New Yanders Law Coach - Chris Carr

The storied Yanders Law AAU program is bringing on a new Coach: former NBA player Chris Carr.

The #LawNation family is growing, and we are thrilled to announce our new Coach, Chris Carr. Carr is currently Associate Director of Admissions, Minority Recruitment, and DEI at Drury University, where he was a member of the coaching staff for three years. The former player has been coaching since 2010 and training aspiring hoopers since 2003.

The Phoenix Suns drafted Chris Carr in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft. He played for several teams in the NBA over six seasons. In 1997, he was runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest, which was won by then rookie Kobe Bryant. He also played two years professionally overseas, further broadening his experience and understanding of the game.

Some from our area may recognize Carr from his college days. He was a Southern Illinois Saluki from 1992-1995, earning two First-Team All-MVC Tournament honors, including the 1995 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year award.

Coach Carr’s experience at every level of the game as a player gives him priceless perspective into what it takes to succeed. His coaching experience has broadened through AAU hoops, high school, and the collegiate level, meaning he has already dealt with multiple levels and numerous personalities.

The Yanders Law family and our entire ecosystem of hoops, which stemmed from Rob Yanders’ vision, will benefit from the addition of Chris Carr and his family.

Welcome aboard, Coach Carr!

Rob Yanders to be honored at Drury University

Drury University is planning to honor the late Rob Yanders on January 27th.

As many of you know, The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Rob Yanders, played high school ball in Milwaukee before coming to SMSU-West Plain and then SMSU for his college hoops. Following his pro career in Europe, Yanders returned to the Springfield area, profoundly impacting the community through the sport he loved.

He may not have been a Drury Panther, but his tutelage has produced several; the current men’s team is loaded with former Yanders Law AAU players and We Are United post-grad players.

The program, like so many others, has been touched by Rob Yanders’ legacy.

Drury plans to honor that legacy BEFORE their home game against the University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday, January 27th. Tipoff is at 3:00 pm. Tickets are available at the Drury box office or online here.

The Yanders family would like to invite everyone to come early to the game and catch the special moment. Then, stick around to see a continuation of Yanders’ vision. Catch our guys, Colin Hardrick (WAU), Logan Applegate (YLB/WAU), Elijah Whitley (YLB), and Juok Riak (WAU)!

ICYMI: College signings

The Basketball Movement recently hosted some college commitment signings for several of our guys!

In case you missed it, The Basketball Movement was fortunate to hold collegiate signings for a couple of our favorite gym rats. And just today, one more made his commitment known.

We Are United prep’s Javar Daniel and Yanders Law alumni Hogan Smith put pen to paper and fulfilled their dreams, committing to college hoop programs.

Javar Daniel is a 6’10 forward with plenty of athleticism. He is a clear D1 talent headed to Austin Peay to play for former Missouri State assistant and friend of The Basketball Movement, Coach Corey Gipson. Also committed to the Governers are former Yanders Law standouts Anton Brookshire, Jonathan Dunn, and Isaac Haney giving local fans plenty to cheer for in Tennessee.

Hogan Smith, a versatile 6’5 shooter out of Kickapoo High, is staying local, committing to the Drury Panthers. He will join several We Are United alumni: Logan Applegate, Colin Hardrick, and Juok Riak, as well as Yanders Law alum Elijah Whitley. Yanders Law alum, Brady Nicholson, has committed to DU as well. Another fun squad for local fans to keep track of!

Hogan dealt with injuries throughout his young career, making his perseverance to arrive at this point one of the top stories to come out of our programs in a minute.

Congratulations to both of these guys. Congrats also to these college programs that seem to understand precisely the kind of players we turn out here at The Basketball Movement. Dawgs. On-the-court killers. The fighters and leaders that every program needs.

In addition, Awit Mamer of We Are United prep just announced his commitment to DII Augustana University! A 6’3 guard, Awit’s ceiling is staggering. It will be exciting to see the heights his game can reach at this level.

Stay tuned as we keep an eye on our guys, transform more young men and women into pure ballers, and keep the Yanders dream alive.

We Are United - Juok Riak

We Are United forward Juok Riak has already committed to Drury University ahead of a big prep season.

A 6’8 forward out of Madison La Follette high school in Madison, Wisconsin, Juok Riak is set to be a force for Rob Yanders’ We Are United prep squad. What’s more, he has also committed to playing next year right here in Springfield for Drury University.

Juok knew that coming to The Basketball Movement, home of We Are United, would not necessarily be an easy route. Nevertheless, he eagerly accepted the challenge.

“I was told that it’d be hard by former (We Are United) players,” Riak says. “I also knew that Rob (Yanders) gets it done. That’s why I wanted to come here.”

Asked what Yanders has already done to prepare him for the next level, Juok responded like a player that had already been through quite the gauntlet, though we are just scratching the surface of the 2022-23 We Are United season.

“Man… we are doing college work,” Riak says. “It is like being in college already. Rob - he’s been there. Everything he puts us through is work to get us ready.”

While Juok experiences the blood, sweat, and tears that go into being a Robert Yanders certified player, he can hopefully rest easy knowing that Yanders is impressed by what he has seen so far.

“He is fun to coach,” Yanders says of Riak. “He is a good kid with an amazing personality to go with his impressive game.”

That game has already landed Juok some college offers - one of which he accepted right here in Southwest, Missouri, despite being brand new to the area.

“He is an intelligent player… can pass and do it all,” Yanders says. “He will do great for Drury, and we will get many chances to watch him succeed.”

An athletic six-foot-eight, Juok Riak can immediately be recognized as a potential force on the hardwood. Add existing film and the well-known ability of Rob Yanders to develop players, and the coaching staff at Drury University recognized that they needed to try their hand at an offer. It paid off.

“Coach Foster and Coach Carr believed in me,” Riak says. “We haven’t even played a game yet, and they believe in me so much. They are telling me how good I can be working with Rob. With coaches that have that belief in me, why waste time in committing there?”

Juok will bring size and a true interior presence to his new squad. In addition, he is an excellent rebounder and has a high basketball IQ that allows him to make the right plays on the floor. “I am a hard worker,” Riak says. “I’m unselfish and push teammates to be better on and off the court.”

Riak says he is currently focusing on stretching the floor and improving upon all the facets of the game he is good at already. “I’m now trying to be great at things,” he says. “I am continuing to learn the game and how to always play the right way - that’s the most important thing.”

We Are United is on the road this weekend, and Drury Panther fans should definitely follow along as the highlights start to roll in. Next season, Juok will join Logan Applegate at Drury, another We Are United alumni. Retaining talent in the area allows us to keep a close eye on our guys and continue to work with them. Riak has professional aspirations as well as the motor and tools to achieve them. Don’t blink.