I have heard July 2nd as the start date.  Apparently, it will be an early start and finish to accomodate Ge**getown, that is doing internatinonal travel (Australia?) in August.  Unfortunately, I have not heard anything about players other than Ge**getown will have 4 or 5 freshmen together on one team.

Kenner ends early because the Hoyas are traveling to China in August. Duke is making a similar trip.

GW was supposed to do international travel as well but that's not happening anymore.

DEA...Do you know if the loss of the international travel was related to the KH firing, change in AD, a combination of both, or some other reason?   Also, based on your sources, do you have any information on which players will be playing in the Kenner League.  At a minimum, I would think that Kromah would play, if healthy, as well as the any of the frosh who are in town.  Last year we had several, including Bynes, Pellom, Edwards and I think Warren (as well as the now departed Johnson and Fitzgerald)

Everything I heard about the international trip was from another source so I'm not sure on many of the details except that it was supposed to be to Europe. Apparently the coaches were planning it well after they knew JK wasn't coming back so take from that what you will. Not sure on the Kenner League.

Confirmed July 2nd as start, but cannot find out anything else.

Kenner League schedule has been announced.  Don't have rosters (never do), but there is a "Hoop Magic/Team Symonds" team.  Symonds is somehow affiliated with GW and has GW players on it.  Their first game is on Saturday, July 9th, at 1:20 pm.  The other teamsa are "Beyond Belief", "Higher Level", Tombs, Boss Auto, DC Assault, Startin 5, A.Wash Associates/Madness, 6th Man Sports, DCX, Team Takeover, Town Tavern, Clydes and Team Turner.

 Wonder if Copes will be playing at Kenner?

Isn't the Kenner Team Takeover affiliated with the AAU team.  If so, Lasan may play for them since he was on their AAU  team.

www.teamtakeoverbasketball.com/Alumni.html 

Kenner League Schedule is posted here:

http://www.guhoyas.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/gu/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2011-kenner-league-sched

 Copes is playing...should be interesting to see those games to say the least. 

 One of the Mason boards says that Copes along with will be playing on Higher Level.

georgemasonbasketball.blogspot.com/2011/06/kenner-league-schedule-announced.html

Something like this for GW players would be fantastic.

(hint hint)

(are you reading this?!)

George Mason always has a Kenner League team made up of their incoming freshman and 2 returning players, so I'm not suprised that Eric Copes is playing. It should be interesting to see what happens when/if E.Copes plays against the GW players. I believe all the Kenner League teams that had GW players last year are back again this year and they've added more teams. So there is a good chance that a lot of GW players will participate. Last year, Dave Pellom and Aaron Ware were on Team Turner and Lasan Kromah was on Team Takeover. Hoop Magic/Symonds and DCX also had GW players.

Question for Thomas, our resident Kenner expert.  Realizing all of the uncertainties and inconsistencies that help define the Kenner experience, what would you say the chances are that GW players play for the same team that they played on last summer?  For example, do you think that Aaron and David will again play for Team Turner since they played on this team last year?  It's a shame that Georgetown will put out a press release letting everyone know which of their players are playing and on which teams they will be playing but not a word gets spoken regarding GW players.

Ditto, MV.  Don't know how Ge**getwon and Mason both have a complete breakdown on which teams their players are on, but we have nothing.  Maybe "The George Washington University" can help us here.  As an aside, it is now officially summer.  Thomas is back.

For the past few years, Beyond Belief, A-Wash Associates, Team Turner and DCX have kept the same players and Hoop Magic/ Symmonds All-Stars has been "Team GW" for about 10 years now. I'm just assuming that the coaches of those teams will continue to bring the same guys back again this year. A-Wash Associates and Beyond Belief have played in the championship game for 2 straight years, so there may be some sort of rivalry between them. Team Takeover is copying D.C.Assault meaning its team will be made up of its former AAU players, so Lasan Kromah will probably always play for them in the Kenner League. I believe Rob Diggs always played for George Mason's Kenner League team when he was at GW.

Another reason, a lot of GW guys may play is the fact that the Kenner League has 14 teams this year, including D.C.Assault.  Whenever D.C.Assault has been in the Kenner League, they've always had the best players. The games should be more competitive this year and GW may realize that having as many players as possible participate against strong competition will help them get better.

