Findlay Prep’s mascot a perfect choice given Pilots’ penchant for air travel

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Sunday, March 30, 2014 | 2 a.m.

This isn’t your typical high school basketball team.

When the Findlay Prep Pilots travel to New York at the beginning of April for the Dick’s Sporting Goods National High School Tournament, it won’t be a new experience for the Henderson-based national powerhouse.

This season, they’ve played outside Southern Nevada six times, traveling more than 17,000 miles.

“All aspects of the experience translate over to the college and pro levels,” said Jerome Williams, Findlay’s coach and a former NBA player. “The kids are learning on and off the court how to prepare for the next level.”

Here’s a look at how it’s done:

On whose dime?

They’ve been to Boston; small-town Mitchell, S.D.; and broken out their passports for a game in Canada.

Seems expensive, right? Not exactly.

Most of the travel this season for Findlay Prep’s 12 players and six coaches is paid for by the showcase in which they participate. Organizers handle airfare, hotels, food and other expenses. All flights are commercial and players fly coach.

And Findlay Prep gets all of its gear — uniforms, shoes, warm-ups and other apparel — from a sponsorship with Nike.

Academic success, too

The walls of Findlay Prep’s basketball office are lined with framed McDonald’s All-America jerseys. Newspaper clippings also hang to document achievement.

Above Williams’ desk, however, is what he considers most important — his diploma from Georgetown. He makes sure players realize they have to excel in the classroom first.

Most trips are during the holiday season or on weekends. A few times each season, players will miss school on a Friday.

“It’s all about scheduling and planning,” Williams said. “We make it to where our guys barely miss school.”

It’s no wonder every player to graduate since the program’s birth in 2006 has been a Division-I qualifier.

Just like a college trip

Findlay Prep doesn’t land in a new city and go directly to the arena for a game. Everything is comparable to how it’s done at the next level. There are team meals, film study of the opponent, a scouting report printed for players to review and a pregame walk-through in the hotel.

Recovery

When you are tall, traveling on an airplane is a hassle. “It’s terrible, but you get used to it after a while,” said Horace Spencer, Findlay’s 6-foot-8 junior forward. “Flying takes a toll on your body. You have to be mentally prepared for it.” Williams employs techniques from his days of traveling in the NBA to aid players in recovery. He uses Game Ready, a cold-therapy compression system, to ease legs stiff from flying. “Ice bags are for high school,” Williams joked.

Easily spotted

Whether they are walking in the airport or sight-seeing in a new city, it’s easy to spot the Pilots. Nine of 12 players stand taller than 6-foot-6. “People ask, ‘Who is this team? Is it a pro team?’ ” Williams said. “When we say it’s a high school team, that really opens some eyelids.”

Eating on the road

Tournaments usually provide multiple meals, likely chicken or pasta dishes. Other times they’ll take up 10 tables at a Denny’s or McDonald’s for breakfast, or order pizza for lunch.

Extra travel

Rashad Vaughn, who is verbally committed to UNLV, and Kansas signee Kelly Oubre will play April 2 at the McDonald’s All-America game in Chicago, then the following day in New York with Findlay Prep at the National High School Tournament. As in past seasons, the tournament scheduled Findlay Prep to play in the last quarterfinal game to accommodate the travel of its top players.

Everyone wants to be a Pilot

Each of Findlay Prep’s national tournament games will be televised by one of ESPN’s family of networks. Like clockwork, when Williams checks his email, he’ll be flooded with notes of interest from players hoping to join the program. “I have two All Americans on my team. I get to play against those guys every day,” Spencer said. “It makes me fundamentally better.”

Some, however, think it’s a prep school for fifth-year players to bridge the gap from high school to college. “I get easily 50 calls a year from people who think we are a prep school,” Williams said. “I have to explain to them we are a traditional high school.”

Driven to succeed

Findlay Prep was founded in 2006 by auto dealer and UNLV booster Cliff Findlay. It has sent some players to UNLV, most notably 2013 NBA first-overall pick Anthony Bennett, but it’s not a feeder program for the Rebels.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21