throw it in hard without touching the rim. We felt we were ready to compete after warm-ups.

From the tip, I could sense it would be a good game with the aggressive and chatty Inland Reebok I team and a rowdy crowd in the stands. Coach Hamilton made adjustments after a quick start by Michael Snaer and a strong first half by his team.

In the second half, Martin Anderson provided consistent play, grabbing 12 rebounds and Yevgeniy Dyachenko hit multiple long range three pointers. I scored 33 points but the final score was 79-74 in favor of Inland Reebok I.

Tournament Summary

We improved and played hard in every game, growing closer as a team. I think that we will take what we have learned from this tournament and use it to make us an even better team. Personally, I have a better understanding of what it takes to compete at a higher level after playing against some of the best teams and players in the country. This experience will help me take the things I have learned into my upcoming high school year as I try to help my Woodcreek team be successful in the 2008-2009 basketball season.