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The Roanoke Times

File February William Fleming's Stephon Anderson has committed to play for Division II Chowan this fall.

In describing the running and pressing style of basketball he likes his teams to employ, Chad Bailey says, "I like to be a pain in the butt."

Bailey is bringing his brand of pain to the Southwest District.

Bailey has been hired as the new boys coach at Marion after five years in charge of the program at Smyth County-rival Northwood.

A former assistant coach at Halifax County and Fort Chiswell, the 33-year-old Bailey won just three games in his first two seasons at Northwood but coached the program to its first Region C victory in school history in 2008.

Bailey takes over for Brad Haga, who led Marion to a 17-11 record, a Southwest District tournament title and a berth in the VHSL Group AA quarterfinals where the Scarlet Hurricane lost 61-50 to Liberty.

Haga, who is also Marion's athletic director, coached the team on an interim basis after the resignation just before the season of Matt Hanshew, who cited undue parental influence as part of the reason for his departure.

"It's not a problem," Bailey said of the preseason turmoil. "I don't know everything that happened and that's in the past."

Haga said he was offered the full-time coaching job this year on more than one occasion but did not accept it.

"I really should have because we're going to have some repeat success," Haga said. "But I've got my hands full already. If they wanted another one- or two-year guy, I'd probably be that guy, but I think we've had something like five coaches in the last eight years.

"It's time we got somebody who's going to stay around and really build something."

Fleming's Anderson signs with Chowan

William Fleming's basketball program is on the verge of a rare distinction.

All five starters on the 2008-09 team that reached the VHSL Group AAA championship game have landed college scholarships at the NCAA Division II level or higher.

Senior guard Stephon Anderson became the most recent Colonels signee, casting his lot with Division II Chowan in Murfreesboro, N.C.

Chowan recently moved from Division III to Division II and is joining the CIAA this season.

The 5-foot-11 Anderson was a two-year starter for Fleming and key contributor on the Colonels' 2007 Group AA championship team.

Anderson follows Division I basketball signees Troy Daniels (VCU) and Jamelle Hagins (Delaware) to the next level.

Fleming coach Mickey Hardy said forward Eric Thomas has committed to Division II Concord (W.Va.) and will sign scholarship papers soon.

The fifth starter, guard Shaquan Manning, signed a football scholarship with Hampton.

Another member of the basketball team, backup forward Derrick Brown, signed a football scholarship with Division II Charleston (W.Va.).

Catholic center Brown signs with King College

Jamar Brown, who was a first-team All-Timesland selection this winter for Roanoke Catholic, has signed a basketball scholarship with King College in Bristol, Tenn.

The 6-foot-6 Brown averaged 14.8 points per game and led Catholic in rebounding in all 24 games. He shot 56.7 percent from the field and was a first-team All-VIS Division II selection.

Brown had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 blocked shots in Catholic's VIS state tournament game against Norfolk Christian, which featured one of the nation's premier sophomores, 6-9 James McAdoo.

"Actually, he played well against the better teams we played," Catholic coach Joe Gaither said. "When he played against [Benedictine's] Ed Davis last year he did OK."

Gaither said Brown picked King over New Mexico Highlands and Virginia State.

King, which is discussing a move to the NCAA Division II ranks, reached the NAIA Division II national tournament this winter in Branson, Mo., losing 88-75 to Eastern Oregon.

Wythe hires Sutphin for girls hoops position

George Wythe hired a former Rural Retreat assistant to be its head football coach.

Now the Maroons have chosen a Fort Chiswell assistant for its girls basketball job.

Wythe's new girls coach is Bradley Sutphin, a 2001 Fort Chiswell graduate who has been an assistant at his alma mater the past three seasons.

Sutphin replaces Arthur Johnson, who retired following the 2008-09 season after winning 168 games and six Hogoheegee District titles during a 12-year tenure.