Keith Graves starting Homeschool basketball team

ALBANY — Keith Graves is no stranger in the Albany basketball community. Many have seen him courtside as an assistant for the Albany Tech women’s basketball team. They’ve also seen him as coach of Faith Baptist Christian Academy as well.

For the 2016-17 season, Graves will be branching out as the head coach of the Albany Independent Christian Academy Homeschool Outlaws.

Graves brings a wealth of coaching experience with him dating back to 2011 when he was an assistant for the women’s basketball program at Middle Georgia Tech. Since, he’s coached several AAU teams and private Christian schools before ending up in Albany.

His involvement with Faith Baptist Christian Academy in Ludowici, Ga. last year is what compelled him to branch out and start his own team. As head coach for the boys varsity team, Graves led the Crusaders to an 18-0 record and an NACA Nationals elite division championship. The support he received is what helped him make the decision.

“A parent came and talked to me,” he said. “She said ‘You’re a younger guy, you’ve got your degree,’ and I said I’d think about it…then the athletic director Matthew Sellers said ‘I think you’d be good if you had your own program.’ ”

The Outlaws will be part of the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association and Graves is confident they’ll be ready to compete with both in-state talent as well as some international players.

“I’m well connected in Nigeria and Serbia,” he said. “I have about nine Serbian students coming in May just to go to team camp … I’ve got three seven footers coming from Nigeria, they’re in the 10th-grade, we’re gonna be ready.”

His primary duties as an assistant coach have been creating defensive strategies as well as recruiting and Graves feels that experience will help him continue his journey as a head coach. He noted he’ll have some enforcers on the inside, but he would like to see his team play a more up-tempo, run-and-gun style of offense while pressing and trapping on defense.

Graves will continue to carry out his recruiting duties with Albany Tech during the offseason, but will not be on the sidelines this season.

As for the Outlaws, the team will hit the court June 3 for Albany State University Basketball Camp and open the regular season in November in the 10th Annual Crusader Classic hosted by Graves’ former team, Baptist Christian Academy.