Andre Sharpe | Legend In The Making

[benrich315]

New York State Championship
Nottingham Bulldogs vs Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams

March 3, 2016 -- Andre and the team walked out onto the court. They looked at the stands, filled up with a lot of Orange and Blue in support of the Bulldogs. They couldn't help but notice a very, very large sea of Red shirts. Tonight they were playing the Jamesville-Dewitt Red Rams.

JD lead the state with a record of 21-0, not counting their three playoff wins. Nottingham came in at 17-4, with one of their losses coming against the Red Rams earlier in the year.

This game was more than some revenge story, or an underdog story. Tonight was about pride, not only as individual players, but as a school. You see, Nottingham hasn't won a championship since 1991. In Syracuse, Nottingham was known as "just another city school". The city's high school sports teams were dominated by preppy schools that recruited their students. But not Nottingham.

Their roster consists mostly of young, african american city kids, as well as a few refugees coming anywhere form Africa to Bosnia. They were considered a second-rate school. But tonight was their chance to prove everyone wrong.

Right before tip off, coach said to the team: "Men, this is our chance. I want you to go out there and win. Not for me, your school, your parents, or anyone. Do it for yourself. If you go out and leave it all on the floor, regardless of the scoreboard, you will be champs."

With that in their minds, the boys hit the court and got ready for a battle. And a battle it would be.

The start of the game was not the Bulldogs best basketball. JD's star player Conner Franklin started out hot, hitting two threes in the first minute of the game. Nottingham got on the board with a beautiful pick and roll dish from Sharpe to big man Davon Howard.

The first quarter would come to a close with Nottingham trailing 12-14. Andre finished the first quarter with 8 of the teams 12 points. "Come on fellas. We're playing scared. Hesitating on open shots. We can't win like this, let's go!" said Sharpe. He was heated and the team knew it.

The Bulldogs came out in the second quarter playing worse than the first. Turnovers and missed opportunities found them with a double digit deficit just four minutes into the quarter. They had zero confidence and needed a spark.

This is where having a player like Andre Sharpe really strengthens a team. Coach switched him to the point and he would bring an energy that had been lacking thus far.

His first play at the point guard position was a beautiful alley-oop to SF Marcus Pope. They would go bucket for bucket to end the first half trailing 38-29.

The thing about Andre Sharpe, is that he had a way of giving his energy to his teammates without even needing to say more than a sentence. In the locker room at the half, he didn't say a word until it was time to hit the court again. He stood in the hallway leading to the Dome, looked at his teammates, and simply said: "Let's win this game."

They raised their fists, and did one last Bulldogs chant before jogging out to their bench.

When they hit the court in the second half, they had a look in their eye that no opponent wants to see. The look of a team with nothing to lose, and they played like it.

Sharpe would score 10 of the teams 15 points in the third quarter, but his main contribution was his three steals that lead to big transition points. He locked down on the Red Rams leading scorer Franklin, allowing 0 third quarter points to the opposing star.

The Bulldogs would pull within 5 points heading into the fourth quarter. The JD fans seemed to get louder and louder as the game went on, with the Nottingham section almost matching their enthusiasm despite being outnumbered.

The fourth quarter of this game was one for the ages. Each team battling back and forth, scoring bucket after bucket. It was an offensive quarter, as both teams combined for 46 points.

With 90 seconds remaining, Nottingham trailed by two points. A big time dunk from SF Marcus Pope would tie the game with just over a minute. After a missed shot from each team, the game was tied 65-65 with 40 seconds left. JD's star player Franklin would bring the ball up.

They ran a beautifully drawn up play to find David Willis Jr. for an open three at the top of the key. He would sink it, giving JD the lead 68-65.

With 16 seconds on the clock, trailing by three, the Bulldogs had the inbound under JD's basket. While JD may have anticipated Sharpe to get the ball, he wasn't the greatest three point shooter.

