DENTON – Ponder doesn't have the area's biggest, strongest or most athletic basketball players. But the team consistently finds itself on the winning end.
Great American Shoot-Out
07/14/08
High School Sports Videos
Ponder – with 11 of 13 players standing 6-1 or shorter – won the NIT Division title at the 20th Denton Great American Shoot-Out Monday afternoon at North Texas. Ponder rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat the Austin ICE, 60-57.
Ponder won the UIL 2A state title in March and finished with 39-2 record. The team placed second at the Metrocrest Basketball League Gold Tournament two weeks ago, defeating four 4A and 5A teams before falling to Carrollton Newman Smith in the final.
"They're like 'Hoosiers,' " said Metrocrest tournament director Jeff Foster, who watched Ponder on Monday. "All they need is Jimmy Chitwood."
The team won the Shoot-Out title without two of its players, 6-5 forward Scott Gregg and 5-8 guard Terrill Yeager.
Guard commits to Arizona: Texas D1 Ambassadors guard Garland Judkins took advantage of the NCAA's first full recruiting weekend. Judkins orally committed to play for Arizona.
Judkins, a 6-4 combo guard, committed over the weekend. He originally planned on attending prep school at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.
"He's an athlete who takes the ball to the hole really well," Texashoops.com's Mike Kunstadt said. "I think his size for a guard is one of the more attractive things. He can be a very good role player for them."
Arkansas' Walton effective: Little Rock (Ark.) point guard A.J. Walton, who was named Arkansas' Mr. Basketball last season, quietly led his team, the Arkansas Wings Gold, to the NBA Blue Division title.
Walton only scored 10 points but played error-free basketball in a 53-39 win against the Beaumont-based Rashard Lewis Southeast Texas Elite. Walton, who is considering Arkansas, Baylor, Marquette, Kentucky and Oklahoma, is ranked No. 143 on the Rivals150 for the Class of 2009.
Briefly: ProSkills Select, a team with players from Prestonwood Christian and Highland Park, won the NCAA Blue Division title. ... The Dallas Heroes 2009 – featuring players from Mesquite, Cedar Hill and other surrounding cities – lost in the NBA Red Division championship. ... Several Division I basketball coaches were in attendance, including Baylor's Scott Drew and Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon.
Championship game scores
NBA Red: Colorado Chaos 17 Blue 52, Dallas Heroes 2009 49
NBA Blue: Arkansas Wings Gold 53, Rashard Lewis Southeast Texas Elite 39
NCAA Red: Louisiana Tarheels 55, Abilene Dawgs 52
NCAA Blue: ProSkills Select 65, Texas Phenom 44
NIT: Ponder Lions 60, Austin ICE 57
