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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Middlesex Magic Drown Gm7 Sharks in 1st Rd

In the 1st Rd of Bracket Play at the 17u Showcase, the Middlesex Magic went up against a tough Game7 Sharks squad which has made a name for itself this summer.  After not playing their best basketball during pool-play, the Magic knew they would have to step up their game to deal with the Sharks.  If Mike Crotty was looking for one of his troops to step up and lead the charge, Connor Mahoney was more than happy to oblige.  Mahoney erupted for 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 65-51 win which propels them to the 2nd Rd.  Also stepping up with big games for Crotty were PG Aaron Davis, who had 14 points with 11 dimes and Joey Glynn, who accounted for 14 points and 12 backboard-sweeps.  Stay tuned as the Magic make a run at the Showcase Cup.

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Jaylen "Merlin" Brantley Saves BABC with Half-Court Buzzer-Beater to Sting SYF Playaz by 1

The Magician
Watch Buzzer-Beater Here

Brantley Saves the Day for BABC

- After the dominating performance by BABC at Peach Jam, many assumed BABC would continue it's dominance through the 17u AAU Super Showcase in Orlando.  Needless to say, that has not been the case.   In their first pool-play game, BABC pulled out a tough comeback win against the Charlotte Royals.  In Game 2, they lost only their second game of 2011, falling to the Ohio Shooting Stars by a 5-point margin.  In their  third game, BABC took down the Pennsylvania Playaz to advance to the Championship Bracket, where this afternoon they played a 1st Round Game against Mitch McCrary and the SYF Playaz.  BABC held the lead for the majority of the game, but a big 4th quarter from SYF took BABC to the edge of the plank.


With just a few seconds left, BABC was down 2 with the ball on the opposite baseline.  College Coaches such as Coach K, Calipari, and Jim Calhoun looked on as SYF attempted to survive the final seconds and pull off the upset and end the AAU careers of Georges Niang, Jake Layman, and Dominique Bull.  Unfortunately, for SYF, BABC has a magician on it's squad who already knew how the game was going to end, a magician called Merlin, or some know him as Jaylen Brantley.


Nerlens Noel inbounded the ball to Brantley who caught it a few steps behind midcourt.  He caught the rock and in one motion dribbled past a hard-charging defender to the middle of the floor and put up a runner a step inside half-court.  According to an interview after the game, J-Brant knew the ball was good the moment it left his hand.  Watch the video below and you will comprehend.


As the ball went through the net, the gym went crazy and Merlin was mobbed by his teammates.  Not a bad time for the buzzer beater of his life.  After Peach Jam, Brantley saw a lot of offers arrive.  After this,  the offer-waterfall should really let loose.  Wherever Brantley goes to school, he will make his team a winner, any school.  He is just a cold-blooded magician.


BABC moves on to play the D3 Heat out of the Midwest in the 2nd round of Championship Bracket Play tonight.  Look for the steamroller to go into full effect the rest of the way as Merlin's shot surely ridded BABC of any cobwebs which had been holding them back through 4 games in Orlando.

Click to Watch Jaylen's Buzzer-Beater

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AAU Super Showcase Update - Orlando

A Human Day for New England

- After cruising to a easy win in the semifinals early this morning, BABC went up against Ty Lawson Team Takeover in the Final of the 15u AAU Super Showcase.  Although BABC led the majority of the game, TT put together a tremendous 4th quarter to pull out a six point win over BABC to capture the Super Showcase Title.

-  The BABC Juniors got going today in the Gold Pool of the 17u AAU Super Showcase.  According to the the AAU website, BABC defeated the Charlotte Royals in Game 1 before proving they were human and falling to the Ohio Shooting Stars in Game 2.  Not to worry.  They still control their own destiny in terms of advancing to bracket play and going after the Chip.


Also from the Showcase...


- Metro Boston 17s went 1-1, falling to Basic 1st and taking down the FCI Warriors...Tevin Falzon reportedly played very well in the morning game and had a monster two hand put-back dunk off a back-rim miss.


- Boston Warriors Blue streaked out to a 2-0 start in Pool AA with wins over Team Treasure Coast and the Columbia Ravens.  Kachi Nzerem averaged 24 points on the day.

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Super 64 Championship Bracket Results

1st Round Results

- CBC defeats the West Michigan Lakers 69-44 to move to the second round where they will face the Southern Cal All Stars tomorrow at 10:40am.


