Hargrave’s Post-Graduate (PG) basketball program topped a RealGM.com basketball chart formulated by Dan Hanner. The chart in the June 25, 2012 article, “Decade Look Back – Where To Scout Future College Players,” placed Hargrave’s PG Basketball program first out of 100 programs.
The chart was created using RealGM.com’s sports data on both high school and college basketball players and measures the top prep school (high school) programs based on objective criteria. The data sample was taken by calculating the Points produced (PP) for every NCAA DI player from 2003 to 2012. Using the ORtg formula as the PP numerator, the metric assigns value for points based on an individual’s scoring, assists and offensive rebounds. This data was cross referenced with the last prep school that a player attended during the time period. Other objective data was also added to the table.
“Our school is built on more than just athletics were dedicated to developing the whole person,” said Head Coach A.W. Hamilton, Hargrave PG Basketball. “We constantly preach to our young men they are students first and athletes second. The ball will eventually stop bouncing, but their education will last forever.”
Based on the chart’s 81 Hargrave D1 athletes and the total number of seasons they could have competed (324), Hargrave graduates only missed 89 seasons. That means a Hargrave graduate was found on the court 64.36% of the time during his four years of eligible play. To accomplish this, Hargrave players must remain viable both on the court and in the classroom during their four years of NCAA DI eligibility.
The team also averaged 8.1 D1 signees per season over the last decade.
“Successful college players come from the total athlete, including academic success in the classroom as well as the physical ability to play the game of basketball,” said LTC Walter Sullivan USA (Ret.), Hargrave’s Dean of Academics. “Hargrave provides athletes with a successful environment to ensure their academic development. Our program helps them reach their goals.”
Hargrave’s overall approach is rooted in the ‘Whole Person’ concept. The Academy engages each student holistically in academic, athletic, character and spiritual development. A well rounded and well-adjusted individual is more adaptive to both future adversities and opportunities, which provided them a successful core to their success.
Hargrave’s military culture affords the training and focus needed by so many young men, including Hargrave’s PG Basketball players. Structure and accountability, often foreign terms for young men, find a way into a student’s daily vocabulary while attending Hargrave.
Hargrave’s PG Basketball program works within this environment, and engages both the student’s strengths and weaknesses simultaneously.
Coach Hamilton is a first year head coach with a stellar 38-1 win/loss record, losing only the last game of his first season in a National Prep Championship final. Ensuring that each athlete is setup for success is his number one priority. Grades in particular are important to him. Without good grades, there is no possibility for either college or NBA basketball.
Participants in PG program also preserve one year of collegiate NCAA D1 eligibility by not going the junior college route, and secure an additional year to: mature both physical size, attitude and skill; gain national exposure; compete against stronger opponents; develop better study habits; in addition to increasing both GPA and SAT/ACT scores.
Previously, Coach Hamilton was the assistant coach to Coach Kevin Keatts. The due worked hard on Hargrave’s success during the ten year period reflected in the data of the article. Coach Keatts recently accepted a position at the University of Louisville, a school that recently attained a Final Four berth in the 2012 NCAA Basketball Championships. Both Hamilton and Keatts appear to have set a new standard.