Good memory Thomas.  Rob did play for the Meyers & Alterman team which was in fact the "unofficial Mason" team.

Lasan Kromah played with Team Takeover today. He showed up late and scored 3 quick baskets as soon as he was put in. He may not have scored after that because his shot was off and he has a lot of talented teammates. Team Takeover has a lot of the same players as last year(Jeff Allen, Jason Clark, Dwayne Jackson, Blake Price) and they also had former Georgetown guard Chris Wright. L.Kromah started the 2nd half and played a lot of minutes in that half, he looked completely healthy today. No one else from GW played today. Team Takeover plays A.Wash/Madness tomorrow at 3:40

Thank you Thomas.  That the shot was off is insignificant.  That he looked completely healthy is the big story for GW fans.l

•  http://twitter.com/#!/CasualHoya
• http://www.casualhoya.com/2011/7/2/2256661/casual-opening-day-at-kenner-league

herve, why did you post that?

It is kinda rubbing it in our faces, Herve.

 It's the closest you are going to come to getting regular Kenner reports at all since GW doesn't want to even acknowledge the league exists ("Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.")

At least until we learn which teams our guys are playing on and can get some of our own peeps to start reporting.

 Rumor around town is we'll know more about GW's participation this week.

Team Turner beat The Clyde's team in the first game this afternoon by about a dozen points.  I got there about half way through the first period.  Aaron Ware played for Team Turner and had a couple nice dirves taking his man of the dribble, and reciving an entry pass while flashing to the basket.  He also had a nice finish on a fast break and played solid D.  Other notables on Team Turner were Greives Vasquez and Terrell Stoglin from Maryland.  Vasquez had several nice dishes, deep threes, and played aggresive D throughout the game.  Stoglin also hit a few deep threes and had several nice finishes in transition.  All-in-all, one of the better Kenner games I've seen.  Both teams played hard and weren't giving up easy caskets or taking possesions off on D.  Also, on my way out I saw Lasan entering for his 3:40 game for Team Takeover.  He said his leg is doing well. 

lanson mention in the last player blurb 

Kromah back in action: After losing all of last season with a foot tendon injury, George Washington University guard Lasan Kromah seems to be back on track; during his Team Takeover matchup with Clyde's, Lasan not only sank jumpers but attacked the rim, a true test of rehabilitation. He's not quite as explosive as before and his timing seems a tad off, but Kromah is well on the road to being 100%.

The guy who wrote the article that george the hippo posted,also writes for www.i95ballerz.com , he was at today's games also. I'd expect him to have recaps of the Kenner League games that took place over the last 2 days on the i95ballerz site. Lasan Kromah looked like his old self even more so today, he probably had around 17 today. With Team Takever down 86-85, L.Kromah hit a 3-pointer with about 23 seconds and it turned out to be the game winner as they held on to beat A-Wash 89-86.

OK. here it is ...  almost 2 am on the 4th. I am up and working on code like a 20-something. Unlike a 20-something, I am listening to jazz and drinking some coffee. 

I am thinking about basketball and actually really looking forward to the next season. This has something to do with it. I haven't let myself think about the Colonials with Lasan on the court for a year.In fact, if I think of starting 5 or subs, I don't even pass by his name. So I am looking at the number above, 17, that Thomas mentioned.Jeeeeezus.... can it be?!

No... I can't go there. Not yet. But, still, what about a lineup that has Taylor and Kromah in the backcourt; Mikic and Smith at 3 and 4, swapping places from O to D; and someone else at the 5.Actually, if I were one of Edwards, Warren or Pellom, I would be working like a dog to work on strength and energy. I would be working on leading the nation in shooting percentage.

I just get the idea that the standards and expectations are being pushed along to go with some obvious talent. I like that fact that the new group of administrators and coaches are stepping up the program and challenging these players. This is certainly what I wanted to see. So, all of a sudden, it is July and players are back in town working hard. In a couple of months, the campus will start the fall semester. This is going to get rolling.

Unlike in the past, guys like Kopriva and Davis would see immediate minutes and be under pressure to make an improvement to the team. Now, that isn't the case. Anything we get will be pure bonus.