- The New England Playaz hold on against a scrappy Las Vegas Big Dogs squad to advance to tomorrow's 2nd round.  They'll match up against Triple Threat at 1pm.


- Mass Rivals fall in Triple-OT to DTA Devin Harris Superstars and bow out after an impressive 3-1 effort.


- The New England Playaz 16s fell to Houston Select by a score of 56-52.
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Super 64 Championship Bracket Preview

Preview of NE Teams in Super 64

17u Championship Bracket - 1st Round

CBC will face off against the West Michigan Lakers at 3:40

New England Playaz against the Las Vegas Big Dogs at 2pm at 1pm

Mass Rivals against DTA Devin Harris at 1pm

16u Championship Bracket - 1st Round

New England Playaz against Houston Select at 7:40
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17u Super Showcase Set to Tip Off in Orlando

They'll all be there!

Class of 2012 AAU Super Showcase

The 17u AAU Super Showcase gets going down in Orlando tomorrow and five New England teams will be participating.  Let’s take a peek.

Gold Division (44 total teams)

BABC – Pool A - After winning Peach Jam, America’s best AAU team looks to go after the Peach Jam/Showcase Diamond-Duo.  They will play in Pool A where they will square off against the Pennsylvania Playaz, the Charlotte Royals, and the Ohio Shooting Stars.

Silver Division (108 total teams)

RI Breakers – Pool B – The Breakers are grouped with Indiana Elite One, the Florida Rams Q6 All-Stars, and TFP.

Worcester West – Pool E – The Worcester boys are grouped with Team Buckets, the New Jersey Celtics, and the Tennessee Chosen Few.

Maine Nation – Pool F – Fresh off an impressive performance during the first half of Live-July, Maine Nation is set to compete with All-Ohio Purple, Mid-Atlantic Select, and the NC Team Disciples.

Middlesex Magic – Pool P – After a terrific first half of the summer in which they went 8-1, Mike Crotty and the gang head down to Disney looking to re-capture the magic of 2010.  In pool play, they will face off against Next Level Sports, the Jacksonville Nets, and the Jersey Shore Warriors.

RI Hawks – Pool S – Jay Elliot and his Hawks are prepared to face Team NJABC, the Birmingham Ice, and the Illinois Wolverines Red.

Metro Boston – Pool Z – Mo Vasquez and Metro Boston will face Shooting Star Sports, Basic First, and the FCI Warriors.

Boston Warriors Blue – Pool AA – Mark Pappas and his crew set to battle  the Bama Boys, the Columbia Ravens, and Team Treasure Coast.

MABC Bengals – Pool DD – Larry Merritt’s Squad will meet up with the Gulf Coast Roadrunners, East Coast Fusion, and the Georgia Ballers.

Maine Athletic Club – Pool GG – This Maine contingent will face the Marietta Heat, the NJ Shoreshots and the Orangeburg Express.

Stay tuned.  The action should get good quickly.
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Wayne Selden With Chance at Hoops History

In Range of Fab-Five

Selden Looks to Complete Live-July Fab-Five

It’s worth mentioning that for Wayne Selden, two BABC wins tomorrow in the Final 4 and Finals of the 15u Super Showcase would mean a chance at the Ultimate Live-July Fab-Five of Lebron James Camp, 15u Nationals, Peach Jame/Nike EYBL Championship, 15u AAU Showcase, 16u Nationals, and 17u Showcase.  BABC is definitely the heavy favorite in all three of the unfinished portions of the Fab Five.  Now this, for sure, has never been done.

On another note, Joe Davis of Scout Focus reported that Memphis, Miami, Missouri, and Villanova were at today’s Elite 8 game watching Selden.   

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Super 64 - Las Vegas - New England 17u Update

Adidas Super 64 Tournament Update

Today wrapped up Pool Play out in Vegas at the Super 64.  Let’s see where the New England 17u Squads stand heading into Bracket Play tomorrow.

CBC defeated the Houston Hoopstars to finish Super Pool-Play at 3-0.  They will receive a top seed in Championship Bracket Play, which starts tomorrow. 

The NE Playaz lost two games by a combination of 3 points in the loaded Super Pool B, but no worries, they still advance to the Championship Bracket and are legitimate threats to make a serious sun.

Mass Rivals – After an ugly win today, the Rivals finish 3-0 to claim their pool and join CBC and the Playaz in the Championship Bracket.

