George Jr. brings best to Beeghly

Cannon White represents the cycle of change at George Junior Republic.
The 2000-01 team that went 28-4 and lost in the PIAA Quad-A state semifinal game is no longer together.
All that remains is White, and that's only because a judge has placed him long term at the Grove City, Pa., reform school.
"Every day kids come in and every days kids leave," said Pat Devine, George Junior athletic director.
So, every basketball season, new players step onto the floor to lead the Tigers, coached by Bob McConnell.
Arrival: Those future players are determined by the kids sent to George Junior from as many as 18 states, said Devine, who estimates that 180 new kids will arrive in June and another 150 throughout the summer.
That influx, with the kids' average stay at nine months to one year, enables the Tigers to put together a talented basketball team that can compete with the best.
On Jan. 13, 2002, they want to put that talent on display.
Devine is solidifying an event at Youngstown State's Beeghly Center that will pit the Tigers against USA Today's top-ranked team, Oak Hill Academy, from Mouth of Wilson, Va., which went 33-0 in the 2000-01 season.
"We want to play the best teams around," Devine said. "We've always had Oak Hill's phone number, so we called them.
"The unfortunate part is that we have one kid on our team; it changes month to month."
Thinking big: Devine's goal is to pack 6,500-seat Beeghly Center with basketball junkies.
To do that, he is seeking two teams -- preferably area rivals -- to play in a preliminary game, but he hasn't received any serious interest yet.
"Some team wanted $700, $800," laughed Devine. "We're asking them to play in front of a big crowd on Youngstown's floor for free, which we think is enough."
George Junior paid $1,250 twice last season to play at Beeghly Center in games against Rayen and Columbus Northland and will handle the cost again in January.
"Rayen had a down year and Northland was not a name people could associate with," said Rick Bevly, YSU's events manager.
Because the games didn't draw as well as expected -- Bevly said attendance numbered around 1,000 -- George Junior lost money.
Now, George Junior hopes it will be rewarded at the gate for luring Oak Hill to Youngstown.
"We learned a lesson," Devine said. "If you're going to play there, you better bring in somebody good."
It doesn't get any better than Oak Hill, the alma mater of NBA players such as Jerry Stackhouse, Ron Mercer and Rod Strickland.
Seeking respect: With exposure in big games against high-caliber competition, George Junior hopes to shake its negative reputation among some people who think it dominates by recruiting.
"We like to play in front of people who appreciate them instead of people who are against them because they're winning," said Devine, who stresses the kids' No. 1 goal of earning a release from the school takes precedence over winning games.
"There was a lot of hatred in our league [Mercer County Athletic Conference] to our kids; that wasn't good for anybody," he said. "People disliked us because we were winning."
But you can believe the Tigers were still having fun.
"When you watch our kids, it's almost like a college atmosphere, with the dunks, the blocked shots, the running up and down the floor," Devine said.
Devine realizes George Junior will be the underdog to an Oak Hill team that has been top-ranked by USA Today three times in the last 11 years.
One Cannon just won't be enough.
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator.