Steel City Invitational: Preview
During the midst of the Alabama-Auburn BCS bowl predictions and post season award ceremonies, the Steel City Invitational is arguably the most anticipated high school basketball tournament to enter the air wave of the football heavy state of Alabama. There has always been a good tournament here or there throughout the state but none of them have taken on the notoriety of such sort. The T-Mobile Invitational made its way to Alabama a few years back but hasn't come close to the hype the Steel City is embracing.
Social networks have come along way to date and it has definitely helped with the work of Chris Nix and Christian Schweers along with professional sports group Knight Eady (KESG). Everyone has played a part in the promotion of this tournament that fields 16 of the best teams and/or talent in the state of Alabama. Despite a few teams making some last minute changes, the field remains particularly great. Kids such as Alabama signee Justin Coleman (2014 #1) and nationally heralded sophomore Joshua Langford (2016 #1) headline the event but they are far from being the only two! Here is a list of some players to keep an eye out for this weekend. Player and team rankings are not from the ASWA but from our own ranking system. Teams are aligned with their first round opponent with the tournament bracket below team previews. Visit steelcityhoops.com for more information.
6A Hewitt-Trussville
UAB signee 2014 #8 Jarvis Calhoun 6'0 SG
2014 James Huguley 6'4 F
2015 Carter Pharis 6'2 G
5A #1 Wenonah (Defending State Champs)
Alabama signee 2014 #1 Justin Coleman 5'10 PG
2014 #27 Cedric McGinnis 5'10 PG
2014 #44 Marcus Williams 6'3 SG
2014 Will Ellington 6'4 SF
2014 Raymond Richardson 6'4 F
2015 #11 Kameron Hardrick 6'2 SG
2015 Jaquan Nelson 6'4 F
5A Homewood
Nebraska Football commit 2014 Dwayne Orso 6'5 F
2015 Malik Cook 6'0 PG
3A Leeds
2015 Terrell Guy 5'11 PG
2015 Demetrius Houston 6'1 SG
6A Hoover
2014 #26 Quamauri Hardy 6'1 PG
2015 Austin Cherry 6'1 CG
6A #10 Woodlawn
2015 DeCarlos Wright 6'2 SG
2015 Larry Petersen 6'8 F
2016 Javien William 6'1 CG
6A Hazel Green
UAB signee 2014 #9 Lewis Sullivan 6'7 SF
2015 #3 Ethan Stair 6'5 SG
2017 #6 Bradley Belt 6'2 SG
5A #8 Ramsay
Navy commit 2014 #19 Mitchell Baldwin 6'4 SG
2014 Seth Reynolds 6'0 PG
2015 Jordan Millsap 6'1 PG
2015 Jonathan Etheridge 5'10 PG
2016 #20 Brandon Wright 6'1 CG
5A #4 Parker
2014 #10 Marquel Oliver 6'6 F
2014 Omari Williams 6'3 SG
2015 Hakeem Anchrum 6'6 SF
6A #7 Bob Jones
2014 Josh Mitchell 5'11 PG
2014 Tanner Finley 6'5 SG
2015 #19 Dalton Barkley 6'6 SG
3A #1 Madison Academy (Defending State Champs)
Quan Cothron 6'3 SF
2015 #20 Kerryon Johnson 6'1 PG2016 #1 Joshua Langford 6'5 CG
2016 Will Acuff 6'0 SG
2017 #8 Myles Parker 6'5 SF
6A Carver-Birmingham
2014 Roderick Johnson 5'10 PG
2014 Doentae Hatter 6'1 G
2016 #10 Lataurius Carroll 6'1 SG
6A Gadsden City
2014 Chris Turk 6'4 SF
2014 Tevin Wise 6'1 PG
2015 Chris Dudley 6'2 CG
2017 #14 Toryque Bateman 6'7 C
6A Sparkman
2015 Sean Berry 6'8 F
2017 #2 Jamal Johnson 6'2 CG
6A #6 Mountain Brook (Defending State Champs)
2014 #59 Patrick Kiem 6'1 PG
2014 Ben Shearer 6'1 SG
2014 Spencer Einhorn 6'5 SF
2014 Alex Peters 6'8 F
2015 #21 Tawarren Grant 6'2 SG
2016 Jack Kline 6'4 SF
6A Hueytown
2014 Mike Bell 5'11 PG
2015 Austin Hardy 6'5 F
Social networks have come along way to date and it has definitely helped with the work of Chris Nix and Christian Schweers along with professional sports group Knight Eady (KESG). Everyone has played a part in the promotion of this tournament that fields 16 of the best teams and/or talent in the state of Alabama. Despite a few teams making some last minute changes, the field remains particularly great. Kids such as Alabama signee Justin Coleman (2014 #1) and nationally heralded sophomore Joshua Langford (2016 #1) headline the event but they are far from being the only two! Here is a list of some players to keep an eye out for this weekend. Player and team rankings are not from the ASWA but from our own ranking system. Teams are aligned with their first round opponent with the tournament bracket below team previews. Visit steelcityhoops.com for more information.
