In less than six months, coach BJ Watson was able to forge a once piecemeal team into a prominent program which staged a late ascension at the Prep National Championships in South Carolina.
Buoyed by clutch shot making and executing drawn up plays in the last minute, Watson’s Central Pointe Christian Academy team wound up winning the Prep National Championship. Watson helped nurture the development of myriad diamond in the rough caliber recruits, including the Prep National Championship MVP in slick, high scoring guard Josh Adamsel.
Beyond Xs and Os, Watson was instrumental in building a culture and ingraining a buy in mentality which helped catapult them to the national championship.
This unbridled focus and winning formula should continue at his next destination, where Watson could provide an instant impact with the numerous intriguing unsigned prospects he’s helped push the evolution of.
Preaching essential tenets such as discipline and accountability, Watson helped discover several under the radar guys.
With the consistent workload, Watson helped churn out several unheralded and promising unsigned prospects such as Josh Adamsel (Big Shots National Championship MVP), David Hill (multiple game winners throughout the season, including game winning floater to propel team to national championship berth with under seven seconds left to go in Big Shots National semifinal), Stuart Clough (high wired act, vertically explosive forward with multiple games of 25+ points), Taevon Lewis (athletic, 6-foot-6 above rim finisher with all around game and two way versatility) and a bevy of others.
Watson On The Team’s Championship Ascension
Prior to our first game, my players approached me and said, ‘Coach this is different–we’re playing for a championship.’
I knew at that point they were focused and they were ready to compete.
Now the way in which the tournament is structured with seeds is different. I noticed we were on the last court in the gym, with the least spectators and I let the boys know how disrespected we should feel. To be noticed in a tournament of this magnitude, you have to basically win to move up courts.
The boys were locked in and ready to win and make it to the big stage. They used it all as motivation.
It was most dialed in they have been all season. They knew this was the biggest stage and surely the stage on which to play your best basketball.
On Remaining Unsigned Recruits
Right now, we’ve got a number of guys who could move the needle at the right program. I think they showed they were ready made throughout the season as they progressed. And it all came into fruition at the national championship when we won.
In (6-foot-4) Mekhi McIntyre, you have a very skillful and high IQ guard who can really do it all. In (6-foot-5) Taevon Lewis, you have a really athletic positionless player who can play and guard 1-5 and can hurt you from 3-point range. His blend of athleticism and ability to consistently shoot it from outside should be appealing to coaches at the next level.
With (6-foot-4) Stuart Clough, you have a high rising and uber athletic inside-out guy that can take advantage of mismatch down low or on the perimeter. He’s a very good mid range shooter.
In David Hill, you’ve got a 6-foot-2 guard with sneaky quick athleticism. He is someone that once you need a bucket, he can create.
In Josh Adamsel, you’ve got a 6-foot-3 high motor kid. He’s a guy who will play his hardest, from start to finish on both ends of the ball. Very dangerous downhill or in transition. He will get to the basket.
On His Influences
I learned a lot about how to handle adversity being an undersized guard who went on to play and author an All American career at (NAIA) Park University.
I played with Mokan Elite (AAU) under Rodney Perry and also coached with Mokan. (Coach Perry’s) principles of going hard and not cutting any corners, I carried with me all through playing and now my coaching career.
