Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008 | 11:12 a.m.
The Findlay College Prep basketball team moved up to third in the USA Today Super 25 national rankings today.
The 6-0 Pilots were fourth for the past few weeks.
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei (3-0) is first and Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln, where NBA player Stephon Marbury played, is second at 2-0.
“Now the question becomes, do these guys have the competitive maturity to handle success,” said Findlay coach Mike Peck. “It’s great. That’s what we’ve accomplished. They’ve earned everything.
“At the same time, that’s done. It’s about tomorrow. It’s about Thursday. It’s about Saturday. Every night is a new challenge. We have bull’s-eyes on our backs, especially locally.”
Findlay plays at Desert Pines on Thursday at 7 p.m. and plays host to Green Valley on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Henderson International School, with which the Pilots are affiliated.
Avery Bradley, the Texas-bound guard who had 18 points in a victory over then-No. 16 Montverde Academy in Kentucky on Saturday, leads Peck’s star-studded roster.
Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon watched practice Monday. Afterward, he and Peck talked about how Findlay players seem to adapt well, so soon, at the Division-I level.
DeAndre Liggins was all over the court Saturday at Rupp Arena in Kentucky as he tried to rally the Wildcats in a defeat to Miami. Liggins was named the Southeastern Conference freshman of the week Monday.
Four other Pilots alums from last season, including Jacques Streeter at Cal State Fullerton, are not just occupying a spot on a college roster.
“That’s one of the things that makes us really feel good,” Peck told Turgeon. “That’s rewarding for us. They’re not just on the team, they’re playing minutes and they’re contributing.”
Tuesday morning, Peck saw his team climb a spot in the prestigious USA Today rankings.
“I don’t sit there and thrive on it, and thirst and hunger for it,” he said. “At the same time, it comes with the territory. That’s what’s expected. The way it’s going to be. That’s the deal.
“Now, it’s just a matter of the guys being ‘professional’ and taking care of business. Everything is very business-like.”
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