MUST READ: Live-July Catch-Up Notebook

Ketchup in a Cup

Live-July Ketchup/Catch-Up Time

- So much information in the cranium, so little time to let the knowledge flow...Let's try to get it out in one punch rather than individualizing each story-line, as is the Spaceship Preference.  Here it goes...

Adidas Super 64 Update

CBC - This morning in the 2nd round of the Championship Bracket, CBC went up against the SoCal All-Stars in front of jam-packed house at Rancho HS and in the first half, it was a neck and neck battle as SoCal got and ran succesfully off CBC turnovers and missed shots.  But CBC cleaned up it's act in the final few minutes of the 1st half to take a 4 point lead into the break.  In the 2nd half, CBC came out in a three-quarter-court 2-2-1 press and from the onset, they simply blew the doors off SoCal.  Kris Dunn was spectacular and awed the crowd with several strings of big-time plays.  Kahlil Dukes reeled off points in bunches.  Ethan O'Day finished above the rim all day with authority and emotion, playing at a level we were not aware he was capable of.  And oh yeah, Andre Drummond had somewhere between 6-8 2nd half dunks which all woke up Mom and Dad, each slam taking away a little bit more of the SoCal morale.  CBC ended up opening up a 30 point lead with 5 minutes left and that's how it remained until the horn.  CBC went on to win their Sweet 16 game this afternoon, taking out KC Play & Pray by 3 behind 27 points from Drummond.  With the victory, CBC advanced to a quarterfinal showdown earlier tonight against Indiana Elite, and as often is the case when a team plays their third game in a day, CBC didn't play their best ball tonight and ran into a buzz-saw in a hot Indiana Elite squad which features four Indiana commits.  Up next, the CT boys will travel from Vegas to Orlando where they will participate in the 17u AAU Nationals.


New England Playaz - In their second round game this morning against Triple-Threat SoCal, the Playaz opened up an early 20 point lead which they took into the break.  There was no quit in Triple-Threat SoCal, and they made the second half a dogfight, but the Playaz lead never fell below 13 and they won going away.  Game balls to John Papale, who tossed in 20, and Terry Brutus, who who attacked the basket all game, throwing down a serious of emphatic two hand dunks.  This afternoon in the Sweet 16, the Playaz went up against a tough Michigan Mustangs squad and were eliminated from the Super 64.  The Playaz head West for Los Angeles tomorrow.   One thing is for sure, Kansas, Arizona, and North Carolina wont miss a Playaz game through the rest of July for Tarczewski.

17u AAU Super Showcase Gold Bracket

- As discussed earlier, BABC won their 1st Rd match-up by 1 against the SYF Playaz on a half-court buzzer-beater by Jaylen Brantley.  They then proceeded to knock off a tough D3 Heat club led by all-world combo-athlete Gary Harris.  BABC now advances to the Quarterfinals tomorrow where they'll face the Georgia Stars.

17u Showcase Silver Bracket 

 - After a tremendous pool-play showing in which Kenny Reed and Kachi Nzerem each had breakout performances, Boston Warriors Blue was ousted in the 1st Rd of the Silver Bracket.  They'll stay down in Orlando for the 17u Nationals which start tomorrow.

17u Showcase Bronze Bracket

 - The Middlesex Magic beat the Game 7 Sharks and Maine Mac won a preliminary Rd game against the Westchester Hawks and then a 1st Rd game against the South Jersey Rising Stars to set up an all-New England Sweet 16 match-up with the Middlesex Magic.  Also in the Bronze Bracket, Metro Boston won a Preliminary Rd match-up versus Hawks God's Glory before falling in the 1st Rd to Next Level Hoops.  Metro will stick around for Nationals.

17u Showcase Copper Bracket

 - Both Maine Nation and the RI Breakers won 1st Rd games to advance to the Sweet 16 tomorrow.

17u AAU Super Showcase Iron Bracket

- RI Hawks won their 1st Rd game to set up a Sweet 16 match-up with the Prime Time Tigers tomorrow.

16u AAU Super Showcase NE Wrap-Up

- Two New England teams advanced to the Silver Bracket.  CT Select won a 1st Rd game before falling by 1 in the Sweet 16 to the Georgia Stars, 54-53.  The RI Hawks 2013 won two games in Bracket-Play before dropping a close-one against Shining Star Spotlight, 69-67 in the quarters.


- Two New England teams also competed in the Bronze bracket.  Expressions made a nice run, winning two elimination-games before falling in the quarters to the Michigan Warriors.   Also, MABC won a 1st Rd game before getting knocked off by the Tuscalooga Warriors in the Sweet 16.

16u AAU Nationals

Starting today down in Orlando were the AAU 16u National Championships.  Let's see how the New England teams started out.


- BABC won easily in Pool Q against the Douglas Brothers Prep Stars 89-35.


- Expressions started off strong in Pool D, chasing Atlanta Select by a score of 59-37.


- Maine Mac took down Crowleys Starz 51-48.


- CBC 2013 defeated Virginia Evolve by a score of 70-66 in Pool U.


- RI Hawks won in Pool V against 37-30 in a low-scoring affair against the Missouri Running Rebels.


- In Pool II, CT Select dominated the Louisiana Dominators by a score of 52-15


- New England teams dropping their first game were Bishop Elite, the Bay State Magic, the CT Northstars and the NE Cyclones.
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