Coaches association set to host annual all-star game; Former East standout, Langdon, and longtime Juneau head coach to be inducted into AABC Hall of Fame

WASILLA — Nearly a decade ago, representatives of a new organization, the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches, started to put together a plan to bring Alaska’s top seniors together for one day of basketball in one venue. The idea was to create a showcase for the state’s top seniors, an entertaining game for the fans and a chance for college coaches to see Alaska’s talent live.

Since hosting its first senior all-star games at Colony High School in 2011, an evening which featured both a boys’ and girls’ all-star game with about five college coaches in the stands, there has been steady growth. This year, the AABC is expecting the biggest and the best yet.

The organization is hosting the seventh-annual AABC Senior All-Star Games April 15 at the Wells Fargo Arena on UAA’s campus in Anchorage.

“This year it’s grown by leaps and bounds,” AABC president Dave Porter said.

The association had typically hosted the event in a high school gym, with school such as Colony, Palmer and Dimond acting as host schools in the past. But this year, Porter said the AABC is excited to see the Wells Fargo become the new home of the all-star games.

“It’s good to have it on the UAA campus. We are starting to get to that level,” Porter said.

Porter said much of the rapid growth of the event came with the decision to expand the event to four games prior to last season. For the first five years, the AABC had hosted only a girls’ and a boys’ game, with players from each of Alaska’s four classes represented in each game. Last year, the AABC added two more games, splitting 1A and 2A, and 3A and 4A. Now there are girls’ and boys’ all-star games featuring 1A and 2A players, and two other games featuring the 3A and 4A players.

“That was one of the biggest things we could have done,” Porter said. “Not only is it better for the basketball games, but we’re now able to better represent the whole state.”

The addition of the two games doubled the number of players invited each year.

“We are able to get more 1A and 2A kids involved. People from those communities love basketball, and come out and support it,” Porter said. “More fans at the game makes it a much better experience for everybody.”

And it created more opportunities for the 3A and 4A players, Porter said.

“I truly believe it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done,” Porter said.

The number of college coaches who attend the all-star games also continues to rise. Porter said more than 20 have already committed to be in the stands scouting Alaska talent this year. That’s compared to about five the first season. Porter said part of that success is attributed to the AABC aligning the all-star games with a pair of basketball camps hosted by Anchorage coaches. Initially, the AABC started hosting its all-star games on the same weekend as the Alaska Exposure Camp, a girls’ basketball camp organized by Dimond girls’ head coach Jim Young. Bartlett head coach Steve Drussell has since started a similar camp, held the same weekend, for the boys.

“It’s huge. It’s getting better and better every year,” Porter said of the attendance of the college coaches.

The games and the camps are helping to create a pipeline between Alaska and leagues such as the Northwest Athletic Conference, a league full of junior college programs in the Pacific Northwest. Porter said these programs are recruiting more Alaska talent, and they are winning.

“(Schools) are starting to see it as an option to recruit,” Porter said.

Porter said the AABC is excited about the talent among the 2017 all-star teams. The group of players who accepted invitations to the games features six of Alaska’s players of the year for the 2016-17 season. Ninilchik’s Austin White (1A boys), Petersburg’s Stewart Conn (2A boys), East Anchorage’s Moses Miller (4A boys), Scammon Bay’s Kiah Charlie (1A girls), Bristol Bay’s Rylie Lyon (2A girls) and Barrow’s Rose Mongoyak (3A girls) all received AABC Player of the Year honors and will play in the all-star games. There were also be 45 players who were named to the AABC all-state teams, and 17 who were named first-team all-state.

Eleven Valley players are included on the list. Wasilla’s Kobe Brown and Isaac Houck, and Houston’s Kade Taylor and Ben Bitler will play in the 3A/4A boys’ game. Colony’s Claire Steiner, Houston’s Aspen Ruth, and Wasilla’s McKenna Dinkel, Kaylyn Kelly and Catherine Baham will play in the 3A/4A girls’ game. Susitna Valley’s Ellie Beitsch will play in the 1A/2A girls’ game. Wasilla’s Willow Drorbaugh was also invited to play in the 3A/4A girls’ game, but is injured.

The 1A/2A girls’ game is scheduled for April 15 at 2:15 p.m. The 1A/2A boys’ game follows at 4 p.m. The 3A/4A girls’ game is slated for 6 p.m. and the 3A/4A boys game will follow at 7:45 p.m.

Two added to hall of fame

The AABC will also induct two members into its hall of fame April 15.

The 2017 inductees are former East Anchorage boys’ basketball standout Trajan Langdon and former Juneau-Douglas basketball coach George Houston.

Langdon was a high school star, college standout and a first-round draft choice of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

“He really did pave the way for everybody,” Porter said.