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The Young Man Called Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel becoming household-name

Nerlens Noel Aims for Encore in Orlando

- After a masterful performance at Peach Jam, where he led BABC to the Championship and took home the Most Outstanding Award, Everett’s Nerlens Noel of The Tilton School is ready to go back to work tomorrow in Orlando as the 17u Super Showcase gets under way.  At Peach Jam, Noel chalked up one ridiculous stat-line after another, recording two triple-doubles and averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 blocks in seven BABC wins.  Most remarkable about his string of eye-popping stat-lines was the fact that Nerlens put them up against one All-American frontcourt player after another.  Among the players he faced were Jerami Grant and BeeJay Anya from Team Takeover, Adam Woodbury and Willie Cauley of All-Iowa Attack, Jabari Parker from Mac Irvin, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins from CIA Bounce, Brandon Ashley, Robert Upshaw and Aaron Gordon of the Oakland Soldiers, Shaq Goodwin and Jarnell Stokes of Memphis YOMCA. 

Noel’s consistency against top-flight competition illustrates his ferocity as a competitor.  He plays to dominate.  He is a 17 year old kid with a rare combination of a 7-foot wingspan, great instincts, high-intelligence, world-class speed and athleticism, and top-notch coordination.  How is it that a young man with these God-Given gifts is also the most ferocious of competitors?  Where does that come from?  We asked Nerlens.

“I believe having two older brothers in Jim and Rodman are big reasons why I am who I am today.  I grew up always wanting to compete with them and they always pushed me to compete in every part of life.” – NerlensNoel

Nerlens also attributed growing up in one of New England’s proudest sports towns for helping him to grow into his present-self.

“Growing up in Everett where the sports are the pride of the city and knowing you got everyone behind you...it just brings my competitive fire to another level.” – Nelens Noel

Throughout the Spring and Summer, I have compared Noel to a young Marcus Camby, instinctively protecting the basket like a hawk protects it’s nest when the eggs are about to hatch.  But recently, Noel has shown some serious flashes of handling the basketball and attacking the basket more like a small-forward than a traditional big.  He’s looked a like a young Kevin Garnett out there handling the rock in the open floor, something which was never really a part of Camby’s game.  "So Nerlens, what about the tag of a “KG/Camby” hybrid-type game?  Are you going to be a guy who can bust out and lead the break…and attack the basket with the dribble in addition to everything else you do there out there on the court?" HR

“Yeah, I idolize KG with his presence on the court and being able to do the things he does as a player, especially in his younger days…I’ll be working even harder to establish those skills to bring my game to another level by being more versatile offensively.”  – Nerlens Noel

In wrapping up the quick-dialogue with Nerlens, you know the Spaceship had to ask him about music and what role it played in preparing him to compete between the lines. 

“My favorite rapper’s MOUFY from Boston.  I’m always listening to his music before every game.  His variety of music always gets me in the right state of mind.”  - Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel is a true virtuoso who everyone in New England should make a point to go and see perform his craft.  Whether you like basketball or not, Noel’s competitive fire, his radiance and his humble nature are something to behold.

Photo Credit - Andrew Shurtleff

BABC Frosh Making Another Run in Orlando

Nationals/Showcase Double-Dip?

After a dramatic comeback win over the Forest City Heat yesterday, the BABC Frosh were back at it early this morning in the Sweet 16, squaring off against Dorian’s Pride out of the Detroit, Michigan area.  This time, the BABC fans were spared their fingernails as BABC cruised to 80-48 victory, advancing on in Championship Bracket Play.  In the Elite 8 this afternoon, BABC met a high-riding Florida Family Squad, but again, BABC treated their fans to anxiety-free game as they posted up on the FAM for an 80-56 win.  The BABC Frosh now advance to the Final Four and with two wins tomorrow, BABC would claim the distinction of winning both the 15u National Championships and the AAU Super Showcase.  Has that ever been done before?
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Mass Rivals Stay Hot in Las Vegas Heat