Coach drew up a play for sharpshooting guard Mohamed Abdi. He cut hard to the corner, got the ball, and drained the shot, tying the game at 68.

JD inbounded the ball quickly and a man slipped behind Nottingham's defense as they got back into position. He caught the pass and laid it in to give them the lead 70-68.

Nottingham took their final timeout with around 8 seconds left. Coach huddled everyone up to make a plan. "Alright boys, this is your game. This is your moment. This is where you earn your stripes. Andre... the ball is yours. If you see the lane, take it to them, hope for the foul. If they give you space, make them regret it." Andre looked at his coach and his teammates, "I got this".

They inbounded the ball to Sharpe. He dribbled the ball up. Franklin seemed to be playing the drive, so Andre hit him with a hesitation, a cross over, and could feel the space between the two of them. He made a move to the right, stepped back, and put up the three.

It was as if the ball flew through the air in slow motion. As the clocked ticked closer to zero, the ball closed in on the net... all you could hear in the arena was the sweet sweet sound of the ball hitting nothing but net, and the Nottingham fans cheered louder than they have in 25 years. He did it. Andre Sharpe brought a team on the brink of giving up, and willed them to victory.

The ball went through the net with only 0.2 seconds on the clock, and JD had no chance to get a shot off. The Bulldogs had done it. They won their fourth championship in school history.

Andre was bombarded by his teammates with high fives, chest bumps, hugs, and pure joy. This was his moment. This was it. And he made it count.

In the locker room, Andre was basking in the victory when his teammate Mohamed Abdi came up to him and gave him dap. He sat down next to Sharpe and asked him a simple yet complex question: "So what's next?"...

Andre thought to himself, "that's a good question".

Highlights

Spoiler

Game Tying 3


Game Winning 3 (Angle 1)


Game Winning 3 (Angle 2)

__________________

Orangemen | Eagles | 76ers

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Last edited by benrich315; 01-30-2017 at 11:52 AM.

[benrich315]

Coming Up

[benrich315]

One-on-one with Andre Sharpe
His decision, and how he got there
Written by Shane Williams, ESPN

April 11th, 2016 -- NLI signing day is always a fun day, not only for the players and teams, but for the fans. It's the day they find out who will be wearing their team colors and potentially leading them to a championship.

Today, we have a special feature. Top 50 recruit Andre Sharpe of state champion Nottingham HS of Syracuse, NY, is joining us for an exclusive interview to dive in to his journey to choosing where he would end up, whether it be college or the pros.

Without further delay, let's get right into the interview.

Shane: "Andre, welcome and thanks for joining me.

Andre: "Happy to be here. Gotta admit, it's a little weird being interviewed by an ESPN guy."

Shane: "Well based on your resume, it sounds like you might have to get used to it."

Andre: "Haha, I mean, that would definitely be cool."

Shane: "Cool indeed. So, Andre, let's talk about your heroics in the state championship game. Tell me how it felt to carry your team like you did late in that game."

Andre: "Honestly, without the support of my teammates, I don't think I could've played like I did. They had my back and it helped me to be confident enough to go all in."

Shane: "How did you and your teammates turn the game around in the second half? You were struggling quite a bit to start the game and just turned the jets on in the second half."

Andre: "Well coach is a great motivator. He knows what to say and do to get us prepared for anything. He talked to us, told us what we needed to do, and we executed."

Shane: "I love it. Talk to me about the feeling you had after sinking that gorgeous game winning shot."

Andre: "Well, as a kid playing at the park, you mess around with counting down to buzzer beaters. But this, being the real deal, in the championship game, was unreal. It was unlike any feeling I've ever had."

Shane: "Moving past your high school days now, how have you been dealing with having this tough decision of college or the pros?"

Andre: "I have a great support system in my family. My mother is the best person I know, and my little siblings always help to make me laugh and appreciate the little things. Without them, I'd probably go crazy. So leaning on them has helped me a lot."

Shane: "So, I gotta ask, are you a momma's boy?"

