Lonise Bias Brings a Message of Tragedy and Hope

Lawray graduated from Gar-Field in 1986, just days before the basketball star's death. Shortly afterward, he played against Jay Bias in a summer league game. Lawray felt that the 20th anniversary of that summer was a good time to remind a new generation of the Bias tragedy.

"I just felt like what happened to him could happen to any kid," Lawray said. "The temptations to go out and do things that aren't right are there. I just felt like this was the time to see if I could get her to come down. Hopefully, even if it just saves one kid, I'll be happy."

A Camping Wizard

Freedom boys' coach Ahmad Dorsett has lived in Woodbridge for 13 years and can't recall a current or former NBA player coming to the area to speak with youth.

In an effort to change that, Dorsett asked Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood to host a basketball camp for elementary and middle school students at Freedom. Haywood, who hosted similar camps at Edison last year and at T.C. Williams this summer, works with Arthur Jackson of One on One Basketball camps to stage the week-long events. Jackson is a former assistant to Jim Larranaga, who coached Dorsett at George Mason.

"Arthur was talking about this area and telling me that there are a lot of people down here that like basketball, but people don't normally come down here to do camps," Haywood said. "I thought it would be a good way to come out here and do something nice for the kids."

Haywood appeared every day at the camp, which ended Friday, hanging out, signing autographs, offering basketball tips and speaking to the 60 or so campers. Cameron Long, Jaren Haley and Joseph Velez from the Freedom varsity team also helped with the camp.

The camp featured instructional drills as well as a tournament for the different age groups. The North Carolina Tar Heels -- named, fittingly, after Haywood's alma mater -- won the 10-and-under bracket. The team featured Sean Scott, Malik Bowden, Marvin Hagwood, Keijon Honore (son of new Potomac boys' coach Keith Honore), Darrius Johnson and Dorian Hammonds.

"It was fun because they showed us some slam dunks and how to dribble better," said Scott, 8. "It was cool when Brendan Haywood came to the championship game."

The highlight for Bowden, 10, was watching Haywood teach the drop step, which Haywood followed with a dunk. Asked whether he could dunk yet, Bowden proclaimed that he is a lot like Nate Robinson (5 foot 9) of the New York Knicks.

"I'm small, but I can jump."

At the end of the week, campers were awarded prizes that included basketballs signed by Haywood, a basketball signed by the entire Wizards team, an autographed Haywood jersey and an autographed shoe. The Wizards center said he plans to be back next year, which is sure to please Dorsett.

"I noticed a lot of schools in Maryland and D.C. . . . have those icons come and speak to the kids," Dorsett said. "I think this is a great way to build a rapport with these athletes in different sports and bring them down here, to let them know they have fans here, too."

Spurlock Transfers

Rising sophomore Tristan Spurlock, who averaged 8.6 points a game as a freshman starter last season at Woodbridge, will play next season at Montrose Christian, his father, Rodney, said.

Tristan Spurlock, a 6-foot-7 swingman, was rated the 34th best player nationally in the Class of 2009 by http://hoopscooponline.com . Montrose Christian, the Montgomery County private school team coached by Manassas native Stu Vetter, went 20-2 this past season and shared the No. 1 ranking with DeMatha in the final Washington Post Top 20.