Mt. Haladyna Erupts in Vegas

Rivals Stay Hot out in the Desert

 - After losing their two pool-play games at the Basketbull HOFNI, the Mass Rivals, after two wins yesterday, have reeled off  8 wins in a row.  In their first game yesterday morning in pool-play at the Adidas Super 64 in Vegas, the Rivals blew out the Kansas City Rebels at El Dorado HS by a score of 70-31 behind a balanced attack.  In their second game last night, the Rivals went up against a real tough squad in Prodigy Elite out of SoCal that is coached by former McDonalds All-American Cameron Murray (brother of Tracy Murray).  Although they did not have a player over 6'5, Prodigy gave the Rivals all they could handle.  Prodigy used their 3/4 court press to jump out to a 15-4 lead, leaving the Rivals in a hole which it would take them basically the whole game to erase, until mid-way through the second half, when the Rivals finally took a lead which they'd never relinquish, eventually pulling away for a 67-54 win.  The Rivals are back in action today in their final pool-play game...If they win, they advance to the Super 64 Championship Bracket.  Check out Rivals Day 1 Notes below.

Day One Notes

- The St. Johns Prep duo of Mike Carbone and Steve Haladyna really led the Rivals to the win in the night-cap.  The frontline gets the attention, but these guys flat out know how to win.  Haladyna definitely raised a lot of D1 Coaching eyebrows with his play last night, specifically after a play on which he rose up out of no where on the break and and slipped in a dunk shot over a Prodigy defender for an and-one.  He had 20 points for the game.

- When 2015 PG Dimitry Floras is locked in 100% mentally, he is dangerous with the rock.  

- The front-line of Vonleh, Kuaku, and Auguste is the longest in New England and has a lot of college coaches on the Rivals Trail.

 

- In the big gyms at Rancho HS, where the Super Pool games are played, it is not easy to pick out all of the college coaches in attendance, but in a smaller gym, this is much easier.

- Auburn had three coaches at both games following Zach Auguste.  Other schools who had coaches at both games for Auguste were Virginia Tech, Alabama, Minnesota, Clemson, and Marquette, who had Head Coach Buzz Williams at both games.  Phil Martelli of St. Joes, Steve Donahue from BC also came to watch Auguste yesterday morning.

- Following Noah Vonleh at both games were UNC, Syracuse, and Georgetown.  For North Carolina, assistant coach Steve Robinson was at the morning game while Head Man Roy Williams was at the night game.  For Syracuse, asst Mike Hopkins was at both games while asst Gerry Macnamara was also at the night game.  For the Hoyas, an asst coach checked out the morning game while John Thompson came to check Vonleh out last night.  Also, Florida and Pitt each had an assistant coach at the morning game.

- Among the schools/coaches following Cedric Kuakumensah and/or Steve Haladyna were UVM, Harvard, Penn, and TJ Sorrentine from Brown.

- Vin Pastore was a big hit with both the college coaches and the Prodigy fans in terms of entertainment value.  Throughout the whole game, he had the gym in stitches with his one-liners from the sideline.

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Drummond Buzzer-Beater Lifts CBC

Drummond leads CBC to 2-0 Start in Vegas

New England Battle Lives up to Billing

- After splitting two meetings over the course of the Spring, CBC and the NE Playaz met up again yesterday in a heavyweight match-up at Rancho HS in Las Vegas in Pool-Play action at the Adidas Super 64.  From the opening tip, this one was a barn-burner.  Throughout the game, the two New England Clubs went back and forth, with neither team eclipsing a lead of more than 7 at any point in the action.  In the end, Andre Drummond hit a fade-away from the elbow of Kaleb Tarczewski as time expired to give CBC a 60-58 win over the Playaz.  Both ball-clubs are definitely serious contenders for the Super 64 Title and this Spaceship would not complain if there was a CBC/Playaz re-match somewhere along the line.  Check out game-notes below.

Game Notes

- John Calipari, Bobby Huggins, and Jerry Tarkanian sat together in the front row for this one.

- The Playaz were led by combo-guard Joe Bramanti, who was the best player on the floor in this one for John Carroll, proving he belongs in a major way.  He must have drawn three of Drummond's 5 fouls by taking it right to his chest and challenging him, finishing with an emphatic and-one on one of them.

- John Papale was his typical self out on the wing, drilling a number of treys and attacking close-outs to get into his mid-range pull up game.  Doesn't make mental mistakes.

- Kaleb Tarczewski didn't have his best scoring afternoon, but he was outstanding in commanding the paint and changing the game while going up against CBC's Stable of Big Men, Drummond, TPR, Sean Obi, and Ethan O'Day.  He is going to be a monster catch for whatever school gains his services.