6A Hewitt-Trussville
UAB signee 2014 #8 Jarvis Calhoun 6'0 SG
2014 James Huguley 6'4 F
2015 Carter Pharis 6'2 G
5A #1 Wenonah (Defending State Champs)
Alabama signee 2014 #1 Justin Coleman 5'10 PG
2014 #27 Cedric McGinnis 5'10 PG
2014 #44 Marcus Williams 6'3 SG
2014 Will Ellington 6'4 SF
2014 Raymond Richardson 6'4 F
2015 #11 Kameron Hardrick 6'2 SG
2015 Jaquan Nelson 6'4 F
5A Homewood
Nebraska Football commit 2014 Dwayne Orso 6'5 F
2015 Malik Cook 6'0 PG
3A Leeds
2015 Terrell Guy 5'11 PG
2015 Demetrius Houston 6'1 SG
6A Hoover
2014 #26 Quamauri Hardy 6'1 PG
2015 Austin Cherry 6'1 CG
6A #10 Woodlawn
2015 DeCarlos Wright 6'2 SG
2015 Larry Petersen 6'8 F
2016 Javien William 6'1 CG
6A Hazel Green
UAB signee 2014 #9 Lewis Sullivan 6'7 SF
2015 #3 Ethan Stair 6'5 SG
2017 #6 Bradley Belt 6'2 SG
5A #8 Ramsay
Navy commit 2014 #19 Mitchell Baldwin 6'4 SG
2014 Seth Reynolds 6'0 PG
2015 Jordan Millsap 6'1 PG
2015 Jonathan Etheridge 5'10 PG
2016 #20 Brandon Wright 6'1 CG
5A #4 Parker
2014 #10 Marquel Oliver 6'6 F
2014 Omari Williams 6'3 SG
2015 Hakeem Anchrum 6'6 SF
6A #7 Bob Jones
2014 Josh Mitchell 5'11 PG
2014 Tanner Finley 6'5 SG
2015 #19 Dalton Barkley 6'6 SG
3A #1 Madison Academy (Defending State Champs)
Quan Cothron 6'3 SF
2015 #20 Kerryon Johnson 6'1 PG2016 #1 Joshua Langford 6'5 CG
2016 Will Acuff 6'0 SG
2017 #8 Myles Parker 6'5 SF
6A Carver-Birmingham
2014 Roderick Johnson 5'10 PG
2014 Doentae Hatter 6'1 G
2016 #10 Lataurius Carroll 6'1 SG
6A Gadsden City
2014 Chris Turk 6'4 SF
2014 Tevin Wise 6'1 PG
2015 Chris Dudley 6'2 CG
2017 #14 Toryque Bateman 6'7 C
6A Sparkman
2015 Sean Berry 6'8 F
2017 #2 Jamal Johnson 6'2 CG
6A #6 Mountain Brook (Defending State Champs)
2014 #59 Patrick Kiem 6'1 PG
2014 Ben Shearer 6'1 SG
2014 Spencer Einhorn 6'5 SF
2014 Alex Peters 6'8 F
2015 #21 Tawarren Grant 6'2 SG
2016 Jack Kline 6'4 SF
6A Hueytown
2014 Mike Bell 5'11 PG
2015 Austin Hardy 6'5 F
