Sunday, January 29, 2012

Augusta, GA - Will Avery's still got the itch. He's not on a basketball team right now, but he'd like to be if someone comes calling.

Until then, the former Augusta and Duke standout has already started what he hopes is his path after the game.

Saturday's Will Avery Basketball Invitational was just the next step. Avery's led AAU teams for a few years now, he's held basketball camps in Augusta, and Saturday night he made the transition into the high school game, welcoming twelve teams from across the Southeast and Augusta for a daylong basketball event.

For a guy that's been around the game his whole life, Avery's just continuing his quest to make way for the next generation.

"I gotta do something to stay around this game, so that's why I started doing these kind of events," Avery said. "Hopefully I can inspire a kid, help a kid get to where he wants to go and use his game to accomplish his dreams and goals, and stuff like this. I'm enjoying putting on events like this, putting on the camp, being around the kids that love being around the game of basketball."

Avery says he's constantly thinking of new ideas for events. The next one he's trying to put together...a day for unsigned senior girls to play in front of college scouts and try to wow them in time to get a college offer.