Findlay Prep
| Nicknames | Pilots |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 2006 |
| League | Independent |
| Based in | Henderson, Nevada |
| Head coach | Paul Washington |
| Championships | 3 (2009, 2010, 2012) |
| Website | www.findlayprep.com/ |
Findlay Prep, or the Findlay Prep Pilots, is the high school basketball team of the Henderson International School, a primary school and former secondary school in Henderson, Nevada.[1][2] The pilots have won the National High School Championships in 2012 and 2013. Findlay Prep is not a member of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, instead they travels across the United States to play games against similar programs. The current head coach is Paul Washington, who took the job in August 2016.[3] Findlay Prep was founded in 2006, with Scott Beeten as head coach. Although the high school of Henderson International closed in 2010, the school continues to support a high school basketball program.[4]
The Pilots have won three National High School Invitational tournaments with former alumni named McDonald's All-Americans and playing in the NBA including Anthony Bennett, Avery Bradley, Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson. The program is run similarly to an NBA team, with the team - scouted beforehand - barnstorming the country to play in invitational tournaments. Due to its perceived overemphasis on basketball, critics have slammed it as a basketball factory that gives students hope of a pro career instead of education, school officials refute these allegations arguing their students' "100% qualification rate" with the NCAA, Findlay Prep was branded as "non-scholastic" by the same organisation in 2013 but later affiliated themselves with the NIAA.[5][6][7]
Notable alumni
- Avery Bradley (Class of 2009) - Boston Celtics
- Jorge Gutierrez (Class of 2008) - Trabzonspor
- DeAndre Liggins (Class of 2008) - Kentucky Wildcats, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Victor Rudd (born 1991) - basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the Euroleague
- Cory Joseph (Class of 2010) - Toronto Raptors
- Tristan Thompson (Class of 2010) - Cleveland Cavaliers
- Anthony Bennett (Class of 2012) - Brooklyn Nets
- Nick Johnson (Class of 2011) - Arizona Wildcats, Bayern Munich
- Kelly Oubre Jr. (Class of 2014) - Washington Wizards
References
- ↑ King, Thomas (January 18, 2011). "Findlay Prep: A high school basketball team, without a high school". MassLive. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ↑ http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/11/2015-16-geico-espn-high-school-basketball-showcase-34-top-recruits-22-commitments-to-college-programs-11-ranked-teams/
- ↑ "Findlay Prep names Paul Washington Sr. new boys basketball coach". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ↑ Green, Steve (26 February 2010). "Henderson International School closing two of three campuses". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ↑ Abramson, Mitch. "Former Knick Jerome Williams coaches Findlay Prep, one of country's top high school basketball teams.", Daily News (New York), 5 October 2013. Retrieved on 24 May 2015.
- ↑ Brewer, Ray. "Findlay Prep’s mascot a perfect choice given Pilots’ penchant for air travel.", Las Vegas Sun, 30 March 2014. Retrieved on 24 May 2015.
- ↑ "Members - Findlay Prep.", Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association. Retrieved on 24 May 2015.