Stanley ready for
AAU national title
* Most basketball fans in
this area may not be familiar
with the name Cameron Stan
i ley. There's no doubt that
' everyone will know his name
around here before long.
? Stanley is a slick, smooth
and dominating player on the
Millbrook High basketball
team in Raleigh. But he's
commit
ted to
playing
college
ball for
Wake
Forest.
He's
also
teaming
up with
M t .
Tabor's Chris Gaynor and the
rest of the Kappa Magic squad
to try to bring Winston-Salem
and North Carolina a second
straight AAU national cham
pionship this weekend.
Cameron has been com
pared with everyone from
Tracy McGrady to Michael
Finley. He's got that much
game. He can do a variety of
things once he puts the ball on
the floor. The most impressive
thing about 'Cam" is his mind,
though. He's as sharp as a
razor. I sat down with him a
couple of days before the team
left for Orlando. I had to find
out where his head was at
before they left. There was no
need for me to worry: He's
ready.
Anthony: What's the deal,
Cam?
Cameron: Nothin' much.
I'm just chillin'.
Anthony: Aight. What's
going through your mind right
now? You've got the AAU
national championships this
weekend. What are you think
ing?
Cameron: Urn. Nothing,
really. It feels like just another
tournament to me. I just want
to go down there and represent
North Carolina in the best way
that we can.
Anthony: But how do you
prepare for a game like this? I
mean, you know you're going
to face some of the best talent
from around the nation. How
do you get ready for that?
Cameron: Nothing out of
the ordinary. We just need to
practice the same way that
we've been practicing and
maintain our intensity. We're
just gonna go out there with
the mind-set that we can win
this just like they did last year.
Anthony: Now you
weren't a part of that last year,
but do you think this team
could be just as good as last
year's team?
Cameron: Yes, sir. I think
we've worked just as hard as
the team last year. We have
some of the players from last
year. Some of the players
played up. So 1 think that
experience will also help us.
("Cam, what size shoes do
you wear, 13 or 14?" shouted
coach Andrd Gouid.) Um, 13.
(Pause.).And that's about it.
Anthony: What are you
going to bring to the table?
Cameron: I'm just gonna
do what I have to do. Luckily,
they had a place for me on the
starting lineup. I know they
had a team already. I just
wanted to fill up any spots
where I could help at.
Anthony: Does this kind
of feel like the Olympics or
See One-on-One on B8
Stanley
AvJJXs
All-Stars honored at Reynolds Rec
Former Glenn High
standouts get jerseys
retired at center
BY ANTHONY HILL
THE CHRONICLE
Two young athletes defi
nitely have a special place in
the heart of Bryant
McCorkle, Reynolds Park
Recreation Center director.
Sure, there's a picture of
Josh Howard on the right side
of the wall of the centers'
entrance. But two other for
mer Bobcats, Michael Cook
and Danielle Edwards, have
McCorkle smiling big lately.
"I can't say enough about
those two kids," McCorkle
said. "Both of them are great,
excellent students and very
respectful. And their work
ethic is great. I remember
when Mike graduated from
high school.
"When most kids were off
to the beach, he was getting
ready for the East and West
All-Star Game. Mike's going
to succeed. 1 can't wait to see
him at Winston-Salem State
next season. Danielle is the
same way. She works hard
for things that she wants.
She's going to do great things
for Appalachian State."
ootn siuueni-ainietes
have known each other since
they were in the fifth grade.
They continued to be around
each other when they both
reached Glenn High School.
Both are also coming off
great performances in all-star
games. Cook played in the
East and West football game
last week, while Edwards
posted up the. competition in
the East and West basketball
game in Greensboro. Cook
also was able to make one of
the more clutch plays of the
game when he recovered a
fumble in the first half to
help the West to a 10-3 victo
ry
"My performance was
excellent in the All-Star
game," Cook said. "We
played hard. We only gave up
one score, and we got the
win. It was also special to go
and watch Danielle play. It
felt even better to know that
we came from the same
place. She's always been
good, though. I had to work a
little harder for attention."
Cook even went into his
game with a chip on his
shoulder. Unlike Edwards, he
didn't exactly know if he was
going to get the opportunity
to play on the next level. The
letters weren't coming in as
often as he might've liked,
and he didn't feel like too
many schools were interest
ed. But he never seemed to
give up. Cook continued to
work hard.
"That's the story of my
life," Cook said. "I knew that
I was going to go to college,
but I didn't think that I'd be
playing football. When I got
selected for the (All-Star)
team, I looked at it as an
opportunity to show every
one that I'm a special player.
I wanted people to know that
I'm not a regular player. 1
wanted to show them what I
was all about. And, besides
football, I'm a great person."
That's what most people
mention first when talking
about the two student-ath
letes. Everyone talks about
what type of people they are
before they mention their
athletic abilities. Some even
like to talk about how shy
Edwards is at times.
"Danielle has always
been a quiet person,"
McCorkle said. "Even when
she was little, she was to her
self. You have to make her
talk now."
Edwards added, "I can
play in front of 1,000 people
and be OK, but it's hard for
me to give a speech in front
of, like, 20 people."
Edwards wasn't really
into sports early on either.
She was more into tap danc
ing and ballet. She even
missed a few games so that
she could go to dance recitals
and ballet practice. She did
n't see a future in basketball
until middle school.
"When I was playing at
Reynolds Park 1 was into bal
let and tap dance," Edwards
said. "I used to miss basket
ball games so I could go to
ballet practice. I didn't think
1 was gonna have a future in
basketball. 1 took ballet very
serious. I didn't really like
playing basketball until 1 got
in seventh grade at Hill Mid
dle School. The people 1
played with made it more fun
for me."
Now both former Bobcats
are on their way to college, in
hopes of making names for
themselves on the basketball
court, football field and
classroom.
"My motivation is to go
to school and get an educa
tion," Cook said. "I want to
get a master's degree in edu
cation. Hopefully, 1 can sign
a professional contract some
where in there, but my focus
is on school and being a
Ram."
Edwards added: "I'm
pretty excited about school.
I'm not excited about the
workouts, but I'm excited
about going up there to play,
and majoring in communica
tion. I want to be a sports
broadcaster."
McCorkle believes the
sky is the limit for the two
sports stars. He's confident
they will both do well in all
areas of life
Former Olonn High School standouts Daniollo Edwards and Michael Cook pose with kids
at Reynolds Park Recreation Center.
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