Area High School Coaches Gain Major College Hoops Experience at PIT

Local coaches Jeremy Jordan, Erik Johnson, and Kenneth Harris are among those guiding future pros at the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 3:50am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a basketball game or match, with the players and court broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes, conveying a sense of motion and energy.Local high school coaches gain valuable experience guiding future pro prospects at the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.Norfolk Today

Several area high school basketball coaches, including Jeremy Jordan, Erik Johnson, and Kenneth Harris, have the unique opportunity to coach in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT), an annual event that showcases top college seniors to NBA scouts. These coaches are relishing the chance to work with highly talented players and gain experience at the major college level, while also bringing back new ideas and strategies to implement with their own high school programs.

Why it matters

The PIT provides a rare chance for local high school coaches to get a taste of the major college basketball experience, allowing them to learn from and interact with future professional players. This experience can help them improve their own coaching skills and bring new insights back to their home programs, ultimately benefiting the development of high school basketball talent in the region.

The details

Jeremy Jordan of Poquoson High School, Erik Johnson of Virginia Wesleyan (formerly Grassfield High School), and Kenneth Harris of Green Run High School are among the local coaches on the sidelines at the PIT this year. They are responsible for keeping the highly skilled players motivated and focused during the week-long tournament, which features eight-player teams that must quickly come together. The coaches are using this opportunity to teach the players about finding their specific roles and excelling at the strengths that will help them make an NBA roster.

  • The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament takes place every April.
  • The 2026 edition of the PIT is currently underway.

The players

Jeremy Jordan

The head coach of the Poquoson High School basketball team, who is returning to the PIT for the second year in a row to coach in the prestigious tournament.

Erik Johnson

The former head coach of the Grassfield High School basketball team, who is now an assistant coach at Virginia Wesleyan and is also coaching in the PIT this year.

Kenneth Harris

The head coach of the Green Run High School basketball team, who is among the local coaches guiding players at the PIT this week.

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What they’re saying

“Just trying to keep the guys motivated. You want to make sure they play their minutes because that's the main reason they're here, to play in front of the scouts.”

— Kenneth Harris, Green Run High School Head Coach

“To introduce it to my son who's coming up in the ranks, it's special. It's a family thing and it shows that basketball unites everybody. We get to meet people from all over.”

— Erik Johnson, Virginia Wesleyan Assistant Coach (former Grassfield High School Head Coach)

“I've never worked with more coachable guys than eight Division I players who are seniors. It's wild.”

— Erik Johnson, Virginia Wesleyan Assistant Coach (former Grassfield High School Head Coach)

What’s next

The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament will continue through the weekend, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, April 20, 2026.

The takeaway

The opportunity for local high school coaches to participate in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament allows them to gain valuable experience working with elite-level college basketball players, which they can then apply to improving their own programs and developing talent in the region.