Post by aggiejazz on Jun 30, 2009 12:17:43 GMT -5
Six hauling in local talent for Pirates
By Melinda Waldrop 247-4634
June 30, 2009
HAMPTON - — David Six has lived in Hampton Roads so long, he's doesn't even bother telling people anymore that he's originally from New York.
He's become a fixture on the area basketball scene, from his days coaching the Gloucester High School boys, to his 14 seasons leading the Hampton High girls to a 331-93 record and two state titles, to his work with Boo Williams' nationally recognized AAU teams.
Now Six, named head women's basketball coach at Hampton University in April, wants to bring some of that local flavor to his new gig.
"I've coached here a long time, with some success, at Hampton High School, and I thought it odd that, with Hampton University being right there, I thought it odd that there weren't a lot of local kids," Six said.
Of the four in-state players on HU's roster last year, two — junior Whitney Hill of Phoebus and sophomore Bernadette Fortune of Kempsville — were from Hampton Roads.
In his first two months on the job, Six has equaled that number, signing Grafton guard and Daily Press player of the year Jasmine Williams-Hayes and Indian River's Keiara Avant. He's also signed three other players from Virginia as he tries to bring more local talent to HU's Convocation Center.
"We have a tendency to go see people who are like us, who are from here," Six said. "If you've got a store in Phoebus, the way for your store to be successful is for people from Phoebus to frequent your store."
Six's first signee was Williams-Hayes, who averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds in leading the Grafton to its first state-tournament berth. Unsigned as a senior, interest in Williams-Hayes mounted along with Grafton's wins, but she said Hampton wasn't on her recruiting radar "'till Six came along."
Persuaded to visit the school, Williams-Hayes committed to the Pirates on April 20, three weeks after Six was named HU's coach.
"I knew he was a consistent coach," she said.
Like Williams-Hayes, Ryen Henry, a 6-foot wing/post player who averaged 14 points and seven rebounds last year at Clover Hill in Midlothian, wasn't signed as a senior. That quickly changed when Six sought her out after a game.
"I didn't know anything about Hampton," Henry said. "(Six) was kind of shocked that I wasn't signed, so then he came after me. He said, 'I'll sign you today.' "
Breanna Jones, a 6-foot-1 post player out of Episcopal High in Springfield, had received letters from Hampton earlier in her high school career, but wasn't seriously considering the Pirates until the phone began ringing — and ringing.
"Coach Six started calling, texting, e-mailing," said Jones, who averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game. "We were considering a lot of schools, but the schools that we were talking to, they had limited scholarships or I would have had to walk on. We looked here and we saw Coach Six's record, and we saw that he had a history of winning regional championships and state championships. We said, 'OK, this coach knows what he's doing.' "
Six also has signed Avant, a 5-11 wing player who averaged 17 points and nine rebounds, and Quiana Kizer, a 5-11 wing who averaged 13 points and eight rebounds at Potomac High in Woodbridge and is the younger sister of Maryland's Lynetta Kizer, the ACC rookie of the year.
Phoebus product Hill is encouraged to see more Virginia players on her team. She's also hoping there's a peripheral benefit to recognizable names on the roster.
"We never really had a large fan base," Hill said. "Now with everybody being from around here, it should definitely increase our fans, and we need that."
Meet the new Pirates
Keiara Avant | The 5-foot-11 Indian River star averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Ryen Henry | Averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds last year at Clover Hill in Midlothian.
Breanna Jones | Low-post threat averaged 17 ppg and 12 rpg for Episcopal High in Springfield.
Quiana Kizer | Younger sister of Maryland star Lynette averaged 13 points at Potomac High.
Jasmine Williams-Hayes | Daily Press player of year, right, averaged 21 ppg and 12 rpg at Grafton.
Copyright © 2009, Newport News, Va., Daily Press
By Melinda Waldrop 247-4634
June 30, 2009
HAMPTON - — David Six has lived in Hampton Roads so long, he's doesn't even bother telling people anymore that he's originally from New York.
He's become a fixture on the area basketball scene, from his days coaching the Gloucester High School boys, to his 14 seasons leading the Hampton High girls to a 331-93 record and two state titles, to his work with Boo Williams' nationally recognized AAU teams.
Now Six, named head women's basketball coach at Hampton University in April, wants to bring some of that local flavor to his new gig.
"I've coached here a long time, with some success, at Hampton High School, and I thought it odd that, with Hampton University being right there, I thought it odd that there weren't a lot of local kids," Six said.
Of the four in-state players on HU's roster last year, two — junior Whitney Hill of Phoebus and sophomore Bernadette Fortune of Kempsville — were from Hampton Roads.
In his first two months on the job, Six has equaled that number, signing Grafton guard and Daily Press player of the year Jasmine Williams-Hayes and Indian River's Keiara Avant. He's also signed three other players from Virginia as he tries to bring more local talent to HU's Convocation Center.
"We have a tendency to go see people who are like us, who are from here," Six said. "If you've got a store in Phoebus, the way for your store to be successful is for people from Phoebus to frequent your store."
Six's first signee was Williams-Hayes, who averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds in leading the Grafton to its first state-tournament berth. Unsigned as a senior, interest in Williams-Hayes mounted along with Grafton's wins, but she said Hampton wasn't on her recruiting radar "'till Six came along."
Persuaded to visit the school, Williams-Hayes committed to the Pirates on April 20, three weeks after Six was named HU's coach.
"I knew he was a consistent coach," she said.
Like Williams-Hayes, Ryen Henry, a 6-foot wing/post player who averaged 14 points and seven rebounds last year at Clover Hill in Midlothian, wasn't signed as a senior. That quickly changed when Six sought her out after a game.
"I didn't know anything about Hampton," Henry said. "(Six) was kind of shocked that I wasn't signed, so then he came after me. He said, 'I'll sign you today.' "
Breanna Jones, a 6-foot-1 post player out of Episcopal High in Springfield, had received letters from Hampton earlier in her high school career, but wasn't seriously considering the Pirates until the phone began ringing — and ringing.
"Coach Six started calling, texting, e-mailing," said Jones, who averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game. "We were considering a lot of schools, but the schools that we were talking to, they had limited scholarships or I would have had to walk on. We looked here and we saw Coach Six's record, and we saw that he had a history of winning regional championships and state championships. We said, 'OK, this coach knows what he's doing.' "
Six also has signed Avant, a 5-11 wing player who averaged 17 points and nine rebounds, and Quiana Kizer, a 5-11 wing who averaged 13 points and eight rebounds at Potomac High in Woodbridge and is the younger sister of Maryland's Lynetta Kizer, the ACC rookie of the year.
Phoebus product Hill is encouraged to see more Virginia players on her team. She's also hoping there's a peripheral benefit to recognizable names on the roster.
"We never really had a large fan base," Hill said. "Now with everybody being from around here, it should definitely increase our fans, and we need that."
Meet the new Pirates
Keiara Avant | The 5-foot-11 Indian River star averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Ryen Henry | Averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds last year at Clover Hill in Midlothian.
Breanna Jones | Low-post threat averaged 17 ppg and 12 rpg for Episcopal High in Springfield.
Quiana Kizer | Younger sister of Maryland star Lynette averaged 13 points at Potomac High.
Jasmine Williams-Hayes | Daily Press player of year, right, averaged 21 ppg and 12 rpg at Grafton.
Copyright © 2009, Newport News, Va., Daily Press
