Inside the Program: 2018-2019 Mill Creek
The Mill Creek Hawks are coming off 3 straight trips to the State Tournament and have a number of recruitable players on their roster. Our Kris Watkins was able to catch up with Head Coach David Allen to take an Inside the Program look at the Hawks for this upcoming season.
What has the focus been for your team this past summer and this preseason?
The time period from April-October is critical in the development of our players. We have continued the basic offseason plan as in years past which is to improve individual skill development, personal strength, evaluate our personnel, implement our style of play for the upcoming season, and to get the guys acclimated to their new team as we mesh returning players with members of our sub varsity that are wanting to take the next step. However; this summer we have put an added emphasis on leadership and personal accountability which are two areas we believe need to be improved in our program. We are seeing positive results from the guys in regards to their work ethic in the classroom and weight room this fall.
Now that school is back in session, players have been coming in on their own in the mornings to get some work in on the Gun (our shooting machine). I have always felt that it is critical for our guys to take the first few weeks of school to focus on their classes, so they can get off on the right foot and maintain a high GPA. For this reason, we do not begin our 4-on-1 workouts until the beginning of September. These 4-on-1 workouts take on a whole new meaning now than they did in the spring. They are driven by specific offensive and defensive activities that go along with our scheme while continuing to improve their overall skill set. We expect the growth in accountability/leadership to continue in each player as we move into the coming months leading up to the start of the season.
The last 3 seasons your team has had some pretty exciting region tournament matchups. 3 Years ago your team came from 16 down at half to beat Duluth, 2 years ago losing a nail biter then making in state tournament on at large bid and last year your team had the upset over #3 seed and 20 win Collins hill team to secure a state tournament bid. How have these experience help set your team up for this upcoming season?
There is no doubt that signature wins like we experienced in last year’s tournament can have a lasting effect on the returning players. It reminds them that the reward is earned by the team that prepares for the moment regardless of the talent. Even though each year has a different makeup than the one before, we have a large nucleus of guys returning that remember that feeling. The task now is to find a way to make the next step and to keep the positive momentum going into post season play. With the format of our tournament the way it is, we cannot get complacent after the first round like we have in years past. The thing I really want them to remember is that the feeling of victory in that game pales in comparison to losing the next three.
Your region is a war every night with each team having college prospects, tell us about your out of region schedule for this season.
Yes, our region is brutal and has been for the last 3 seasons. In order to be ready to compete in Region 6 you have better been battle tested by the start of January. We have definitely ramped up our schedule for this season for that reason. I also think we are going to be much improved and in a better position to benefit from the rigor. We are starting with a scrimmage at Norcross and competing in this years Jared Cook Tip-Off Classic at North Gwinnett against two very talented teams in Shiloh and Milton. We also have Archer, North Ga Showcase on Dec 1st, Jefferson, and Dutchtown in the GDP Challenge all before Christmas. We were fortunate to get an invitation to the Lake City Classic held at Alatoona HS to go along with our annual games versus crosstown rivals Dacula and Flowery Branch. There are definitely no “days off“ in the 2018-19 season and it was built to have us prepared to be playing our best basketball in February.
I know you have some talented prospects back this year. Who are some prospects to look out for?
We are very fortunate to have several key players returning including four starters from last year’s team. Consistency is the key to lasting success and I believe we are in a place where we have some really good prospects in each class. Our 2019 group consists of Matthew McDowell and Tobi Ogun-Semore who have received attention from some coaches at the DII, NAIA, and DIII levels. Our 2020 class has 3 players that will be turning a lot of heads this fall at exposure events. Kendall Latney, Jack Kostel, and Zion Wimby; all three of these guys are looking better and better each day from a development standpoint and we are going to lean on them for major production on both ends of the floor this year. What’s exciting is when you look down at our group from 2021. This could be a very strong class as well. Andrew McConnell is a phenomenal PG when the ball is in his hands and there aren’t too many young guys that have the speed, athleticism, and competitive drive like Iajah Phillips and Makai Vassell. Throw in the two sport star in the making Josh Battle and this class is going to be really fun to watch as they grow older.
College coaches are welcome at any of our workouts and practices. The link below has highlight reels for several of our players and complete game film can be sent upon request. Please feel free to email me at david_c_allen AT gwinnett.k12.ga.us for more information on our players.
Link to highlight reels: Mill Creek Basketball
Returning starters by class:
Sr – Matthew McDowell (6’5 Forward)– GPA 3.5, four year varsity player that brings us experience. Matthew has a very strong build and is a dual threat offensively. (See Video in link)
Sr- Tobi Ogun-Semore (6’7 Post) – GPA 3.2 Great feet for a big, can defend the perimeter and stretch defenses with ability to shoot the 3. Very proud of his development and we feel that his best basketball is ahead of him. (see video link)
Jr – Kendall Latney (6’2 Combo) 2nd Team All –Region as a Sophomore, 10.5 ppg, 5.2 reb.. He is a phenomenal athlete that has a physical style of play and is much improved in all aspects of his game. Receiving attention from MM and DII schools already. (See video link) *update coming
Jr – Jack Kostel (6’2 PG) – GPA 3.75 – Jack has taken the reigns as our PG and has a very high basketball IQ. He had a great summer playing up in the 17U for the Atlanta Timberwolves and is receiving interest from LM and DII schools (see video link) *update coming
Returning Varsity players by class:
Sr- Bernard Battle (6’3 Forward) – Bernard is a talented player with the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter and score on the inside
Sr – Brandon Fletcher (6’3 Forward) – Very competitive and has the ability to defend on the perimeter and in the paint and is the glue for our intensity and hustle.
Sr-Jayden Marshall (5’10 Guard) – GPA 3.8, Jayden is a 4 year varsity player with electric speed and can pressure you for 94 feet
Sr-Nathan Ward (6’4 Post) – GPA 3.9, Nathan is the kind of player that every successful team needs. He has a high motor and runs the floor exceptionally well. He will rebound everything in sight and will fight you for every loose ball.
Jr – Zion Wimby (6’2 Guard) – As mentioned earlier, Zion is quickly making a name for himself. He has a scoring mentality and has worked really hard this off season so that he is ready to take on a bigger role.
Jr – Sebastian Augustave (5’10 PG) – Very aggressive player on defense and really fun to coach. He is a student of the game as any good PG should be and has worked extremely hard this off season to put himself in the mix.
What former Hawks are currently playing in college and where?
Tre Rice – Oglethorpe University
Miles Riley- Piedmont College
Charles Botchway – South Ga State
Scotty Chadwick – Huntingdon College
Ryan Dobbs – Georgia College & State University
Noah Kenney – Pfeiffer College