- The sagging team defense of the Playaz gave the CBC guards fits all day, but Kahlil Dukes and Kris Dunn were terrific in spurts to keep CBC in it with Drummond in perpetual foul trouble.  Dukes has a lot of shake, a nifty handle, a sweet stroke, and a good feel for the game.  As far as Kris Dunn, in transition, he is the best guard in America not named Rodney Purvis.

- Drummond was fantastic when he was on the floor, scoring the ball, rebounding, contesting shots, and even leading the break.  He had three or four crazy plays which sent a buzz tearing through the gym.  One thing I noticed about Drummond is that every time he comes out of the game, he makes sure to slap five with every single one of his coaches and teammates.  He has a bit of potential as a player...just a bit though.

- Sean Obi - One of the few guys I have seen who does not look small next to Tarczewski.  It was a treat to watch these two mammoths go at it on the block.  They got tangled up a few times like two grizzly bears fighting for a snack.  Kid definitely held his own.  (And btw, in Springfield, I saw him warming up for a game by juggling a soccer ball to the delight of his CBC teammates).

- Timajh Parker-Rivera - Did a little bit of everything..rebounded, scored on put-backs, hit a trey ball, and he wins a very high percentage of 50/50 loose balls in his neighborhood.

- John Carroll is fun to watch coach.  His intensity is unrivaled and his passion for the game is apparent from a mile away.  At one point, Carroll was going nuts on the bench as his guards trapped a hard-charging Kahlil Dukes on the sideline.  Dukes tried to split the trap and collided with the Playaz guards, going down hard, at which point Carroll instinctively sprung from his perch on the sideline to help Dukes up and give him a pat on the head.
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BABC Frosh Pull a John Elway For Big Win

Bobby Ahearn is grinding down in Orlando

BABC Survives, Moves on to Sweet 16

-  After going 3-0 in Pool Play, today the BABC Frosh went up against a very-tough Forest City Heat ballclub out of NC in the 1st Round of Championship Bracket Play at the 15u Super Showcase.  Forest City came in 4th in the Nationals earlier this summer and coming into the game, BABC knew they would have a serious battle at hand.  After the 1st half of play, the term "serious battle" seemed a bit of an understatement as at halftime, BABC found themselves in quite an unfamiliar situation, down 37-25, spurninge whispers throughout Disney World that the BABC run at the Nationals/Showcase Double-Dip could be in serious trouble.

Well, in the 3rd quarter, BABC put those whispers to rest as they thoroughly outplayed the NC boys and won the quarter by 9 points to cut the lead to 3.  Then in the 4th quarter, BABC did the same, winning the period by 9 points to come away with a huge 75-69 win and advance to tomorrow's Sweet 16.  The run at the Double-Dip is still alive!

One BABC player who is really making a name for himself down in Orlando is Bobby Ahearn of Mrshfield and Marionapolis Prep.  The kid is a physical 6'5 F who is an absolute work-house in the paint and a model of consistency for the nation's top 15u club.  Ahearn averaged a double-double in BABC's three pool-play wins at the Showcase and continued that precedent in today's comeback win with 12 points and 13 boards.  While the 15u Nationals was not an event attended by college coaches en masse, you can bet your dessert that Ahearn is getting their attention down in Disney World.

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Vermont Academy Adds Baltimore PG J-Artis

Jamel Atris - 6'5 PG out of Baltimore

New England: America's Rolls-Royce Hoops-Hub

- New England Prep Schools continue to Load Up as yesterday, it was announced that Jamel Artis will be transferring from New Jersey power-house St. Benedict's Prep to Vermont Academy for the upcoming school year.  Artis is a 6'5 PG from Baltimore and the #27th ranked PG in the Class of 2012 by ESPN.  He runs with Baltimore Elite on the AAU Cicuit, where he plays alongside another Vermont Academy ballplayer in SG Daquein McNeil, ranked by ESPN #92 in the Class of 2013.  With Artis and McNeil, Coach Jesse Bopp now has one of the top few back-courts in New England.  Gonna be a lot of fun.

Photo Credit - MidAtlanticHoops.com

Ryan Hartung Takes Full-Ride at St. Anselems

Photo Credit - Yuto Watanabe

Ryan Hartung

- Chalk up another Full-Ride for the New England Class of 2012.  Last night, sharp-shooter Ryan Hartung, of Philips Andover Academy and the Mass Rivals, committed to Head Coach Keith Dickson and St. Anselm College.  Hartung will receive a Full-Athletic Scholarship as a member of the St. A's Baskeball Class of 2016.  With his size and ability on the wing, Hartung should be a great fit in the NE-10.

