Rocky Top league draft over the top

Think of it as fantasy sports on steroids.

No, this wasn’t you and your buddies in a dark basement picking players over chips and dip.

This was the Pilot Rocky Top League Year II, complete with television coverage, a live radio pick-by-pick broadcast and

a packed house at Ray’s E.S.G. on Kingston Pike.

“Ain’t no way,” former Tennessee forward Ron Slay said when asked if he would have ever believed such a basketball event could take place in Knoxville, especially in June. “Is football going to be playing, too? Lady Vols would have to join or something. There’s no way I would believe it’s going to be packed like this.”

Yet there was the crowd, anticipating every pick, all for the (essentially pick-up) basketball games to be held at Bearden High School starting Monday night.

To no one’s surprise, Tennessee forward Tyler Smith was the No. 1 overall pick, going to the H.T. Group, which secured the top selection via a random drawing.

News Sentinel coach Andy Rines was sure he’d miss out on the draft elite when he drew the fourth pick. Then, good fortune shined on Rines when he was able to select former UT player Damon Johnson and Slay with the first and second pick.

“I thought going in that Damon and Ron Slay were two of the best three players in the draft,” Rines said. “I didn’t think I’d get either one of them and ended up with both. I couldn’t be happier with what we got.

Johnson was one of the surprise performers last summer, when he was picked in the draft’s fourth round yet was one league’s MVP.

“I think last year showed how the older, more experienced players took over the league,” Rines said.

Rick Campbell, the coach of defending champion Toyota of Knoxville, shared the older-is-better sentiment, but couldn’t pass up UT forward Wayne Chism with the second pick.

“Wayne’s probably going to be motivated to play really hard in this league, plus he’s looking to go to the NBA,” said Campbell, who took former UT guard Dane Bradshaw with his second round pick.

“I think Dane will come in finally healthy. Just a diehard leader.”

Ray’s E.S.G, led by South-Doyle coach Chad Smith, picked UT signee Scotty Hopson with the third overall pick.

Smith, who also coaches high school all-stars for a traveling Nike team, wasn’t afraid to pick the young and unknown in the draft. Smith also selected UT transfer point guard Bobby Maze.

“I wanted to get the two guys that this town hasn’t seen before, with Maze and Hopson, so they were there and I took them,” Smith said. “… We’re going to really spread the floor out and try to let them show their offensive skills off.”

Mixing UT’s basketball past, present and future is part of the intrigue of the Rocky Top League. Nowhere is that more evident than on the News Sentinel team, where Slay is teamed up with UT signees Phillip Jurick and Renaldo Woolridge. Slay knows he’ll be expected to be mentor, as well as scorer.

“Go out there and go hard,” Slay said of the lessons he’ll impart. “Don’t let anybody punk them or try to beat them up. Try to take the fight to the other guy.

“That will carry over.”

Rocky Top League

Teams and Draft Order

Overall pick in draft in parenthesis.

HT Group

Tyler Smith (1); Courtney Pigram (11); Daniel West (12); Michael Jenkins (23); Cole Rose (24); Greg Hamlin (35); Kyle Huckins (36); J.T. Blair (47); Chris Conner (49); Ryan Walden (60)

Toyota of Knoxville

Wayne Chism (2); Dane Bradshaw (10); Rashard Lee (13); Andy Tipton (22); Tony White Jr. (25); Kirill Yakvolev (34); Isiah Brown (37); Jared Stevens (48); Jimmy Boone (50); Dan Walter (59)

Rays ESG

Scotty Hopson (3); Bobby Maze (9); Brian Williams (14); Logan Johnson (21); Steven Pearl (26); Alex Oliver (33); Alex Bowers (38); Ben Williamson (46); James Gallman (51); Mario Mcclurie (58)

News-Sentinel

Damon Johnson (4); Ron Slay (8); Renaldo Woolridge (15); Phillip Jurick (20); Jalen Steele (27); Raul Placeras (32); Cameron Sharp (39); Jeremy Saffore (44); Chauncey Thompson (52); Keith Bauer (57)

Richardson Construction

John Mueller (5); Terrence Oglesby (7); Stanley Asumnu (16); Josh Tabb (19); Bobby Guyton (28); Elmar Kuli-Zade (31); Michael Blue (40); Rob Zalucki (45); Skylar McBee (53); Adam Plavich (56)

1st Tennessee

Cameron Tatum (6); John Higgins (17); Jordan Howell (18); Zach Hyatte (29); Ben Bosse (30); Eryk Watson (41); Marko Costic (42); James Boo Jackson (43); Justin Walker (54) Dustin Brown (55)

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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