The DC Metropolitan area also known by locals as the DMV has been home in recent years to several of the top teams in the county at various levels. The group that earned the name “ The Lynch Mob” in the summer of 2015 has reemerged as 8th graders as one possibly the number one team in the county. Now formally a fully sponsored Adidas Gauntlet program and the current 16U champion on the high school side; New World who has already put the DMV on notice of their arrival; caused quite a stir matching up against their northeast brethren with their roster of nationally ranked players on a recent visit to the Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic.
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| Brayon Freeman |
Prior to their arrival at the
Spotlight New World has already recorded high quality wins over Team Takeover
(NIKE) and the formally known as Baltimore
United now playing as Team Thrill (UA).
This was only the beginning as this weekend New World swept through the
PSA Cardinals with an impressive 20+point victory, Millbank, and the NY Rens in
route to a showdown against the toast of the class in 2021 Team Rio and their pair
of Middle School All-Americans Shane Dezonie and Trey Patterson, the #2 player
in the country notching a convincing win 51-41 in a game they controlled
throughout. Their victory was highlighted
by intense ball pressure and their collective ability to keep Rio out the paint
and turning them into jump shooters.
With no less than 5 players in the
national top 200 and two within the top 30 it is hard to take issue with New
World assuming the early season title of the #1 team in the country. Their early season wins and the
aforementioned roster only add further legitimacy to these claims and clearly make’s
the New World “The Lynch Mob” the team to beat and just like on the west coast in
the early 90’s the (highly skilled) Goons on New World welcome their opponents to
Death Row with their old school, high intensity style of play.
The resume of this group is hard to
question as they have been competing at a high level for several seasons
now. The physical growth of those
talented players and the player development itself it was has lifted this group
even higher and has them equipped for is sure to be a memorable and exciting
year.
From a design perspective they have
built a well-oiled machine that structurally is designed for success on the AAU
circuit. High level Coaching led by Taj
& Ray Hawkins, and a staff of former professional and colleges players and
coaches. An experienced high IQ PG in
Elijah “Lil Genius” Hawkins, two national top 35 ranked players in Brayon
Freeman(#35) a dynamic scoring two who can stretch the floor with the rock and
play the lead spot when needed and versatile game changing 6’5 wing Julius
Ellerbe (#16) and possibly there biggest
asset and secret to what make this team very hard to stop. They can go big with the 6’3 Goddat twins, even
bigger with 6’7 Abdul Sams, or they can GS Warrior you with do it all wing Ya’Qin
Staton. They have even more bullets in
their chamber and play as a team through their success with a chip on their shoulder.
New World has taken the first step finishing
undefeated in their first weekend at the Spotlight; will they be able to do
something the Supreme Team and the Terror Squad never did to cement themselves
as one of the all-time great teams in middle school hoops and go undefeated in
the Spotlight a feat that’s never been done, only time will tell but this group
has a shot they are a special group that has experience together and talent a
great recipe for continued success.
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