Jon Johnson column: BCI Edge teaches faith through basketball

The group of professional basketball players representing Basketball Club International (BCI Edge) in town for an exhibition Saturday night against some local celebrity players at the Dothan Civic Center come from a wide array of backgrounds.

A handful of them have had NBA experience, some of have made it to the final cuts of NBA teams before playing in developmental leagues, and others have experience playing overseas.

But what BCI coach Sharm Scheuerman hopes all of them have is strong, Christian values so they can be positive role models for all of those they may come in contact with through outreach programs.

“I guess that’s my job,” Scheuerman said of finding the right fit of players. “And I’m not always right. But even the kids who maybe don’t have quite what we’re looking for at first, realize what it’s about while they are with us.”

BCI Edge is based in Denver and was created by Scheuerman, a former head coach at the University of Iowa who at one time coached the touring basketball group Athletes In Action.

The team plays in tournaments throughout the world, but Scheuerman says events such as the Boys to Men Summit this week in Dothan in which they participated is what his group is really all about.

“This has been really special,” Scheuerman said. “Of all the things we do, this is the kind of thing we enjoy the most. These kids at the summit were very attentive and receptive to our players, and I think our players really enjoyed interacting with them.”

BCI player Roger Powell didn’t arrive in town until late Saturday afternoon due to flight delays, but he was on the court playing and shared a message with those in attendance at halftime.

“No matter whatever your career is, you can be an example to young people,” Powell told the audience.

The players of BCI Edge shared their time and beliefs with many youths in Dothan this week. Demonstrating their skills on the court was just a bonus.

For the record, the BCI Edge stars beat the local celebrities, 129-82.

The connection: Like many of the players for BCI Edge, Reed Rawlings still has dreams of making the big show of the NBA.

The former Samford player made to the final day of training camp with the Phoenix Suns and then the Denver Nuggets his first two years out of college and has hopes of a tryout with the Milwaukee Bucks this season.

In between, Rawlings played for some minor league teams and overseas professionally in Portugal. He was also a head basketball coach of a private high school in Tyler, Texas, for the past two seasons.

But if things don’t work out for Rawlings on the NBA level or for another team overseas, he’s more than happy to continue touring with BCI Edge during the summer to spread the word of God.

Rawlings said he accepted Jesus Christ into his life while at Samford.

“My junior year in college there was an event in our gym and I went up to the top and listened,” Rawlings said. “I knew about God, but I didn’t really understand.

“When the man called people down at the end to be saved, I came down. That was 1998. It gave me a purpose in life. I’m not just playing for myself anymore.”

Rawlings said he met Scheuerman during a pre-NBA Draft camp in Chicago following his senior season.

“He pulled me aside and asked if I would like to meet with him and a group of the guys,” Rawlings said. “We went into a room and he opened the Bible.”

Rawlings said he remained in contact with Scheuerman, and has played with BCI for the past six summers.

“It gives us a chance to give back,” Rawlings said.

Summer hoops: Providence Christian standout Johnny Dowd, who will be a senior this coming year, believes his experience with the Dothan Blaze AAU team is helping his game reach a higher level.

“Not that the competition is bad in Class 1A, but playing against the best (AAU) every night has helped a lot,” Dowd said. “It helps playing against quicker guys, and helps in learning to get the shot off quicker, being able to learn to shoot with guys hanging on you.”

Dowd and the Dothan Blaze were on the court on Saturday night competing against some of the players who were selected to last season’s Dothan Eagle Super 12.

The Dothan Blaze, a 17-under team, was formed two years ago. The team has played in three tournaments this summer.

Assistant coach Mike Phares, who helped form the program, says the team is in need of sponsors or individual donors to help pay expenses for tournament trips.

“Right now, we’re frozen — we can’t go anywhere because we don’t have the money,” Phares said. “It cost us $1,000 every time we go to a tournament.

“This is the first and only boys AAU team I’ve known of from Dothan. People on the AAU circuit know who we are, but people in Dothan don’t know we exist.

“That’s why we’re so excited about getting to play this game tonight (Saturday) to try and help get the word out.”

For those wanting to contribute to the Dothan Blaze, they can contact Phares at 794-0987. The Blaze fielded a 17-under and 13-under team this summer, and plan to add a 12-under and 14-under team next year.

Enterprise freshman-to-be Rhett Harrelson was among the players lighting it up for the Super 12 team Saturday night. Harrelson was an honorable mention Super 12 selection this past season as a starting guard for the Wildcats as an eighth grader.

Harrelson played on an AAU team based in Columbus, Ga., this summer.

Finishing strong: In the opening game Saturday night, the Blaze won 72-63 over a team which had a couple of members of last season’s Dothan Eagle Super 12 selections.

The Blaze trailed most of the night, but fought back in the fourth quarter for the win.

Headland’s Jeremy McKay, one of the Super 12 members, said he enjoyed the experience.

“It was just about having fun and a chance for showing thanks for being selected on the Super 12,” McKay said.

Great Scott: Former Enterprise and Southern Mississippi star George Scott was among the celebrity players going against BCI Edge.

He got one of the biggest cheers of the night when he went up with a one-handed slam dunk in the first half after getting ahead on a break.

Scott, who finished his college career in 1997, later played professionally in Germany, Bosnia and Hungary.

Scott continues to play in local adult leagues in the area.

Other former college players competing on the celebrity team included Franklin Williams, who was a standout at Auburn following his prep days at Headland, and Lonnie Cochran, a former Troy star who played high school basketball at Ashford. Current Houston Academy coach Ron Watson got into the scoring column with a rebound and putback in the first quarter.

Legendary former Dothan High coach Wade Morrison was the guest coach for the celebrities.