Reggie Hatchett (CBC)CBC's 6th grade team enjoyed great success last AAU season. But when the team took that long trip to Hampton, VA for the Division 1 National Championships, it was evident to Coach Reggie Hatchett that there were holes in his team. He went about plugging up those holes...Introducing..."The MONEY TEAM"
BS:When did you realize that your team needed to add pieces?
RH:Well, as a coach, you always see your team's deficiencies better than their strengths. So I always knew that we didn't have much depth on a National level. And what I mean by that is: we were strong enough to dominate our area (CT, Mass, RI, etc) for years to come, but we were lacking the kind of depth it takes to be a contender for a National Championship. I've always been the type of person who wanted to do everything on the largest scale possible. So I would have never been content with dominating our region, but losing to the national powerhouse organizations.
BS: Was there a moment when it "clicked"?
RH:We were playing at the AAU 6th Grade Division 1 National Championships in Hampton, VA. We had just won our pool in convincing fashion. Then we had to play against AI9 Elite from Chicago and West Coast Select from California. Obviously these teams are from much larger areas than Hartford, CT, but our starters were obviously better than both of these teams. We held early double digit leads against both of these teams. But once we had to go to our bench, the leads evaporated, the momentum shifted to the other team and we eventually lost to both teams by small amounts. I felt that we could have easily won both of those games if we just strengthened our team by beefing up our bench.
BS: How did you go about making it happen?
RH: Well through our travels, I have accumulated several enemies. But I've also gained the respect and admiration of a lot of opposing players and coaches. We (CBC) had been dominating the CT basketball scene since I first started coaching three years ago. But what I noticed was that Connecticut had too many AAU teams! There was too much division of talent for us to make any significant noise on a National level. Every program had one or two "recruitable athletes" and no one wanted to let their stud play with another program. So from day one, my goal has always been to create an environment where all of the top talent would feel welcomed, and feel like they had something to gain by becoming a part of something bigger than them. So as I started to think about the things our team lacked, I also would think of names of players I knew that could fill that void. I realized that the key positions we needed help at, our rival program (CT Elite) had just what we needed. It made sense to the players, parents and coaches that we put our differences aside in order to make this "dream team" a reality.
BS:In what areas have you improved the most?
RH:Last year our team would suffer when Jaecee (Martin) or Ismail (Charles) got in foul trouble. Because we did not have a formidable back up PG or Center. So the acquisition of Azar Swain (PG) and DeAndre Leslie (C) gives us the opportunity to keep Jaecee and Ismail out of foul trouble, and it gives them fresher legs at the end of games. Also, Chaylyn (Martin) had to responsibility of being our slasher and wing scorer, but if he was off, there was no formidable substitute. Now Shyhiem Hicks and Keonte Lucas give us additional scoring from the wing. Kareem Harvin also gives us more toughness inside. So now we have a few options to offset what other teams like to do against us.
BS:What are your goals for this season?
RH:Well last year we had a great season. We won 9 of the 13 tournaments we participated in (including winning 4 of 5 tournaments in which we played up an age group). We also won our pool and won two playoff round games at Nationals. And I have my top 6 players returning from that team. So with the additions we have in place, I expect each one of those stats to improve this season. And hopefully we will finally get one of those elusive Basketball Spotlight crowns! But seriously, I just want to represent CT on a National level. Last year while we were at Nationals in Hampton, there were a handful of teams that everyone knew would be around all week...I want to be in that same conversation.
BS: Why the name "Money Team"?
RH: Jaecee's nickname "Mayweather" spreaded like wildfire and he was so instrumental in bringing in the other pieces we decided to go with the "Money Team".
BS:Any last words you want to say before we end?
RH:I think that we have set an example for other AAU programs around the region. We (coaches) have an obligation to the young men we serve to set a positive example. We shape their image of what manhood and leadership is suppose to be. So we have to put our egos aside and make decision that benefit our kids above our own agenda. And lastly...WATCH OUT FOR THE MONEY TEAM!!!
