HOWARD DAVIS WEST TEXAS SHOOTOUT

BY ADAM COLEMAN Sports Editor

 

Girls basketball players from all over Central and West Texas made their way to Big Spring to compete against a few faces they're not used to seeing back home.

But for Roy Green, the Harold Davis West Texas Shootout is more than just the opportunity for those girls to keep playing basketball during the summer. For him, it's the opportunity to create a future for those who may not be able to do it themselves.

The Third Annual Harold Davis West Texas Shootout wraps up today at Howard College, courting 32 summer girls basketball teams from Central and West Texas.

The tournament gives local summer teams a chance to face good competition without having to travel far and it gives summer teams from Central Texas the chance to face someone new.

But Green, coach and the tournament's architect, hopes it will have more impact with all proceeds benefiting children in foster care and honor a Big Spring hero.  

“I think one thing he wanted to do, West Texas has always been known as football country and we have good football,” said Janell Davis, wife of Harold Davis, who died in 2008. “But it's more and more becoming a basketball country and so I think he's trying to spice it up and make it more palatable for people and more interesting for people.”

The tournament should garner some attention from locals.

Harold Davis could be most known for leading Howard College men's basketball to its first run of success.

After moving to Big Spring in 1947, he had his team making NJCAA tournaments regularly and a conference and state title.

Harold Davis also served his country in World War II and he earned a silver star. He was later recalled for the Korean War, forcing him to leave his duties at Howard College behind. But in his first season back, he led his team to a 34-win season with a conference and regional championship and an appearance in the Final Four. In 11 seasons, his teams won four conference titles, made nine NJCAA tournaments and five state tourneys.

Harold Davis affected many people's lives as a mentor and teacher, and Green said that's the spirit he wanted this tournament to carry.

“It really is to focus on the kids and what they need,” Green said. “Statistics are not really good for our kids. Teenage pregnancy in the state of texas is probably one of the highest in the nation. The system that I had kids come in from a foster care. That system is not a system that's really designed to help kids. If you look at it statistically, you could send a kid to Harvard for what it cost to send a kid through the penal code system.”

With 32 teams, this tournament brings a lot of players from across the state, but Green said it has a chance to be even bigger. He said he would like to see it go to 64 teams soon.

While every player might not get a chance to play basketball in college, he said making this an NCAA exposure event could help. NCAA exposure events allow college coaches to scout players at various tournaments.

Academics are important to Green, too. He said each players grades must be up to standard in order to pay.

There are many different age groups in this tourney as well. Green has girls in fifth grade to 12th grade competing in the tournament.

Even Big Spring High School got involved.

Big Spring girls basketball coach Mike Warren had his team compete in this weekend's tourney and said honoring Harold Davis meant a lot to him.

“My dad played for him,” said Warren, who played high school basketball with Green. “I got to know the Davis' through my father. Just a great man, great coach, now his wife is still here. I go to church with her, she's great. In the opening ceremony, she got up and talked a little bit about Roy Green and what a good guy he is. He's such a nice person. It's nice to have all these teams come in and everybody just kind of centers of Howard College this weekend and Harold Davis.”

Parents and coaches enjoyed the opening night as well, which featured games at Big Spring Middle School, too.

Charles and Dorothy Lyons are a husband-wife combination that coaches the Coppers Cove Starzz.

It keeps them busy, too. The summer team is made up of fourth graders through juniors varsity players, boys and girls.

 “We knew about the tournament, we knew what it was about,” Charles Lyons said. “Our daughter actually played for coach Green. We thought we'd bring them up here, we'll mix the teams up and get them out. It's for a good cause, that's why we're here.”

This also was the first time the couple has taken their team on the road, which adds to the experience.

“This our heart,” Dorothy Lyons said. “Ever since we retired, this is what we do with the kids.”