Updates: Davis, Leven Liccorish

We spoke with Laurinburg Institute coach Chris Chaney last night before the team's opening game at the St. James Invitational.

Chaney, who was the head coach at the Newport School in Kensington, MD, up to this year, said that he really liked the potential of the programs at Laurinburg. "For one thing, it's in the 'middle of nowhere,' like Oak Hill, so the kids can concentrate on school and their game," he said. A native of Annapolis, he said he's very comfortable with his new location.

And Laurinburg is somewhat unique, not because there is more than one team at the school, but because of the level of play. One team, primarily coached by Chaney, is a varsity high school team. That is the squad participating in the St. James event. The other is a prep school team. This was the squad that competed in last week's National Prep School Invitational held on the campus of Bryant College in Smithfield, RI. Ken Gordon coached Laurinburg at that event.

One of Laurinburg's players who performed well last week was Cortez Davis (above), a 6-7 swingman from Washington, DC.

Chaney said that Davis scored 46 points and pulled down 20 rebounds just this week in the prep team's 107-103 win over Hargrave Military Academy. He said the schools that Davis is currently considering include Florida State, Miami and Arizona. (Note: Davis had verbally committed to Maryland early last summer but changed his mind a couple months later.)

Steve Leven, a 6-5 swingman from Australia, played with the high school squad Thursday. He had missed some games because of an ankle injury and Thursday's game was his first action after being shelved. Leven showed a little rust in the loss to National Christian Academy but still gave his all. He was rested a minimal amount of time during the game. After the contest, Leven seemed to be limping, but knowing the perserverance of this youth, can expect he will be in the lineup today at 4:00 pm.

Leven and Terry Licorish, a 6-9 combo forward from Toronto, both signed with Auburn this fall. Licorish didn't compete last week at the Prep Tournament because he had hurt his knee. Chaney didn't indicate when he might return to action.