Ed Huckaby: Success on and off the court

You think you’ve seen intense? Try watching a Fishburne Military School postgrad basketball practice.

It isn’t hard to figure out why it would be intense. There are 15 players on the court being looked at by Division I coaches. That’s the first prerequisite to get a practice penny from FMS coach Ed Huckaby. You’ve got to have D1 skills.

You want playing time? You’ve got to earn it. Huckaby makes that clear from day one.

“This is a prep school. You’re preparing for college. You’re not preparing for high school,” said Huckaby, who is heading into his fourth season as the head coach at Fishburne, after stints as an assistant at Wright State and Hampton University.

Huckaby’s approach sets the tone for the effort that he expects day-in, day-out from his players. The idea of finding a comfort zone is not part of the mindset.

“It takes a lot to get used to when you first get here. But

I came here with the intent to develop, become a better player and get ready for the college season, and I was able to do that here,” said Khalil Alford (FMS ’12), who will play at Rider University in the fall.

“Coach Huckaby is not the easiest coach to play for. He’s a pretty intense guy. But he definitely made me better as a player,” said Karl Ziegler (FMS ’12), who will play at Longwood University after a successful season at Fishburne.

All told, 35 players from Huckaby’s first three teams at Fishburne have moved on to college, including Teven Jones (University of Virginia), Quincy Taylor (Alabama-Birmingham), Tab Hamilton (Appalachian State) and Justin Burrell (the 2012 Patriot League Rookie of the Year at Holy Cross).

Huckaby points to the PG alums in college as a sign that the “program is progressing, that we’re doing the right things.”

“We have guys who are matriculating on to colleges and universities. We have players and parents who have vested a lot into this success. That itself tells a lot to what we’re doing here,” Huckaby said.

To Huckaby, it’s not just effort on the court – diving for loose balls, getting back on defense, boxing out on rebounds. It’s also before the game – devouring the detailed scouting reports that his assistants prepare, mirroring what players will see when they go to college. And then there’s hard work in the classroom as well

“When we talk about work ethic, we’re not just talking about work ethic on the floor,” said Huckaby, who likes talking about his team’s cumulative 3.35 grade point average as much as its Top 10 national ranking and roster that includes 14 players committed to Division I schools next year.

It’s not basketball first or academics first that makes his program a success.

“Everything you do comes first,” Huckaby said. “You go to the basketball court and work hard. Work equally as hard in the classroom. Treat the academics, the classroom, your citizenship, your demeanor, your work ethic, your respect for other fellow human beings, your Christian life and walk, treat it all equally, and it will all take care of itself.”

Sometimes that message might take some time to sink in.

“Coming in, I had to do a lot of growing up. I never really had a true coach. Now I can say that Coach Huckaby is my first real coach,” said Josh Warren (FMS ’12), who will play at Tennessee-Chattanooga. “I loved him. I’m glad that God put a man like him in my life. He changed me forever.”

“At times, he gets a little crazy, but it’s a good thing, because it helps you,. As Coach Huck always says, it helps you get used to how college life is going to be,” said Aly Hudgins (FMS ’12), who will play at Concord University in the fall.

“Your coach in college isn’t going to care why you make mistakes, he’s just going to sub you, so you’ve just got to play through it. You’ve got to learn how to handle your mistakes and just play through it and keep working,” Hudgins said.

“He’s one of the toughest coaches to play for, but by far one of the best. He instills in both his players and his people outside the basketball court the keys that you need to survive in life and be successful,”  said Cortell Busby (FMS ’12), who will continue his basketball career at IUPUI, a D1 program in Indianapolis.

“Me being a point guard, and him being a point guard as well, I’ve been able to learn things about myself as a point guard and a basketball player that I never thought could be possible, nuances of the game that are very valuable to being a professional basketball player. I thank him for everything he’s done for me,” Busby said.

It all comes down to effort, and effort, to Huckaby, is a function of intensity.

“Our motto is, The only thing we can control is today, in terms of your effort. That’s the only thing you can control,” Huckaby said. “I can’t control what happens tomorrow. That’s not here. But we can control today. So we try to do what we can do today, and do things the right way every day.”