February 2, 2009
William Fleming's dynamic duoBrian Wright
VirginiaPreps.com Staff
After claiming the 2007 Group Double A state championship, the William Fleming Colonels made an upgrade. The team moved up to class Triple A prior to last season.
However, this is a return to a former status – one they held six years prior. But thanks to an increase in school enrollment, Fleming is now once again in Triple A. And this group doesn't seem to be effected by the change.
No matter the competition facing the Colonels, they are definitely seeing an improvement in the amount of victories.
A 19-6 club a season ago, William Fleming sits atop the Western Valley District at 14-1.
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Troy Daniels
Their success can be attributed to their experience. Six of their top seven players are seniors who were there when the Colonels celebrated the state title two years ago.
"It helps a lot when you've got experienced players," head coach Mickey Hardy said. "We have guys that have been here for a while. The move wasn't as bad as it could have been. We felt pretty good that we could compete at the Triple A level once we got there."
Two of their most seasoned – and most talented – players are Troy Daniels and Jamelle Hagins.
Daniels, a senior in his third season as part of the Colonels' starting lineup, is the club's main outside shooter. And that success does not come without strenuous hours in the gym.
"I put in a lot of practice," he said. "Coach (Hardy) told me that if you don't put in the work, you don't see the results."
Come game time, he's delivered in the clutch. The spectacular has been ordinary for Daniels – especially this year.
"We expect great things out of him," Hardy said. "Up to this point, he's delivered."
On Dec. 12, he connected on a 3-pointer in the final seconds to secure the Colonels a 53-52 win at Radford.
He did again less than a month later, this time at district foe Franklin County. With the game tied at 65 apiece, Daniels was pure on another long-distance shot as time expired, setting off the celebration.
"I love to have the last shot," he said. "I love the pressure. I live for it. That's what basketball's about."
Both of those game-winners were the result of a high pick-and-roll play with Hagins near the 3-point circle.
"That's our bread and butter play toward the end of the game in crunch time," Daniels said. "We're really unstoppable with that play."
Hagins is also a senior. This four-year starter makes his presence in the paint, scoring high-percentage shots and rebounding. Over the course of his high school career, Hardy has seen his game improve in many areas.
"He's getting stronger," he said. "He's a lot more mature. He's gotten more aggressive on the defensive end."
Hagins feels he's become a more all-around player, but his main focus is on the defensive end.
"If you can stop them on defense – block a shot or get a steal – that can lead to points on offense," he said.
With their extraordinary skill level, both Daniels and Hagins have plenty of options for the collegiate ranks.
Daniels has received scholarship offers from Gonzaga, Cincinnati as well as several other Division I schools. He's also been recruited by Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Marquette, and Wake Forest.
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Jamelle Hagins with the block!
Hagins is being courted by several schools, including: Coastal Carolina, Delaware State, Liberty, James Madison, and Radford.
He hopes that whatever school he attends, it's the one that presents him with the most action on the floor.
"I want to get the most playing time possible," said Hagins, who plays both center and power forward. "I want to be out there on the floor helping out the team as much as I can."For now, these two are aimed at helping William Fleming. And thanks to their efforts, the team captured their first ten contests before ultimately falling in dramatic fashion against rival Patrick Henry.
"It means more being a district game than being a rivalry game," Hardy said. "We took it a lot worse knowing it was a district game and we were in the driver's seat in the District. They took it hard, but we've moved on now."
That bump in the road hasn't hurt them one bit.
The blue and gold responded with a strong showing against the Halifax County Blue Comets. Soaring ahead with a 27-9 third quarter advantage, Daniels poured in 29 points – including seven 3-pointers. Both Hagains and Eric Thomas grabbed nine rebounds each to humble Halifax, 69-47 – a win that greatly impressed their head coach.
"We bounced back real well," Hardy said. "Went to Halifax and played one of our better ball games this year."
Most recently, on Jan. 22, they shattered E.G. Glass with a 68-33 margin. Once again, Fleming owned the third quarter – outscoring their opponent 20-2 in the period.
As cliché as it may sound, Hardy and his team are sticking by the "one game at a time" method – especially with the heart of Western Valley play upon them.
"This is the second part of the season and the most important part of the season for us because we have a lot of district games," Hardy said. "We're looking forward to our next game and then we go on from there."
Living by this method could ultimately lead to a return to the postseason and possibly a District crown.
"We want to still be playing in the first week of March," Hardy said. "I told the guys the other day, 'if we win our last ball game, that means we're state champions.' So, we want to play in the month of March. That's our goal."
If they're still playing in March, William Fleming could be in position to add a Triple A title to their trophy case.
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i think that mention of delaware state is supposed to be the univ. of delaware, and i believe liberty is out of schollys for next year.