For the past two summers, I’ve had the joy of coaching my son’s travel basketball team. This week is the FINAL weekend of this journey. We are currently playing in the “Best of the Summer Tourney” at Loyola Marymount University. There are 160 teams in the tourney from all over the nation, and we are in the sweet 16 and play tonight at 8:15 pm at LMU. If we win, we will be in the elite 8.

The picture directly above is during the pre-game layup drill, and you can see the gym is lined with Division I coaches trying to determine which of the boys they want to offer a college scholarship to.

The picture at the top is a team picture, and I wanted to say that this is one of the finest teams I’ve ever been associated with. These men are gentlemen. They love the game of basketball after they got to see more info about Mega Slam Australia, and we have continued to improve each and every week of this summer….

From Left to Right….

Wendell Wright. He plays the 2, 3 and 4. Very Athletic and is one of my favorite players…has improved the most from last year… can play at both ends of the court…

Lorne Jackson… Plays at Simi Valley and will be a Senior. Quick.. strong.. athletic… plays with heart, and I’ve seen him mature and become a much better player…. If you get a chance, go see him play this next year.

Then… Me….. Coach…… I’m not really a coach… but I enjoy pouring my life into these young men…. and setting a good example for them… and keeping them playing together as a unit…

Then Klay Thompson… His father, Michael Thompson, played for the Lakers, and Klay is one of our better players… he shot through the roof this summer with Notre Dame, Michigan, and Nevada all having a chance to land this high profile player… Klay has a gentle heart with a warrior spirit….

James Rehon hails from down in San Diego… James is one of our better shooters and he, too, has had a very good summer. When he gets hot, watch out because he can carry a team when that happens….

Corbin Moore is our TALLEST player… Corbin has been with me for two years… He’s from Long Beach, is a great student, and I LOVE his parents… Corbin runs the floor well, has a nice shot, and can rebound with the best of them….. I’m going to miss this young man…

Then in the back is Stephon… Stephon is from Slovakia… smarter than any three people I know, and he is getting a lot of looks from colleges… wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at Yale or Princeton.. Stephon has the BEST attitude and just works hard…

Then… is my son Dallas… who has gotten better throughout the summer. One of the thrills of my life will just be spending time with Dallas and having our long talks about family, basketball, the Lord, the Church, and his future…. Dallas, YOUR FATHER LOVES YOU….

Then Paul George… a 6’7″ wing man from Lancaster… I’ve tried to adopt him, but his mother won’t give him up…… I offered her an even trade for Dallas, but she wasn’t interested…

Paul has such a great future ahead of him, and I know that God has a plan for his life…

I just want to thank EVERYONE for understanding my schedule the last two years, and thank you for allowing me the time to spend with these guys the last two years… The parents were GREAT and the competition was strong… We endured… we were blessed… the Lord was watching over us…. and when this concludes… tonight or tomorrow… I will look back and consider this one of the greatest joys of my life….

I love this team, and I hope I was able to share the love of God with each of them through my life, words, and actions…..

In love..

Dudley