Guest mffl Posted June 26, 2009 Report Posted June 26, 2009 Henry Riasco doesn't mind correcting those who consider the Houston Hoopstars Elite as just another AAU basketball team. "We're a training and development program," Riasco said. "We've been working every single day, having two-a-days and sometimes three-a-days. Most teams don't do what we do." Riasco and his Hoopstars teammates deserve a little time off, which is why the team won't be competing in tournament play this weekend. Opposing teams are happy to hear that, as the Hoopstars have been red hot in the month of June. The team last week won the June Explosion in Houston, defeating the Houston Northwest Cougars in the finals. Henry Riasco Riasco finished with 17 points in the championship game. The Houston Stratford swingman, a two-year veteran with the Hoopstars and coach Keith White, has been a reliable scoring option for the Hoopstars as they prepare for the busy-but-productive month of July. The Hoopstars will compete in the 21st annual Reebok Denton Great American Shoot-Out from July 10-13 at the University of North Texas. "We try to train as much as we can to get ready for July," Riasco said. "Having this weekend off will help us refresh our legs. "But we will go at it hard on Monday." The hard work is paying off, particularly for Riasco. The 6-foot-4, 208-pounder has watched his recruiting stock rise over the summer. He's received interests from Stephen F. Austin, Tulsa, Missouri State, Lamar and Wichita State, among other schools. Riasco has made a name on the courts as a dependable slasher and a good defender. Alongside players such as Darius Richardson, Mackey McKnight and Darien Harris, Riasco has helped the Hoopstars become one of the state's top AAU programs. The Hoopstars, 42-10 at the end of the week, won their first GASO title by taking the Bryan/College Station tournament the first week of June. And if Riasco has it his way, the winning ways will continue – for him individually and for the Hoopstars as a unit. "In this program, everybody's a family," Riasco said. "It's not like we just see each other and practice. We get to know each other every single day of the week. You're going to know these people for the rest of your life, and you want to work hard with them."
Recommended Posts