Tucker boys’ basketball coach James Hartry selected as an assistant coach for the 2024 McDonald’s High School All-American Game by long-time friend and rival Sharman White (Pace Academy). (Photo by Mark Brock)
Longtime Tucker High School boys’ basketball coach James Hartry will serve as an assistant coach to Pace Academy’s Sharman White in the 2024 McDonald’s High School All-American Game in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, April 2.
“As my coaching career moves towards the end, this honor is like the frosting on the cake,” said Hartry. “I can’t think of a higher honor than coaching the best players in the country who we may see excel on the college and NBA levels.”
Hartry is moving towards 500 career wins as he is currently 481-204 (70.2 winning percentage) in 24 seasons at Tucker with a state title in 2007. In 18 of those 24 seasons, Hartry has coached his team into the playoffs compiling a 34-17 record including championship losses to Miller Grove (2009, coached by White) and a two-point loss to Tri-Cities (2019).
The Tigers have also reached the semifinals on two other occasions (2006, 2015) and the Elite 8 on three more (2013, 2014, 2020). Two of the Elite 8 losses came to White and his Miller Grove program in 2013 and 2014.
“My relationship with Coach Hartry has a lot of history and not just basketball,” said Sharman White. “His wife, Alva, taught me in the ninth grade and he has been a mentor to me and shown me how to coach the game the right way. I feel like you need to give people flowers while they are still here and having him help coach the McDonald’s game is my way of saying thank you.”
Former Miller Grove boys’ basketball coach and current head coach at Pace Academy Sharman White shown here with his 2011 state title (one of seven at Miller Grove). White chose long-time friend and rival James Hartry of Tucker to be part of this staff at the McDonald’s High School All-American Game. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Hartry and White have coached against each other numerous times as part of DeKalb County’s great basketball history. White has a 3-0 record in the state playoffs in some epic battles between two of the best coaches in the state of Georgia.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity,” said Harty. “I have to pinch myself and ask if Sharman picked the right guy to be part of his staff in this game. I am really kind of speechless.”
White won seven state championships while heading up the Miller Grove program in DeKalb County and has three more at Pace Academy while compiling 514 wins.
“I’m still a DeKalb County guy at heart,” said White. “DeKalb and Miller Grove gave me the opportunity to show the kind of coach I could be. It is part of my roots and I always remember it fondly. Having a guy like Coach Hartry to join me in this adventure in Houston is an honor and a pleasure.”
The game is set for a 9 pm start in the Toyota Center (Houston Rockets) and is scheduled to be televised on ESPN.