SAVANNAH, Ga. — In just its first season, Redline Basketball Club Savannah made one thing clear across gyms from Statesboro to Orlando.
Savannah basketball can compete with anybody.
The first-year travel basketball program finished the spring with tournament championships, national exposure opportunities, and a growing reputation as one of the top rising programs in the Coastal Empire.
The 2030 Redline team opened the year by winning the KB Sports St. Patrick’s Day tournament at Georgia Southern and later captured the ESPN Memorial Day Classic championship at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando.
Members of the 2030 Redline travel basketball program pose after capturing the ESPN Memorial Day Classic championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. Photo courtesy of Redline Basketball.
Meanwhile, Redline’s overall Savannah program — made up of seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th grade teams — combined to go 54-18 during the spring and summer seasons while competing against some of the top teams in the Southeast.
But for director and coach Andy Harre, the wins are only part of the story.
“We’re just trying to promote the game of basketball in the city of Savannah from a coaching perspective the best way that we know how,” Harre said.
A Program Built for Savannah
Redline Basketball Club was founded in Atlanta five years ago by Brian Burns and Harre’s longtime friend, Jay Gibbons, who previously coached at South Carolina under Frank Martin.
Through Under Armour (UA) connections and strong coaching relationships, the Atlanta-based Redline program quickly became part of the competitive UA Rise circuit, one of the top travel basketball circuits in the country.
When Harre moved back to Savannah two years ago, Gibbons encouraged him to bring Redline to the Coastal Empire because of the area's talent.
This spring, that vision became reality.
“We finally got the right coaches in place,” Harre said. “This was our first year running Redline Basketball Club Savannah, and we had a really productive spring.”
Redline Savannah fielded teams at the seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th grade levels. Some Savannah players also joined the Atlanta Redline teams competing on the UA Rise circuit this summer.
The goal is simple.
Give Savannah players another avenue to compete at a high level and get noticed by college coaches.
Built on Defense and Toughness
If you watch Redline Savannah play, one thing quickly stands out.
Defense matters.
Harre believes toughness and defense travel no matter who the opponent is.
“The one thing about Savannah kids is they’re dogs,” Harre said. “They’re going to play really, really hard, and they’re going to be really, really good defensively.”
That identity helped Redline teams compete against nationally respected programs throughout the Southeast.
The seventh and eighth-grade teams competed on the UA Future circuit against many of the top middle school programs in the region. The 2029 team finished 21-7 and nearly knocked off fully sponsored Under Armor teams, including a four-point overtime loss to Atlanta Xpress.
Members of the 2029 Redline Basketball Club Savannah celebrate after winning the KB Sports St. Patrick’s Day event while displaying their championship rings during the tournament in Statesboro. Photo courtesy of Redline Basketball Club Savannah.
The 2031 team reached the semifinals of the ESPN Memorial Day Classic before losing by four points to the eventual champion.
Harre said defense gives teams a chance even on nights when shots are not falling.
“If you play really good defense, you’re going to have a chance to win every game,” Harre said.
The 2030 Team Set the Tone
The 2030 Redline team opened the spring finishing with a championship.
The group opened the season with a 5-0 run and a tournament championship at Georgia Southern during the KB Sports St. Patrick’s Day event.
Months later, they finished the season by winning the ESPN Memorial Day Classic in Orlando.
Started with a championship.
Ended with a championship.
Not bad for a first-year team.
“It was really fun coaching our 2030 team,” Harre said. “They started with a championship to start the year and ended with a championship.”
Still, Harre kept bringing the conversation back to development rather than trophies.
“What Redline is all about is player development, schematic development and helping young men grow into men,” Harre said.
That culture has become a major part of the program’s identity.
More Than Just Teams
Harre said Redline Savannah is trying to build one complete basketball family instead of separate teams working independently.
Teams practice together. Older players support younger players during tournaments. Players from rival schools learn to compete alongside each other.
“We don’t want just teams in silos,” Harre said. “We want a whole program.”
That approach has helped players from both public and private schools build chemistry while representing Savannah together on the road.
“They want to represent the 912 in a very good way anytime we go out to a tournament,” Harre said.
That local pride matters to the players and coaches inside the program.
And it shows.
Coaching Experience Matters
Harre brings years of college basketball experience to the sidelines.
He spent 16 years coaching at the Division I and Division II levels, including stops at Clayton State, Grambling State, Cal Poly, and Savannah State.
Along the way, he learned from several successful coaches and now uses those lessons to help teach younger players.
The focus goes beyond basketball.
Harre said today’s players want to understand why things are being taught, so Redline coaches spend time explaining schemes, terminology, and player roles.
The program even allows parents to attend practices to better understand the system their sons are learning.
“It’s not always about just having the best players,” Harre said. “It’s about having the best fit for the team.”
That message has helped players buy into their roles and trust the process.
Future Looks Bright
Redline Savannah already has several players gaining attention.
Jordan Walls of St. Andrew’s was invited to a Top 100 camp. Ja’cari Glover used his spring and summer experience with Redline to rise into Georgia’s top 60 rankings before signing with Palm Beach State. Milos Copc is set to sign with Motlow State, one of the top junior college programs in Tennessee.
Harre believes Savannah has several future college basketball players within the program.
Now Redline wants to keep building.
The 2029 team will compete in the Under Armor National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, July 16-19, along with live period events at LakePoint, where college coaches will be watching.
The team also received an invitation to the Battle of Georgia alongside nationally respected programs, including the Georgia Stars, Atlanta Celtics, Atlanta Xpress, AE5, Jet Academy, and Game Elite.
Next year, Redline plans to expand by adding a sixth-grade team and hopes to eventually start a girls' basketball side as well.
Harre also praised the addition of Georgia basketball analyst Kyle Sandy, calling his impact “invaluable” for the future growth of the program.
Just Getting Started
For Redline Savannah, year one was about proving the city belongs on the big stage.
Mission accomplished.
The wins, championships, and records matter.
But within the program, the bigger goal remains development, opportunity, and the building of something lasting for Savannah basketball players.
“This is only year one,” Harre said.
And based on what Redline Savannah accomplished this spring and summer, the future of the program — and maybe the future of Savannah basketball — looks pretty bright.
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Photos courtesy Redline Basketball Savannah Club
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