What I really look forward to is for the players to live with a coach that will not push a concept in a game even if it is failing--for whatever reason, even if that reason is that one of the opposing players is having the game of his life. I am starting to believe that Lonergan DOES think that this could be the job of his dreams. He needs to grow into this one. I think that we will need a couple of real months of team work to really start to see the affects, but I am hoping that the players will start to experience life with a coach who will try to help them deliver wins, above all.

So, back to dreaming about GW hoops and working late into the night...  So, hitting what turns out to be the game winning 3 ...

Saw three games at the Kenner yesterday.  As was mentioned, Aaron played in game 1.  I've always liked his game.  What Aaron does well he does very well.  He's a solid defender who has a great ability to finish around the rim.  He also knows how to get to the line and is pretty consistent once he gets there.  With ML being a stickler for defense and Aaron entering his senior year, there's no reason why he shouldn't be on the court for 25-28 minutes per game.  FYI..David Pellom , who played on this team last summer, was a no-show.  Could easily have been home for the holiday weekend.  Should also mention that Stoglin was sensational and that if the Memphis Grizzlies had a scout at this game, Greivas might have received "the D-League isn't so bad talk" by game's end.

Here's my stat line for Lasan: 5-14 from the floor, 2-4 from 3, 1-2 from the line (come on Lasan, hit your free throws; I know 2 is a pretty small sample size but let's start creating good habits now), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers.  It was an interesting performance.  On the plus side, he got up extremely high to make the most impressive block of the afternoon.  He threw two more passes that should have been assists.  As Thomas pointed out, he hit a game winning 3 with under 30 seconds to play, and then came up with a steal to ice the game.  His team was up by 13 in the first half and then allowed a team led by Brian Chase and Eddie Basden which had no business being in the game take the lead (despite the fact that this team was A.Wash/Madness which Thomas pointed out has played for the championship the past 2 seasons).  The negatives were that Lasan forced several shots (playing with Chris Wright and Jason Clark, the need to do this wasn't totally lost on me) and did look out of control on several occasions.  His game winner was his only made FG of the second half.  He walked up and down the court a bit more than most players which could mean anything from the injury not being fully healed (less than 1% chance based on his blocked shot), he's working on getting his conditioning back, or he recognized that this was a meaningless Kenner game.

Finally, the middle game I saw featured The Tombs which is touting the five freshmen who will be playing for Georgetown.  Greg Whittingdon (19 points, 9 rebounds) looks like a really good player, Jabril Trawick (21 points) can likely play either guard position and plays with attitude (something that team clearly missed once Chris Wright went down with an injury last season), and Mikael Hopkins (15 points, 9 rebounds) did practically all of his damage in the 2nd half.  They played with Jeff Green who played like an NBA locked out player who realized that getting seriously injured in this game would be about the stupidest possible act imaginable.

Thank you for the update, Thomas and MV.  Now, for the question I ask every year...is there any way to identify the players other than asking the person sitting next to you?

LSF, recently you are reduced to asking.  In years gone by they used to have programs and for big games had the PA going.  One year I asked about programs or rosters and was told that they were a waste because rosters sometimes moved around, players dropped off, changed their numbers etc.

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/sports/19887.html

LSF, the Kenner League is using the same announcer as last year, he may have been there for several years. It looks like he'll announce for all the weekend and playoff games, but whether he'll show up for the weeknight games is 50/50. Great recaps TheMV and GW Fan!! 

Some other interesting bits from the weekend's action is Lasan Kromah's team(Team Takeover) had outstanding Bowie State forward/center Travis Hyman on its team yesterday. TheMV hinted that the play of the 2 Georgetown players limited what L.Kromah could do, the same may have applied to T.Hyman in the 2nd half of yesterday's game. Team Tavern looks to be American U's team, they have 4 players from AU on the team and they played with just 5 or 6 players in both of their games. I don't believe I've ever seen American with their own team in the Kenner League.

Thought the NCAA limits teams to 2 players per team (excluding freshman).

Yeah that is the rule, Town Tavern has 2 incoming freshman and 2 returning players.

Just grateful that Lasan was able to compete at what sounds like pretty close to full speed.