Andre: "Ha, for sure. My mom is my rock and I wouldn't be who I am without her."

Shane: "Talk to me about the draws of each choice, college and going pro."

Andre: "Man, growing up in Syracuse, a big party town with a big party school, college definitely seems dope. In talking to some players all around the country, it seems like a blast and a great way to expand my game. But growing up in a struggling household, that paycheck is hard to say no to."

Shane: "I'm not gonna ask what your choice is yet, but tell me, how hard has this choice been?"

Andre: "It seems impossible. On one hand, I could buy my mom a house, help with bills, pay for my brothers and sisters to go to college. And on the other, college is a once in a lifetime experience that would be hard to miss. So it's been really really tough to choose."

Shane: "With that being said, hypothetically, where would you want to end up in the NBA?"

Andre: "Growing up in NY, I'm a huge Knicks fan. I loved watching Melo at Syracuse and if I were to end up playing with him, that would be dope."

Shane: "I know that you've narrowed your top schools down to Florida and Syracuse. I gotta ask, don't you want to get away from the snow?"

Andre: "Haha, a lot of people have said that to me. Honestly, growing up in one of the snowiest cities in the country, it doesn't even phase me. But not shoveling a driveway would be pretty cool."

Shane: "What's with your obsession with orange and blue? You wore that in high school, SU and FLA are both those colors, and even the Knicks. What gives?"

Andre: "When you grow up in 'Cuse, orange and blue are second nature. I've always liked the combo. But picking schools and teams has nothing to do with the colors haha."

Shane: "Alright, we're almost out of time. You know, it's that time where I've got to ask, what's it gonna be?"

Andre: "I've been thinking hard about this. Every day I've wondered if I'll regret either choice, and I think that's just life. You gotta man up, make a decision, and accept it. I've made my choice. Today, I will be signing a NLI with my hometown team, the Syracuse Orange."

Shane: "Well congratulations Andre. What made you choose to stay home and go to college?"

Andre: "My mother has always stressed the importance of education and getting the most out of life. I feel that playing for the Orange, under coach Boeheim is what will help me grow into the person and player I need to be."

Shane: "Andre, I would like to thank you again for joining us. Everyone, you heard it here first, Andre "Shorty" Sharpe will be staying home and joining the Syracuse Orange this fall."

Andre: "Thanks Shane, it's been awesome being here."

[benrich315]

[benrich315]

Orange 2016-17 Preview
Freshman and Transfers Lead The Way
Written by Jaime Walker, Syracuse.com


October 9th, 2016 -- The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program has never had a more unusual roster than the one Jim Boeheim will take into the 2016-17 season.

Syracuse, which is coming off an appearance in last year's Final Four, brings back just four players who actually suited up for the Orange last year. That's less than half of this year's roster.

But the extreme makeover-styled roster has yielded enormous expectations. Syracuse is ranked in the Top 20 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls.

In the same way that Dr. Frankenstein once built his monster, Boeheim has brought in three freshmen, two fifth-year graduate transfers and another transfer to mold a national championship caliber team.

Boeheim's mix consists of seniors Dajuan Coleman and Tyler Roberson, both returning starters; sophomores Tyler Lydon and Frank Howard, who look to start after playing bench roles last year; fifth-year grad transfers Andrew White, who came to SU from Nebraska; and John Gillon, of Colorado State; Paschal Chukwu, a 7-2 sophomore center who sat out last year after transferring from Providence, and the two freshmen — Andre Sharpe, Tyus Battle, and Taurean Thompson.

"I think every team has its challenges,'' Boeheim said. "Five new players is always a major issue getting those guys ready. I think that is really the challenge for this group.''

Syracuse's Final Four run masked what had been a relatively average season for the Orange. Syracuse went 9-9 in the ACC and waited out the NCAA selection committee's bracket with a 19-13 record. Then came four consecutive wins in the NCAA tournament and the school's sixth trip to the Final Four.

