Prospects’ founder climbing college basketball coaching ranks

By Christopher Drexel

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 | 6 a.m.

The man who started one of Nevada's top Amateur Athletic Union basketball teams as way to get local players noticed by colleges has made it to the college level himself.

DeMarlo Slocum, who founded the Las Vegas Prospects in 2003, is entering his second season as an assistant with Colorado State. The coach has risen the ranks quickly since wrapping up a playing career at Georgia Southern in 2000.

After college, Slocum returned home to Las Vegas and joined the coaching staff at Desert Pines. From there, he served one season as an assistant at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah, before becoming the director of basketball operations for USC.

Slocum spent one year at Idaho before making his way to Fort Collins, Colo., with the Rams.

"I always knew I wanted to coach," Slocum, 30, said. "As a kid growing up in the neighborhood I was always out there helping the younger kids. Coaching was a way to keep the ball bouncing when I stopped playing the game."

He created the Prospects with childhood friend Anthony Brown, who has since assumed coaching duties.

In 2003, Slocum noticed how Brown's younger brother, Andre McFarland, grew to 6 feet, 5 inches by the time he was in eighth grade.

Slocum wanted to get McFarland attention from colleges and created the Prospects with mostly players about to enter the high school.

The group included Marcus Lawrence, now at Idaho, Davell Jackson, now at Oklahoma City University, P'Allen Stinnett, now at Creighton and McFarland, who is at Colorado State with Slocum.

Initially, they entered and won a tournament on $500 of Slocum's money. After winning another tournament, they began being invited to tournaments.

And in the summer of 2004, the team received a corporate sponsorship from adidas, which paid for the team's flights, hotel fees and tournament entry fees.

"It kept getting bigger and better," Slocum said. "Soon it was easy to get kids to come play for you. We then had three Prospects teams because we didn't want to tell kids 'no.' We just wanted to get kids an opportunity to play."

The Prospects have sent 16 players to college basketball. Another five players who are currently on the team have signed letters of intent.

"I spoke to a college coach and he was surprised how every game we played was packed with college coaches from all over the country," Brown said. "I think the Prospects have put their stamp on the state."

Brown is happy how his longtime friend Slocum has climbed the coaching ranks since starting the Prospects, adding Slocum has not forgotten about players in the Las Vegas area.

Slocum said the Las Vegas Valley is always one of his top priorities when he recruits.

"So many times you not only have to sell the program but also sell yourself in recruiting," Slocum said. "I don't always have to do that in Las Vegas because I have a relationship with so many people there. Now, it's just getting kids sold on Colorado State."

Christopher Drexel can be reached at 990-8929 or [email protected].