Meet the Hard Earned Hoops Development Team

Founder & Basketball Development Coach

Abdullahi Mohamed

Abdullahi Mohamed is a Seattle-area basketball player and development coach whose journey spans West Seattle High School, NCAA Division I basketball at Eastern Washington University, a GNAC championship and NCAA Division II Sweet 16 run at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, more than 1,000 collegiate points, two All-GNAC selections, and professional experience in Cyprus' first division. His path through injury, setbacks, collegiate competition, and professional basketball shapes a development approach built on preparation, accountability, adaptability, and earned opportunity.

Focus areas

• Individual skill development
• Basketball IQ and decision-making
• Mentorship and life development

Director of Shooting Performance

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson leads shooting development within Hard Earned Hoops. He helps oversee workout design and training plans, with an emphasis on efficient mechanics, repeatable footwork, shot preparation, decision-making and translating shooting work into game situations. During his professional offseason, Paul is on the floor with Hard Earned Hoops athletes across ages and ability levels.

Paul continues to pursue his professional playing career in Europe. His college career included time at the University of Puget Sound and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he developed a proven record as an efficient high-volume three-point shooter. At Puget Sound, Paul averaged 18.5 points per game in his second season while shooting 45.8% from the field and 42.7% from three. He earned Second Team All-NWC recognition and NWC Student-Athlete of the Week recognition. At Alaska Fairbanks, he averaged approximately 14 points, two rebounds and two assists per game in his senior season while shooting approximately 47% from the field and 45% from three on 5.7 three-point attempts per game. He earned All-GNAC Honorable Mention recognition.

• 42.7% from three — Puget Sound second season
• 44.7% from three — Alaska senior season
• All-GNAC Honorable Mention

Focus areas

• Shooting mechanics and repeatability
• Footwork and shot preparation
• Catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble shooting
• Game-speed decision-making
• Individual workout and training-plan design

Athletic Performance Coach & Performance Partner

James Hellums

James Hellums leads athletic-performance development for Hard Earned Hoops. His individualized, evidence-informed coaching helps basketball and team-sport athletes develop speed, strength, power, jumping ability, coordination, movement quality and physical resilience. He connects physical preparation to the demands of the game so athletes can express their basketball skills at a higher level.

James Hellums specializes in athletic development for team-sport athletes and in short sprints and jumps within track and field. His work focuses on building speed, strength, power, coordination, jumping ability, and physical resilience through individualized, evidence-informed programming. His coaching experience spans youth through elite and professional sport and includes work with NCAA record-level performers, an Olympian, nationally ranked jumpers and sprinters, world-ranked para-athletes, Washington Gatorade Player of the Year Jacob Cofie, and professional team-sport athletes. Within Hard Earned Hoops, James leads athletic performance development and helps athletes build the physical tools that support their basketball skills.

Focus areas

• Strength and power development
• Speed and acceleration
• Jumping, landing and coordination
• Age-appropriate weightlifting progressions
• Individualized athletic-development planning