VS
Would a minimum of 10 future McDonalds All-Americans catch you
attention?
Would 6’10, 6’9, 6’8, & 6’7 players competing on Middle
School basketball?
How about the top point guard in the class going head to
head?
Maybe a sold out arena and standing room only for kids 14
and under?
Wait we know! Multiple cameras, top national scouts, college
coaches, and some bigtime slam dunks!
Ok now that we have your attention; please note that we are
not talking about a weekend tournament or camp – we are talking about one
game. Not any game – the game that was
entitled as “The Game of the Millennium”.
As the “kids” walked onto the floor the respective line-ups
were bigger than many college teams, many of the players bodies already
translate to the college level. As soon
as the ball tipped the NYBL 2019 squad featuring national championship team
members Wendall More and Kobe Langley immediately attacked relentlessly on both
the offensive and defensive end; NYBL and personal pride seemed to the theme
for the this group. Langley made and
impact early and often as a defender, scorer, and facilitator; he did it all
early and dictated the pace while getting easy basket for himself and
teammates. The result of those effort
allowed the NYBL to opened with a quick 7-1 run as the Nation squad struggled
to find a rhythm.
Pressing off made
baskets the NYBL consistently doubled the ball out of all point guard Marquise
Walker (Illinois) – Sharif Kenney immediately stepped up as an offensive force to
keep the Nation team in the game. The
Mitchell twins Mahki and Mahkel had some good looks deep in the paint but were
contained by some physical play and tough misses.
Jeremiah Francis controlled the tempo and showed off his
offensive prowess in leading the NYBL team to an early 21-7 lead. Marvin Price (MD) enter the game and took the
load off Kenney working the middle of the floor – very effective in this area
the new class of 2019 left handed wing display the ability to work the perimeter
as well as press the paint.
Balsa Koprivica was controlled for most of the first half by
the combination of Tariq Ingram (DE) and the twin who contested everything
coming in the paint. Controlling the 6’10
behemoth was a tough task and he had the early play of the game with a bigtime
dunk off the low post. Mahki Mitchel
handled the rock and found the open the spot as the Nation begin to figure out
the dynamics of the NYBL’s trapping defense.
The NYBL took the lead into the half but as always,
basketball is a game of runs. With
National Championship caliber coaching on the NYBL bench from Keyford Langley
and Demarko Bradley the Nations staff had its work cut out for them. National Select who brought in assistance
Coach Bilco (Indiana MVP) and Coach Galloway (Culver Academy) to assist program
director Coach Francis decided to meet pressure with pressure and to press the
NYBL in the second to up the tempo and create turnovers.

As the game moved into crunch time, big time players make
big time shots – Marquise Walker found open men and cap it with a huge
transition basket followed by 3-pointer from NBA range to cut the lead to 7
with 3 minutes to play. After a missed
heat check by Walker and a tough miss in transition on a tough contest, time
became a factor.
Jeremiah Francis who has had a fantastic end to his summer
became a big factor down the stretch controlling the ball and tempo. A bigtime drive and finish along with a trey
ball cut the lead to 4 with less than 20 seconds to play. After a time out Christian DePollar created a
turnover and giving the Nation a chance to cut the game to one. Price shot from the top of the key with 5
seconds remaining and just missed – as the NYBL secured the rebound time
expired giving them the victory.
As the NYBL portion of the day concluded no one in the gym
was disappointed; Rob Taylor’s NYBL proved they were who they said they
were. CP3 and All Ohio Red along with
the G3 crew of Brooks and Dexter Shouse Jr. proved their metal as championship
level players. Wendell Moore did it all and clearly was difference maker down
as the game wound down scoring, passing and acting as a primary ball handler
and distributor – Moore again affected the game in all areas event when he wasn’t
scoring – a clear cut top player in the class. As well Sharif Kenney showed why
his is considered by many to be a top player in country effective at all three
levels and Korbin Spencer (KY) and came in and displayed the hard work ethic and skill set he is becoming nationally known for.
The MVP honors went to Marquise Walker and Kobe Langley
proving the value of the point guards even at the highest level and with giants
on the court.
A 4 point NYBL win follow by a Nation’s win in the first
game was the perfect ending to what will remain forever two of the greatest
games of all time. The only hope is this
is the first of many game to be played between two of the best entities in
middle school basketball.
The final question remains is how do you top this? Follow in the NYBL as it enters its 3rd
season and USA National Select for the answers.
Game of the Millennium? Yeah,
without question.
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Just
remember this was just the Saturday morning - stay tune for continued
converge - and don't forget P2bball.com National Rankings will be
released Monday September22nd
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