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OK it's Official...The Jake Layman Secret is Out

Someone grab the Fire Extinguisher to cool Layman down.

Unlimited Minutes on the Cell for Layman??

- According to a report by Brendan Hall of ESPN Boston, Jake Layman has a new strip of coupons, as he has recently received offers from Florida, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Wake Forest, DePaul, V-Tech & Iowa.  Jeez Louise...Live-July Mania!! These schools join Maryland, Boston College, Providence, Texas A&M, and UMass in the running for Jake Layman, who by the Spaceship's Count, now has thirteen scholarship offers. 

Photo Credit - bostonherald.com

Rene Castro Highlights from Peach Jam Final

Photo Cred. - Scout.com

Rene Castro Peach Jam Highlights

Wish video was zoomed-in a little more, but you can really see from the video why Castro is such a vital part of BABC's success as a team.  This video is courtesy of Seton Hall Basketball's Online Channel; according to multiple media sources, Seton Hall is currently showing Castro the most love.

Darren Payen Gets Third Scholarship Offer

Payen is long & athletic with a great motor.

Darren Payen  

- According to Norman Waterman of Five-Star Basketball, Darren Payen of Hamden Hall CD and East Coast Elite, was yesterday offered by the University of Vermont, bringing his Offer-Count to three as UVM joins Utah State and Holy Cross as schools to offer.  Stay tuned.
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Newton North's Tevin Falzon Catches D1 Offer

Photo - WickedLocal.com

Tevin Falzon 

-  Getting your first D1 Scholarship Offer has to be a decent feeling...Yesterday, Sacred Heart University offered Tevin Falzon a free-ride.  Falzon will be doing a post-grad year at Winchendon and is currently down in Orlando with Metro Boston.  Stay tuned.

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Selden Debuts as Newest 5-Star Video Blogger

(Photo Cred. - Rivals.com)

Five-Star Video Blogger

- I think it is fair to say that Wayne Selden has had a decent Summer so far.  Lebron Camp to the 15u National Championship to the Peach Jam Crown.  Offers from powerhouses such as Kentucky, UConn, West Virginia, Pitt, and Boston College.  And the Summer's only half-over.  Selden is currently getting ready to head down to Orlando to go back to work.  Before he does, catch up with him real quick on his Five-Star Video Blog by clicking the link below.

Watch Selden Video Blog

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Zach Auguste Recruiting Update - GT & Auburn

6'10 Gazelle Zach August
(Photo Cred. - The Recruit Scoop)

Nine and Counting for Auguste

- Zach Auguste of Marlborough, the Mass Rivals and New Hampton Prep, will soon need a second shoe-box to hold his stack of offers.  According to Rivals Coach Vin Pastore, he recently received offers from Auburn and Georgia Teach, bringing his offer-count to nine.  With their offers, Georgia Teach and Auburn join a field that already includes BC, Minnesota, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Marquette, Providence, and Virginia Tech.  After recently competing in the Peach Jam with the Albany City Rocks, Auguste heads out west with the Rivals, where he will get an opportunity to perform in front of coaches from some West Coast Programs.  Stay tuned...when you're 6'10, highly athletic, and coordinated, offers can arrive in bunches.

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Adidas Super 64 Preview - CBC & Playaz to Meet

CBC & NE Playaz in Same Pool in Vegas

Las Vegas - While half the American Grassroots Basketball World will be at Disney World this week, the other half will be at a different type of Disney World known as Sin City, where this week, two of Live-July's biggest events are taking place...the Adidas Super 64 and the FAB 48.  There are six New England teams playing in the Adidas Super 64: the CBC 17s, the New England Playaz 17s+16s, the Mass Rivals 17s, the New Hampshire Rivals 17s, and the Mass Bearcats 15s.  Let's take a look at what's in store for each club out in Vegas.

Super 64 NE Team Previews

NE Playaz 17s - After making a run to the Final 4 at the Best Buy Summer Classic in Minneapolis, the Playaz head to Vegas playing their best basketball of 2011.  They are playing in Super Pool C and what is interesting about this Pool is that along with two Texas Squads: the Houston Hoopstars and Family First, the Pool also features both the Playaz and CBC, the two Adidas Programs in New England.  The pool-play game between them will take place on Friday at 6:20pm (Vegas Time) at Rancho HS in Vegas.  The Spaceship will be there.

