There is a small contingent of
middle school basketball teams and programs who throughout the course of 2015
will make claim to being the best in various classes. The false bravado of these clubs will be
built with flashy uniforms, sideline antics, brash boastfulness, and a
desperate and insatiable hope for an opportunity to come across a quality team
to validate themselves on the national landscape and circuit. The façade that true elite level competition
will come to visit them is a simply a cop out and bag of goods sold to unknowing
parents and players. They will play in
events and tournaments that no one has ever heard of and post jaw dropping
margin of victories while claiming to be the best of best.
Across the country there is a clear delineation
of events, leagues, and tournaments at the middle school level – just as there
are in high school; and if you aren’t playing in them your simply are not
playing at the highest level and any victory when compared against the best of
the best will have an asterisk placed next to it. “Making up” your own event to
measure success is the equivalent of being President of your own fan club.
This past weekend in Atlantic City,
NJ Mike Melton’s Basketball Spotlight Atlantic City Showcase tipped off featuring
the best middle school basketball talent in the country. Dubbed “The Showdown in America’s Playground”;
it attracted 3 current and reigning National Champions, over 40 nationally
ranked teams at various age groups, and a proverbial who’s who of top ranked
players from coast-to-coast.
Daniel Paragon, one of the nation’s
top high school analysts, stated that Basketball Spotlights AC Showcase “…is
the single best stand only middle school tournament in the county” and further
advised that “any resume submitted with the current transition of AAU basketball
that doesn’t include this Spotlight event must be viewed with a raised
eyebrow”. Very powerful statements for
those not in attendance and still making noise about being a factor of any sort on
the circuit.
Team CP3 2019, out North Carolina,
who arrived coming off, back-to-back national championships defeated every opponent
that faced finishing 4-0 in pool/bracket play made a huge statement without
saying anything when they choose to forgo the actual championship game. Citing the fact that they had already beaten
everyone remaining in the Super Pool which included powers such as Team Rio
National, DC Premier, Team Ennis, Team Takeover, and Team Florida; CP3 hit the
showers early leaving Team Florida & Team Rio to fight it out for the
championship title. Team Rio led by the
combo of Bryan Antione and Scottie Lewis prevailed 43-42. Some of the elite talent on display in this
game can be appreciated below with features on Antoine as Florida’s Balsa
Koprovica.
In 2020, the “Terror Squad” who has
made noise nationally since its inception ran into a buzz saw out of the
mid-west as nationally ranked George Hill defeated them soundly in pool play -
behind great perimeter shooting, cohesive offense, inspired defense, and coaching
from one of the nation’s elite in head coach Mike Saunders Sr.; The Terror Squad regained its
dominating form to defeat the #5 New York Gauchos and #9 Rip City to set up a rematch
with George Hill. George Hill did not travel through unscathed as they too
suffered from a 1-point loss to the 023 Feet out the Virginia in one of the
more surprising upsets in the tournament, G3 who was down by as much as
13-point clawed back in the end hitting a 3 to cut it one with no time
remaining. In winning the championship 43-40
over George Hill the Terror Squad proved two things - when they play as
individuals there aren’t a very good team but when they play together as a unit
they very well may be the best in the country.
This is supported by a rumor that is picking up steam, which may have
this group appearing on a major high school circuit as 7th graders
(stay tuned for further news on that) showing the national profile and power of
the AC Showcase.
Team IZOD who may arguable, from a
talent perspective, have one of the most complete teams in the country with
national super stars Trey Patterson and Donnell Harris who bookend new addition
(PG) Kennedy Chandler got the job done at the 2021 level with a 40-30 victory
over the Trevor Keels led Team Takeover out of MD/DC. Trey Patterson the nations #3 ranked prospect
looked the best he has looked all season; Patterson who has been battling
injury due to vast and continued growth – show a very complete game impacting
the team on both ends of the floor while putting up some very impressive scoring
exploits along the way. Patterson
continues to grow in terms of reputation and skill, but the 6’6 and growing combo
forward remains poised to be one of those special players at the next
level. Bigtime players make bigtime
plays in big time games and Patterson putting his fingerprint on the championship
for Sports U in the AC Showcase is simply another example of such.
The “Rodney Dangerfield” of middle
school hoops arrived in Atlantic City with one objective – to take their
respect. How the reigning national
champs do not get mentioned is remarkable, two national championships in 3
years with a top finish in between should have been enough. Needless to say led by one of the top coaches
in the country at any level Steve Turner on the sideline – the DMV team has
some studs, killers, and bigtime players on the court as well. Defeating the Gauchos, who were led by one
man wreaking crew Antonio Sellers 28-22 in the chip P2Bball.com’s #1 guy Jaden
Johnson got the job done. With a stellar
crew of running mates that included big Jason Moore, wing Antonio Hamlin, and
new addition PG Sammy Scott who looked very comfortable on the black in
red. Please let it be said here and now –
this team was so impressive in AC we can already predict another national title
run for this squad come the summer.
Quietly the Riverside Hawks 2023
just keep on collecting wins and championships as they took down Team Takeover
in the chip 32-29. Jeremiah Dorsey continues
to grow and impress with his outside shooting, ball-handling, scoring, and set
up of his teammates. But the team
collectively plays so well together and is clearly dedicated to the process of
the winning at the highest level. A very
talented 2023 talent pool left anyone claiming the crown at the age group to be
looked upon with respect.
In summation, if you truly want to
be in the conversation you have to be in the right places, otherwise at the end
of the day all anyone else is running is there mouth. It Went Down In America’s Playground and if
you were there you were playing any where.
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