Hargrave Military Academy’s Postgraduate Basketball team hosts the Josh Howard Military Challenge (JHMC), formerly the Military Challenge, on January 24-25, 2014. The Challenge is a six team basketball tournament featuring military schools with postgraduate teams.The 2014 JHMC features four teams ranked in the Prep School Top 10. They include in Fishburne Military School (#2), Hargrave Military Academy (#4), Fork Union Military Academy (#6) and Massanutten Military Academy (#10). Gray Military Academy from South Carolina and St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy from Wisconsin round out the field of six.
NBA star Josh Howard, a 1999 graduate of Hargrave’s postgraduate academic program and member of the Academy’s 1998-1999 Postgraduate Basketball team, agreed to be the main sponsor for the military challenge. The Challenge was renamed in his honor.
“It’s an honor to have an opportunity to give back to Hargrave and student athletes throughout the country,” Josh Howard said. “Hargrave holds a special place in my heart and I’ll always be grateful to Hargrave and the community of Chatham. I’m looking forward to an exciting weekend of basketball, I hope the community rallies around such a great event.”
Hargrave Postgraduate Basketball Head Coach A.W. Hamilton and Howard were teammates at Wake Forest University. This relationship, along with Howard’s pride in Hargrave Military Academy, formed the basis of the tournament.
“For people who enjoy watching high level basketball, the timing of the Josh Howard Military Challenge could not have come at a better time,” Hamilton said. “You’ve got six military schools who all have the same type of structure and discipline off the floor, yet all have their own unique styles on the floor to bring an exciting few days of basketball to the greater Pittsylvania County area.”
Hamilton is in his third year as head coach of the Hargrave Postgraduate Basketball team. He is also a Class of 2000 graduate of the Hargrave program. Of the six coaches bringing their teams to the event, Hamilton is the only one to garner National Coach of the Year honors, which he earned during the 2011-2012 season. His team finished 38-1 during that season, and includes current Louisville Cardinal Montrezl Harrell, a NCAA Division I player, as one of its members.
“Josh Howard is a high character guy who even with all of his success and notoriety has been the same guy I’ve known for going on 14 years,” Hamilton said. “Outside of the talent we will have under one roof, Josh is the reason this will be a first class event, and we are beyond appreciative for his effort.”
The Challenge will feature 40 plus Division I signees or prospects that will play in various conferences throughout the country next year.
All six programs do a tremendous job of showcasing their players on a national level, which the reason the JHMC will draw scouting service representatives from Scout, Rivals, ESPN and Next Up Recruits.
Friday, January 24, 2014
4:00 p.m. – Gray vs. Massanutten
6:00 p.m. – Fork Union vs. Fishburne
8:00 p.m. – Hargrave vs. St. John’s Northwestern
Saturday, January 25, 2014
3:00 p.m. – St. John’s Northwestern vs. Fork Union
5:00 p.m. – Fishburne vs. Gray
7:00 p.m. – Massanutten vs. Hargrave