Mass Rivals 17s - After taking a Championship at the Basketbull HOFNI and then going 2-0 at the NERR Showcase, the Rivals head out West red-hot and looking stay red-hot.  They are in Pool JJ with Nevada's Jam it On Gold, the Kansas City Runnin Rebels, and Prodigy Elite out of California.

CBC 17s - CBC has reeled off eight straight wins and is looking to avenge their performance at the Adidas Invitational in Indy.  This time CBC will have Timajh Parker-Rivera, which makes their front-line much more versatile.

NH Rivals -  After a nice showing at the HOFNI, this omelet-squad of Javon Williams, Matt Cimino, Mike LeBlanc, Connor Green, Mike Auger, and co. will look to open some eyes in Pool RR, where they'll face the Oklahoma Spirits, the Arizona Magic, and Total Package out of Texas.

NE Playaz 16s - The Playaz head out west with their 3-Guard Attack on the perimeter and the rotation of big guys Jared Reuter, John Powell, and new Playa KJ Baptiste down-low.  They will play in a loaded Super Pool C with DC Assault, the Las Vegas Prospects, and Double Pump Cali.  With a full squad, the Playaz are looking to make a run at the Chip.

Mass Bearcats 15s - After a highly impressive Spring Season, Coach Chris Gustus and his squad decided to head West rather than go to Orlando.  Hard to blame 'em either way.  They will play in Pool M against the Colorado Titans, Team New Mexico, and Lakeshow out of Cali.

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Noel Wins Nike EYBL Most Oustanding Player

- Five-Star Basketball today released it's "All-Nike EYBL Teams" for the 2011 EYBL Season, which included three regular season events in Virginia, Dallas, and Los Angeles and then the Playoffs were held at Peach Jam, which BABC won.

From BABC, Nerlens Noel was named to the 1st-Team and was also named the Most Outstanding Player...quite an accomplishment for a kid who is only going to be a Junior in the Fall.  Georges Niang was named as an Honorable Mention.  (Would have liked to see Brantley get the nod here too.)  In addition to the players, BABC's Leo Papile was also named Most Outstanding Coach.  Huge surprise, right?

View Full Article on Five-Star Basketball

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15u AAU Super Showcase Preview - Orlando

Mickey will be checkin out Frosh Showcase

Five NE Teams in Freshmen Showcase

- In addition to the 14u AAU Super Showcase, the 15u AAU Super Showcase also gets going down in Disney World in the next few days.  There are five New England Teams in the Field of 96.  Let's take a look.

BABC - After winning the 15u AAU National Championships in Little Rock a few weeks back, the BABC Freshmen will try to pull the Nationals/Showcase Double-Dip.  And this time, Wayne Selden won't be at Lebron James Camp 'til the Final so they are definitely the favorite.  We'll see if Damion Smith can continue his scoring tear...he averaged 26ppg at the Nationals.  BABC is in Pool T with Each One Teach One (Polk) out of Minny, and  Team Assault and Team CB, two teams with whom I'm not familiar.

Expressions Elite - Played with an interesting roster in Springfield which included Jackson Donahue (RI Hawks) and Luis Rodriguez of East Longmeadow HS to go along with Pat Benzan, Drew Schea, Nick Simonetti, and Jeremy Miller.  We'll see what the Showcase Roster looks like, but this is definitely a group that could put a run together.  They'll play in Pool I against the Orlando Suns, the Wisconsin Playmakers, and the Wilson Blue Devils out of North Carolina.

Metro Boston - This squad hasn't played much together, but their roster is intriguing with Aaron Falzon, Mike Rodriguez, Timmance McKinney, and Carlin Haymon.  They are in Pool F with the CP3 All-Stars out of NC, the Philadelphia Ballhawks, and Florida Select.

MABC - Guards Aahmanee Santos and Earl Stephen Jr. lead the Bengals into Pool A competition against Virginia Assault, the Covington Cavaliers out of Georgia, and Each One Teach One.

Connecticut Select - While the CT Select 17s are playing out in Vegas at the Fab 48, the Freshmen will be in Orlando playing in Pool U against Team Charlotte, Team Rebels Gold, and Florida Family.

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