Morning Wood: Hubie’s All Stars

The Chavis summer basketball league here in Raleigh is a pretty competitive adult league featuring numerous current and former college players.  Flip Murray, PJ Tucker, Anthony Grundy and Josh Powell, to name a few, are in the league this year.  Some of the Brah’s friends have a team in the league, made up of mostly ex-Broughton players, with a few current and former NC State players.  The team is named Hubie’s All Stars in memory of Hubie Poteat, another friend of the Brahs, who was killed in a car accident a few years ago. 

Hubie’s consists of former NC State walk-ons Will Roach and Braxton Albritton, former NC State player Scooter Sherrill, current NC State player Ben McCauley, former Hampden Sydney D-III All American Jeff Monroe, former NC State pitcher Ryan Combs, former Clemson walk-on Chris Poole, former Broughton point guard and Clemson tennis player Jimmy Poole and former Broughton player and coach Will McElroy.  Roach, Albritton, Monroe, the brothers Poole, Combs and McElroy, pictuerd above, all played at Broughton. 

Last night, I watched Hubie’s take on the Black Devils featuring UNC’s William Graves, NC State’s Tracy Smith, ex-Broughton/current ECU player Brock Young, another guy I understand was Freddy Little and a couple of other local players.  Hubie’s was without McCauley and Sherrill, their two most accomplished and arguably best players.  There was a strong crowd supporting the All Stars, including Hubie’s parents. 

Hubie’s started the Pooles, Roach, Combs and Albritton.  The Black Devil’s started Graves, Smith, Young, Little and a long athletic high school player I believe plays at Word of God High School.  The BDs had a noticeable size advantage with Graves and Smith down low and looked considerably quicker, sporting three Division one scholarship players, the sharpshooting D-II Little and the athletic WOG player.  To be honest, Hubie’s looks like a bunch of fratty white doods.  Whether you liked to stereotype or not, you wouldn’t have given the All Stars a chance if you saw them in the pregame.  

Hubie’s came out and opened up a little lead in the first half.  They have been playing together since  elementary school and it showed.  They moved the ball well and got lots of open looks. The younger Poole, Chris, is a wizard with the ball.  He was whipping the ball through traffic getting guys open layups, when I’m not sure anyone else even saw the passing lanes.  Chris was all over the court taking charges, diving on balls and picking pockets.  He took a charge from Graves who has him by a foot and about 100 pounds.  The consistent ball movement got a lot of open 3s, which Hubie’s took advantage of.  Roach and the Pooles were bombing all over the court.  McElroy was the recipient of some nice passes and was able to chip in a couple of baskets.  Tracy Smith looked like he has lost a lot of weight, but is recovering from mono which would explain the weight loss.  His mid-range game looked sharp, as he nailed several jump shots.  He had a couple of nice post moves, but failed to assert himself and often deferred to Graves.  Hubie’s held a lead most of the first half, but the BDs closed out well, tying the game just before half. 

In the second half the BDs did not take avantage of the size differential down low and allowed Hubie’s to open a small lead with their solid outside shooting.  Combs was a beast inside, hitting the boards hard despite tangling with two ACC post players.  Graves was the biggest guy on the court, but refused to go down low, often trying to take his man off the dribble or jacking up deep threes.  A guard he is not.  Graves whined most of the game, drawing a crucial technical in the last couple of minutes after telling the ref a call was “bulls*t!”  From my vantage point it looked like an obvious foul, but what do you expect from a tarheel? 

Little single handedly brought the BDs back in the last few minutes with a barrage of threes.  The guy just wouldn’t miss.  Young also helped the comeback taking advantage of his superior quickness to get in the lane and create space.  Roach and Jimmy both nailed huge threes in the last two minutes to keep Hubie’s small lead, with Jimmy’s coming from the deep corner with guys on him.  Albritton had nifty layup.  Monroe had some strong takes to the rack and was able to ice the game after two very suspect foul calls with Graves and Little shooting threes with under 10 seconds remaining.  Little nailed all three of his free throws, but Graves choked.  He had three free throws down three with three seconds remaining.  He made the first, missed the second and missed the third on purpose, but there was a lane violation giving Hubie’s the ball and the game 86-82.  I’m probably not doing the players or the last couple of minutes justice, but it was incredible to watch.  I was definitely proud of my boys.

Tagged as: basketball, Ben McCauley, Brock Young, Chavis League, Chris Poole, Freddy Little, Hubie's All Stars, Jimmy Poole, NC State, North Carolina State, Tracy Smith, Will Roach, William Graves