The Hargrave Tigers cruised to a 124-71 victory to kick off the 2021-22 season at the Hargrave Hall of Fame Classic on Friday.
The Tigers shot out to an early lead and never looked back- leading by as many as 67 points in the second half before settling in for the 53 point victory. Hargrave had seven players score in double figures, led by ’22 Christian Moore (24 points, 6-6 from 3-Point, 6 rebounds) and ’22 Keon Thompson (23 points). ’22 Justin Taylor (16 points), ’22 Elijah Gray (14 points), ’22 Will Asken (10 points) and ’22 Leland Walker (10 points) rounded out the double digit scorers. Walker (7 assists) and Asken (8 rebounds, 4 blocks) paced the Tigers in their respective categories.
The game was played after a ceremony to induct former Head Coach, Lee Martin ’09, into the postgraduate basketball hall-of-fame, as well as the retirement of jersey #10 in honor of A.J. James ’20.
From the gameday program:
Lee Martin ’09, Hall-of-Fame Class of 2021
Lee Martin served as Head Coach of the Hargrave Military Academy basketball program from 2017-2020, after serving as the Associate Head Coach from 2015-2017 and as an Assistant Coach for two years before that under fellow Hall-of-Fame member A.W. Hamilton. He amassed a 113-12 overall record in three seasons as Head Coach, during which the program’s home winning streak surpassed 100 straight wins. His winning percentage at Hargrave (.904) puts him in exclusive company, lining up with the successful runs of predecessors Kevin Keatts and A.W. Hamilton. Martin’s teams advanced to the National Tournament every year of his tenure, including an Elite 8 appearance in 2019 and a Final Four appearance in 2020. Martin’s teams finished in the top 4 of the final national poll each year of his tenure.
Martin was a standout athlete before beginning his coaching career. He starred at North Surry High School, earning an all-conference nod 3 times and ranking in the top 10 all-time with 1,244 points scored, before enrolling at Hargrave for a postgraduate year in 2009. Martin played under then-Head Coach (and fellow Hall of Fame member) Kevin Keatts and then-assistant coach A.W. Hamilton that season, helping guide the Tigers to a 27-2 record and an appearance in the National Championship game. Martin earned multiple Division 1 offers during that year, eventually signing a full basketball scholarship with Catawba College. He helped lead his Catawba team to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2009-10 season and was named team MVP following the 2012-13 season. Martin was inducted into the North Surry High School Athletics Hall-of-Fame in 2019.
Since departing Hargrave in 2020, Martin has been an assistant coach at Ohio University. He helped guide his team to a conference championship last season and a berth in the NCAA “March Madness” Tournament, where his Bobcats pulled off an upset victory over the Virginia Cavaliers.
A.J. James ’20
A.J. made an indelible mark on the entire Hargrave community during the year he spent with us. A leader on a team that reached the National Final Four, A.J. was a constant source of inspiration for the tenacity with which he competed, but also his smile that illuminated every room he walked into on campus. He signed a full scholarship to play basketball at Missouri State during his time at Hargrave.
While he was taken from us too soon, A.J.’s impact on each of us will never be forgotten. We are honored to officially retire #10 from the PG Basketball program- that jersey will always be saved for A.J.
