Mean Green Signs Alabama High School All-Stater

Harry · April 14, 2005

http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...0&ATCLID=116766

Mean Green Signs Alabama High School All-State Forward Harold Edwards

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 04/13/2005

Courtesy: Rick Yeatts

DENTON (4/13/05) -- North Texas head men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones announced Wednesday that the Mean Green signed Mobile, Ala., native and nationally-ranked LeFlore High School standout Harold Edwards to a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the late signing period.

Edwards is a 6-6, 215 pound forward that averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game to help lead LeFlore High School to a 35-1 record, the 2005 6A Alabama state championship game and a No. 10 spot in the final USA Today national rankings. Edwards finished the state tournament first in free throws made, second in rebounds and blocks, third in scoring and fifth in steals among all players.

The three-year varsity letterwinner recorded an impressive 29 double-doubles in 36 games on his way to receiving First Team All-State, First Team All-Region and First Team All-District recognition. Edwards was also named Nike All-America and a McDonald’s All-America nominee.

"Harold is one of the most competitive, energetic and up and coming basketball players in the entire city," said LeFlore High School head coach Otis Hughley. "He is very good and the scariest thing is his best basketball is ahead of him. He loved his visit to North Texas, the players and the great staff and those three things made his decision for him. He chose North Texas with his heart."

Edwards, a 2005 regional tournament MVP, was also the Mobile Register’s 2005 Co-Player of the Year along with teammate Brandon Hollinger, heading the Register’s list of the top 16 high school players in southwest Alabama. He finished his high school career as a two-time All-State selection.

He recently participated in the 2005 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star basketball game and was South Team’s MVP in the 2004 North vs. South All-Star Game with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

"We are excited about the addition of Harold Edwards to our program," said Coach Jones. "With his versatility to play on the perimeter as well as the inside, he will give us an added dimension that our team did not possess last year. His high school coach Otis Hughley has done a tremendous job preparing Harold for the next level. Harold comes from a winning program that was ranked as high as second in the country by USA Today last season and he played an integral part in the success of their team."

Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Mississippi State, South Alabama and Illinois State were among some of the school’s that were recruiting Edwards in addition to North Texas.

Harry · April 14, 2005

Edward's Rivals Profile (3-star)

http://www.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_...y=34803&sport=2

Article on Edwards from the Alabama Times Journal

Contact The Times-Journal at (256) 845-2550.

Moore scores 15, helps North to victory

By Lew Gilliland

The Times-Journal

Published July 17, 2004

Dusty Moore went into halftime of Thursday night’s North vs. South all-star basketball game with three points. The 6-foot-7 rising senior from Crossville High School knew he could do better.

“The first half, I played all right, not to my capability,” he said. “The second half is when I really kicked it in. I knew I had to get some more offensive rebounds and get some points. The all-star game is more guard-oriented. The guards control the game more than the posts do.”

Moore did step things up in the second half. He finished with 15 points and nine rebounds while helping the North down the South 88-66 in Montgomery. Moore was the North’s leading scorer and tied for team rebounding honors.

The game was part of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s All-Star Sports Week.

Among those watching Thursday’s action were Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried, Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo and AUB head coach Mike Anderson.

Moore said he wanted to make an impression on the coaches.

“I made a pretty good showing. I hope I get some good offers out of that,” he said.

Moore said he is already being heavily recruited by Jacksonville State, Birmingham-Southern and Tennessee-Chattanooga. He expects all three to offer him scholarships.

“I’m leaving all my options open right now,” he said. “When it gets down to it, I’ll make a decision.”

The North led for most of the game, shooting 43 percent from the field in the first half for a 47-31 lead. It was the second consecutive series win for the North.

George Drake finished with 12 points for the North. Hatton High School’s Jesse Rutherford added 11 points, and Michael Adams from Pelham High School scored 10.

Harold Edwards of LeFlore High School scored 18 points and had 14 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to lead the South team to victory.

Edwards was the only South player to score in the double digits and was named MVP of the team.

Drake, of Calera High School, was honored as the North team’s MVP.

Moore arrived in Montgomery on Tuesday. The North practiced once Tuesday, twice Wednesday and had shootaround Thursday.

The North was coached by Litchfield head coach Reginald Huff and Albertville head coach Patrick Harding. Moore roomed with Desmond Jennings of Pinson Valley.

“The whole team got along,” Moore said. “Everything was great down there. I had a great time. I liked playing for coach Huff and coach Harding. I got to know them. They’re tremendous guys.”

Moore went 5-of 12 from the floor, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range. He was 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Three of his rebounds came on the offensive end.

Next up for Moore is an AAU Tournament in Las Vegas. Moore, who plays for the Southeast Elite of Huntsville, has already played in tournaments at Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Houston and Tuscaloosa.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story

Harry · April 14, 2005

http://www.al.com/hsbasketball/mobileregis...32253211330.xml

More From The Mobile Register | Subscribe To The Mobile Register

LeFlore duo will always remember season as a success

Saturday, March 26, 2005

By MIKE HERNDON

Sports Reporter

It'll take some time for the sting from LeFlore's 59-35 loss to Auburn in the 6A state championship game to fade, but teammates Brandon Hollinger and Harold Edwards say they'll remember the good times when they think back on their senior year.

"I can think back on the good parts," Hollinger said. "We had a lot of good memories on this team -- after-game memories, before-game memories, during-game memories."