Langdon, a three-time Alaska Player of the Year, led the Thunderbirds to three straight 4A boys state titles.

Langdon continued his career as a Division I standout at Duke University, where he led the Blue Devils to the national title game in 1999. He was a three-time first-team All-ACC selection and a second-team All-American in 1999. Langdon spent 1999-2002 with the Calvaliers, and followed with a long career overseas. He won a pair of Euroleague championships and was the Euroleague Final Four MVP in 2008. Langdon is now the assistant general manager with the NBA’s Brookyln Nets.

Houston coached the Crimson Bears from 1992-2006, amassing 279 wins, 10 conference titles and two state championships during his tenure. Porter said it’s more than his time as head coach that made Houston worthy of induction.

“He coached some phenomenal athletes over the years, had a lot of success. A lot of it is what he’s done after he retired,” Porter said. “It’s truly his integrity, his love for the game.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches

2017 Senior All-Star rosters

3A/4A Boys:

Nathan Fromm, Service; Trey Huckabey, East Anchorage; Eric Jenkins, Dimond; Anthony Parker, Dimond; Isaac Houck, Wasilla; Kobe Brown, Wasilla; Augustine Cauging, Kodiak; Case Saviers, Thunder Mountain; Ryan Brantley, Monroe Catholic; Bish Gallahorn, Kotzebue; Jake Smith, Ketchikan; Paul Bioff, Mt. Edgecumbe; Seth Auble, Valdez; Jayvin Williams, Bethel; Jesse Lanteigne, Sitka; Moses Miller, East Anchorage; Josh Jackman, Kenai; Xavier Ughutevbe, Hutchison; Kade Taylor, Houston; Trevor Thomas, Barrow; Jade Whiteside, West Valley; Ryan Trailer, Bartlett; Kylan Osborne, Dimond; Eric Jones, Galena; Ben Bitler, Houston; Coaches: Ryan Engebretsen, Wasilla; Frank Ostanik, Monroe Catholic.

3A/4A Girls:

Aspen Ruth, Houston; Avery Kornstad, Nikiski; Maija Hajdukovich, Monroe; Rose Mongoyak, Barrow; Sarah Laker, Grace Christian; Julie Amatoolik, Mt. Edgecumbe; Tori Francissi, Valdez; Makenna Shamburger, Grace Christian; Kameron Rietan, Galena; Alaina Wolgemoth, Barrow; Briana Vollerton, Nikiski; Kalo Unila, Bartlett; AJ Dela Cruz, Ketchikan; Brandee Hawley, Bartlett; Nicole Pinckney, Chugiak; Claire Steiner, Colony; Cheyenae Dilbert, Lathrop; Kaylyn Kelly, Wasilla; Catherine Baham, Wasilla; McKenna Dinkel, Wasilla; Sandin Kidder, East Anchorage; Tannae Voliva, East Anchorage; Ashylnn Burgess, Chugiak; Nani Garner, South Anchorage; Willow Drorbaugh, Wasilla (injured); Alexis Shipman, Dimond (injured); Coaches: Ryan Hales, Chugiak; Scott Anderson, Nikiski.

1A/2A Boys:

Stewart Conn, Petersburg; Trent Stokes, Wrangell; Andrew Muma, Cordova; Wallace Ungwiluk, Gambell; Austin King, Bristol Bay; Devin Woods, Minto; Carter Price, Unalaska; Caden Smeaton, Dillingham; Colton Mack, Sand Point; Dalton Geppert, Ninilchik; Ian Samuelson, King Cove; Nikit Fefelov, Nikolaevsk; Everson Paniptchuk, Shaktoolik; Austin White, Ninilchik; Taylor Harvey, Unalakleet; Tyler Presley, Ninilchik; Peter Geffe, Bristol Bay; Triston Titus, Minto; Cameron Bateman, Dillingham; Andrew Werner, Cordova; Coaches: Rick Brock, Petersburg; Nick Finley, Ninilchik.

1A/2A Girls:

Kiah Charlie, Scammon Bay; Denae Utak, Scammon Bay; McKenna Gould, King Cove; Rhiannon Nanlook, New Halen; Vera Fefelov, Nikolaevsk; Molly Nayakik, Alak; Kristen Morry, Nunamuth; Madison Thompson, Sand Point; Sarah Washington, Buckland; Shayla Gloko, Manoktoak; Rylie Lyon, Bristol Bay; Anna Hansen, Bristol Bay; Raquel Sales, Nenana; Sierra Beitsch, Susitna Valley; Dolly Hank, Point Hope; Michelle Dela Rosa, Nenana; Tamara Jones, Glennallen; Aspen Hansen, Craig; Leigha Peebles, Cordova; Coaches: Heath Lyon, Bristol Bay; Hershel Sundown, Scammon Bay.