Although SPIRE is known for its winning basketball teams and programs, some seasons on the court are just better than others. 

Take this season, for example, when the scrappy, energetic and talented group of players and world-class coaches of the SPIRE basketball program have been taking down major national programs, one after the other. Despite not having any 5-star recruits on the roster, SPIRE is finding its high school basketball team at 6-4, the post grad team at 16-2, and the overall program collectively at 22-6. In fact, the post grad team has claimed victories over national powerhouse programs, including rival IMG Academy. The post grad team is currently ranked #15 in national polls and continues to rise as they rack up more wins. 

The post grad team’s strength lies in the eclectic group of versatile players recruited from within the US and across the globe, including leading-scorer Jaehshon Thomas (Chicago, IL), Nicolo Nobili (Bologna, Italy), Jordan Derkack (Colonia, NJ) and Vic de Wilde (Belgium). 

Meanwhile, SPIRE’s high school basketball team, led by former Division I coach Gravelle Craig, is making waves of its own, carrying a 6-4 start into 2022. This team has been all over the map, playing games in Florida and Washington, DC, where they competed in the National Hoopfest at DeMatha High School. Now that the holiday break has come to an end, the high school squad will resume play in January and February with games against 9th-ranked Centerville High School (OH), California’s Donda Academy and Indiana’s 7th-ranked La Lumiere. The team will also be hosting Overtime Elite in February.

The measure of true success isn’t necessarily just about wins, however. Sometimes it’s about the teamwork and dedication players and coaches bring to the court. SPIRE has always enlisted coaches that embody success through shared approaches to fundamentals, defense and teamwork. Much like the players on the rosters, the coaches themselves may not have the national name recognition, but through their coaching styles and ability to connect with such a unique group of players, they’ve been able to build a program that’s making waves throughout the country. 

Jeff Sparrow, Head Coach – Post Grad, is excited for the direction the teams are heading this season. “At the beginning of the season, no one outside of our group believed that we would be in the same breath as the BIGGEST programs in the country. We are a first-year coaching staff with a mixture of overlooked American players and unknown foreign players. We have a very limited amount of scholarship players mixed with other players who simply bet on themselves and trusted our vision for the program. What has separated us thus far is how well we play together, how well we share the ball and our unique zone defense, which has caused a ton of problems for opponents thus far in the season.”

He goes on to explain, “The players understand that WINNING is the most powerful tool we have to enhance everyone’s college recruitment. Beating IMG (with multiple major DI commits) is a prime example of that. After that game, recruitment has heavily increased for multiple players within our program.”

College-level recruitment is the ultimate goal for these dedicated athletes and SPIRE has been helping students achieve their dreams. Many notable SPIRE alumni have received multiple DI offers. In fact, one alumnus, LaMelo Ball, went on to receive the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year award and continues to shine as a rising star for the Charlotte Hornets. 

Coach Sparrow understands that moving into 2022, SPIRE’s remaining schedule is one of the toughest in the country. “We are currently ranked #15 in the country, but feel that we are only scratching the surface. Collectively, this is the smartest group of players I’ve ever been around in my first ten years of coaching. The sky’s the limit and no one has higher expectations for this group than me.”