"We're disappointed, but at the same time I learned a lot from that loss," added Edwards. "It doesn't matter how good you are. Any one thing can offset it."

There were plenty of good memories for the Rattlers this season, including 35 straight wins and a No. 2 national ranking in USA Today through much of the season. Hollinger, a 5-foot-11 guard who was recently named the Alabama Sports Writers Association's 6A player of the year, led LeFlore with 19 points, 8 assists and 4.5 steals per game while the 6-6 Edwards was the Rattlers' main man in the paint, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The duo shares top honors here as the Mobile Register's 2005 co-players of the year for boys' high school basketball, headlining the Register's Sweet 16 list of the top 16 high school basketball players in southwest Alabama.

"He just plays so hard with great leadership," LeFlore coach Otis Hughley said of Hollinger. "He doesn't hunt for shots. He just plays the game on both ends of the floor as hard as you would want a player to play. If he had hunted for a shot, he'd average 35 to 40 points a game."

Edwards, meanwhile, is a "blue-collar" player, Hughley said -- a trait he picked up from playing alongside current Auburn University forward Daniel Hayles last year. "He just works," Hughley said of Edwards. "He's played out of position all year. He just played his role. His best basketball is ahead of him."

Both players are receiving attention from college scouts, as Alabama and North Texas have been courting Hollinger heavily and Edwards is getting interest from Georgetown, Mississippi State, South Alabama, North Texas, Illinois State and others.

Edwards said he felt a responsibility to step up his game after the departure of Hayles, who served as a sparkplug for LeFlore in 2003-04. Edwards will likely be a small forward on the college level.

Hollinger, meanwhile, took on much of the scoring load this year, although he admitted being picky with his shots.

LeFlore got as many good shots as it needed until facing Auburn. Ultimately, with top-ranked Vashon High of St. Louis also losing in its state tournament, the loss probably cost the Rattlers a national title.

"When I saw that Vashon lost, it was impossible not to think: 'We could have been national champs,'" Edwards said. "We could have been No. 1 in the nation."

Harry · April 14, 2005

Harold Edwards

Picture Courtesy of Leflore High School Site:

Visit them and learn more about their program at http://leflore.mcs.schoolinsites.com/

user posted image

Harry · April 14, 2005

Nike All American Invitation List (includes Harold Edwards)

http://www.breakdownmagazine.com/dailybrea...cfm?textID=1064

UNTFan23 · April 14, 2005

Nice to see he's already comfortable in a green uniform.

UNTSportsGuy · April 14, 2005

So did we sign just one of these kids, or did we sign both of them?

Harry · April 14, 2005

We just got Edwards. The point guard signed with the Tide.

UNTSportsGuy · April 14, 2005

ugh...they will need to get a point guard after Hines leaves. I'm not to confident with Sturns running a team. Let him play two and get solid freshman point gaurd in.

But atleast we are starting to recruit top players, I heard rumors that a few players are transfering, giving us more open scholarships.

Edited April 14, 2005 by UNTSportsGuy

MeanGreen61 · April 14, 2005

This is a post by Cooley on the Mean & Green board. Didn't know that Edwards was also offered by WKU.

January 26, 2005

Unsigned Edwards leads No. 4 team in the nation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jerry Meyer

RivalsHoops.com

Although LeFlore High School in Mobile, Ala., has to play all of their games on the road with their gym undergoing construction, they have a 25-0 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Leading the way for LeFlore is 6-foot-6, 215-pound combo forward Harold Edwards. Although Edwards has only been playing basketball for a couple years, the unsigned senior has several offers, including one from a Big Ten school.

"Harold has offers from North Texas, Penn State, Lipscomb, Alabama State, Western Kentucky, South Alabama and Jacksonville State," said LeFlore head coach Otis Hughley, who played high school ball for Bobby Hurley, Sr., at St. Anthony's High School and coached NBA star Ben Wallace in the juco ranks. "He is also getting interest from Georgetown and Florida State."

Edwards, who is averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per game, primarily plays the post for LeFlore but projects as a combo forward. Even though he spends most of his time around the basket for LeFlore, he is shooting 43 percent from the three-point line.

"Harold's greatest strength is that he competes so hard," said Hughley. "This is only his second year to play ball, so his better basketball is ahead of him.

"He'll dunk on you without a step. He's tough inside. He can also step out and hit the three. If you put some weight on him, he will be special."

Coach Hughley noted that Edwards has some work to do on his left hand but further experience and his strong work ethic should take care of that aspect of his game.

Harry · April 14, 2005

Hearing rumors that UNT may have as many as 3 more ships left to give.

UNTSportsGuy · April 14, 2005

I know for sure that two players are leaving...but a third, I can't think of who it would be?

How many can they give out? They would have 11 coming back, two of them without ships from last year, two players are leaving for sure. Plus they have signed three players, so I guess they could have some left.

CMJ · April 14, 2005

It sounds like a good pick up for us. He had some pretty prestigious programs courting him and he chose us. Way to go JJ!!

GrandGreen · April 14, 2005

I know for sure that two players are leaving...but a third, I can't think of who it would be?
How many can they give out? They would have 11 coming back, two of them without ships from last year, two players are leaving for sure. Plus they have signed three players, so I guess they could have some left.

OK what two players? NT has one ship left plus any replacements for departing players.