Ketchup, I mean CATCH UP time...

Tulsa Jammers - Wichita, KS National Tourney
Finished 8 -1.

Does anyone know where Dante Swanson is now? Evidently, he was released from his Poland team; I still believe he has all the ingredients necessary to play in the NBA, but evidently, the people who matter don't agree. Defense, strength, quickness, unselfishness....... I don't get it. He IS a player! He is not FORTY, but HE IS A MAN!

Here is a shot of the Tulsa Jammers, pre Brock Morton. Mostly from Memorial and Booker T. Washington, the Jammers play a high pressure, suffocating, trapping man to man defense that is exciting and fun to watch. Anthony Harris, actually has transferred from Memorial HS to the Jenks Trojans. He is now teamed with two super high school players in 6'7" Vince Boncaldo, and 6'4" Bryson Pope... with spirited Coach Martin at the helm, and a host of support players, don't be surprised if the Trojans don't make a great run at this year's State Championship in a few months.

Not that anyone really reads this blog, but the 2007 Tournament of Champions tournament in Tulsawill be a great venue to see how Rotnei Clark and Keiton Page perform against more formidable opponents then most of their games. Keiton and his Pawnee Bears take on Jenks in the first round. Rotnei and his Verdigris team battle OC McGuinness and 6'10" national prospect Daniel Orton in the first round.

OK,, it took 3 different comments, 1 email, 1 voice mail...and I decided to continue putting some thoughts, information, and basketball news onto the TulsaCeltic blog..... my son, Brock, got mad because I posted a comment about a story in the Tulsa World that included him. My comment was motly about a really gifted athlete from Bristow, Kevin Rolland, who actually chewed up and had his way with Brock. Brock could not stop him. Rolland missed some shots, but not because he was pressured by my son. Anyway, I informed Brock that I can put my opinions on the net.

I actually said in my comment, "..since Brock Morton was my son, I won't comment on his performance.."...... here, I can. Brock had 28 points and fended off a Purple Pirate comeback attempt by breaking their full court press, getting fouled, and making 11 of 12 free throws.

I quit blogging about mostly because I was so focused last year on Holland Hall and my sophomore son. He had a super year, and as a father, it made me proud and thrilled that all his hard work was paying off with significant contributions to his high school's varsity basketball program.

Watching boys, I mean young men, who had played and practiced with the Celtics, or even the many I got to know over the years who played against us, perform for various high schools across the city and beyond, was incredibly fun and exciting.

The Celtics played several tourneys with Alan Santos,jr. & Steven Smith, sr. [Brock's teammates from Holland Hall], Price Pinkerton [jr. at Cascia Hall], Nick Harris [Retired BTW Hornet Coach Nate Harris' son who starts for the Hornets], Matt Reynolds and Tyler Thalken [jr. & sr. from Bishop Kelley HS], C.J. Sidorakis {soph. from Jenks HS who is getting lots of playing time this season]. We won Hardwood Championships.

While playing tennis for the Dutch, Brock was asked to play with the Playing with Purpose group of Lee Mayberry, Rod Thompson and Coach Shea Seales, and did well in the practices that he could attend, but they decided to not mess with the chemistry they had developed while playing in several spring tourneys. So Brock joined up with the Tulsa Jammers and Coach Buck Buchanan. Coach Buck really knows how to get his players to buy in, and there tenacious, scrappy defense causes fits for many teams.

The Jammers fared well in two national tournaments in Wichita, Kansas and Denton, Texas. They went 8-1 in 4 days in Kansas.