Even with the losses of seniors Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney plus the early departure to the NBA of freshman Malachi Richardson, the Final Four appearance has given this year's team a starting point that is, at the very least, optimistic. Syracuse has never been to consecutive Final Fours.

Boeheim is asking for patience for his roster redo.

"It's going to take a while to get to where we'd like to get to,'' he said. "We're a long ways from there.''

Syracuse's top three players figure to be a holdover, a transfer and a freshman.

Lydon, the 6-foot-9 forward, is on most of the preseason Watch Lists for the major player of the year awards. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while coming off the bench for the Orange last season. He's a versatile threat after making 40.3 percent of his 3-point attempts last year and adding 18 pounds of muscle to his frame in the off-season.

"He was key last year so he's certainly not going to be any less this year,'' Boeheim said. "He'll be very important, probably start the three, play some four, play some five sometimes. He's one of the few players that I would ever try to let do that. He's probably the only player that has ever done that well at three positions."

White started his career at Kansas. After two years, he transferred to Nebraska. He sat out one year before playing and averaging 16.6 points per game in 2015-16. Boeheim hopes that White, who made 41 percent of his 3-pointers for the Cornhuskers, will make up for the 3-point threats that Syracuse lost in Gbinije, Cooney and Richardson.

Meanwhile, Sharpe comes into his freshman year with high expectations. A highly-regarded recruit out of Nottingham High School here in Syracuse, Sharpe was snubbed in the voting for the McDonald's and Jordan Classic all-star games.

"He is a very talented player,'' Boeheim said. "He has great quickness and athletic ability. He plays hard all of the time and he is a very good player."

Coleman, a 6-9 grad student, and Roberson, a 6-8 rebounding machine, give Syracuse experience and steadiness in the frontcourt. Chukwu, the tallest player in SU history, could be a game-changer on defense with his shot-blocking ability. Thompson, a 6-10 freshman, has opened up eyes with his size (225 pounds) and mid-range shooting.

The key for Syracuse could be getting quality point guard play from both Sharpe and Gillon.

Syracuse's revamped lineup could result in a far different arc to the season for this year's Orange. Last year, Syracuse's veteran backcourt led the Orange to early wins over Connecticut and Texas A&M. Syracuse suffered disappointing losses to St. John's, Georgetown and Clemson as Boeheim served the NCAA's nine-game suspension, but once he returned to the sidelines, Syracuse proved to be a solid if unspectacular squad.

Syracuse nervously sat on the NCAA tournament bubble. Once in the tournament field, few expected the 10th-seeded Orange to advance past the first weekend.

Syracuse wound up in the Final Four. The question now is Can the Orange make it back there again?

"The regular season last year we were not very good but we really played well in the tournament,'' Boeheim said. "However, that does not take away from the fact that we need to be a lot better team this year. We have a lot of work to do and we are very happy with the talents and the guys we have. We are a long way away and still have a lot of work to do."

[benrich315]

Syracuse 2016-17 Schedule

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[benrich315]

Orange @ Kentucky Preview

#14@ #4

Starting Five
Syracuse | Kentucky
Andre Sharpe PG De'Aaron Fox ✅
Tyus Battle SG Malik Monk ✅
✅ Andrew White SF Derek Willis
✅ Tyler Lydon PF Edrice Adebayo
DaJuan Coleman C Isaac Humphries ✅

Key Bench Players
Kentucky: F Wenyen Gabriel, G Isaiah Briscoe
Syracuse: F Tyler Roberson, F Taurean Thompson

Kentucky Strengths/Weaknesses
-Athleticism
-Attacking The Basket
-Offensive IQ
-Creating Own Shot

-Steals
-Defensive IQ

Syracuse Strengths/Weaknesses
-Mid Range Scoring
-3pt Shooting
-Depth

-Defensive IQ
-Lots Of New Faces
-Consistency

[lakers24]

Really loving this so far, keep it up!