Hoop dreams

By TRAVIS METCALF

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS July 17, 2008 09:13 am

— Tahlequah High School senior Matt Qualls’ phone has been ringing off the hook with colleges wanting his services.
“I get about two or three calls a week,” Qualls said over the phone while he was at a basketball tournament in Texas.
Qualls plays this summer for an AAU team called Tulsa PWP. He said he’s gotten inquiries from Wichita State, Missouri State, Oklahoma and even prestigious military institutions such as Air Force, Army and The Citadel.
Qualls said he doesn’t know yet where he wants to go, but he has his favorites.
“I’m favoring Wichita State or maybe Air Force,” Qualls said.
“Wichita State seems like my kind of place. They said they run a lot of stuff with the wings and post players to get them open, that would be good for me. I don’t know a lot about Air Force, but their coaches seem like they’re pretty friendly.”
He will doubtless have many more opportunities for more colleges to see him.
At the Mid-America shoot-out in Denton, Texas, last weekend, there are at least 30 college coaches he is hoping to impress.
“I’ve got to focus before these games and do my best,” Qualls said.
Qualls is averaging almost 11 points per game and about eight rebounds per game on a team that was 45-8 before the Texas tournament.

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