Recapping a Busy Weekend
From Vegas to Indiana, Tennessee to D.C., travel ball heated up this past weekend
The Fullcourt Press Easter Classic in Las Vegas featured many of the top West Coast teams two of the best players in the class of 2012 DreamVision's Shabazz Muhammad and Compton Magic's Isaiah Austin. The two powerhouses, however, did not get to match up head-to-head, as the Magic got bumped twice during the weekend, the first time to Marcus Banks Hard to Guard in pool play and then to Cali Rebels in the Silver playoffs.
That left the stage set for Muhammad and DreamVision to cruise, and they dominated the event on their way to the 17U crown. Muhammad was stellar, posting 35 points in one game on Saturday before shaking off a sluggish start in the title game to score 18 in a 63-58 over an upstart Branch West Elite. DreamVision frontcourt mates Winston Shepard and Robert Upshaw added 12 and 10, respectively, while Branch West was led by 6-foot-6 PF Sean Morgan's game-high 23.
DreamVision nearly claimed the double in the 16U division, but was denied by the hometown Las Vegas Prospects, 64-56, in the championship game. The Prospects, led by Julian Jacobs' 14 points, used an 11-3 run over the final five minutes of the game to secure the title. DreamVision got 16 points from Stephen Domingo, while Rashad Muhammad, Shabazz's brother, added 15. -Wes Harris
Hall of Fame Chicago Championships
On the Chicago AAU circuit, most of the publicity goes to city mainstays Mac Irvin Fire and MeanStreets and talented players from downstate are often overlooked. For several years, though, the Illinois Wolves have been making their presence felt. They again proved their worth this weekend by handling another powerful city team, Ferrari, fairly easily in the 17U finals.
The Wolves did it with defense, smothering Jabari Parker so much so that he did not score his first bucket from the field until the 5:43 mark of the second half. The Wolves were paced mostly by steady guard play. Jerron Wilbut led the scoring attack in the final with 17 and pretty much controlled the offensive pace throughout the event. Southern Illinois commit Antonio "Bobo" Drummond was his usual steady self at the point, while Jeff "Kiki" Jones added a dose of scoring and ballhandling off the bench.
While Parker struggled in the championship, he did most of the leg work to get his team to that point. He, along with frontcourt mates Tim Williams and Antonio Bishop, simply overpowered most foes. Gabe Snyder's 3-point sniping gave Ferrari balance.
Meanwhile, Mike Mullins coached the 16U Wolves to a sweep of the top two age groups. The young pups used their typical formula of team-oriented play and amped-up defense to take the crown. -DougFerguson
 |
Credit: Aaron Cisneros |
| Shabazz Muhammad dominated the competition in Vegas. |
Indyball.com Shootout
The hoops-crazed IU Nation came out in full force this past weekend in Indianapolis to watch a bevy of in-state talent play in the Indyball.com Shootout, hosted by Indiana Elite. More than a handful of the top players at the event have committed to stay home and don the candy stripes, making up a group that will be charged with leading the basketball resurgence in Bloomington under Tom Crean.
Five-Star rated Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell of Indiana Elite's Team Indiana 17U stole the show on Saturday in front of a packed North Central H.S. gym, going off for 29 points, including 8 3-pointers, against the Hancock County All-Stars in an Indiana Elite win.
The future Hoosier floor general played alongside three fellow 2012 Indiana commitments in Hanner Perea, Jeremy Holloway and Ron Patterson on a loaded Indiana Elite squad that made it all the way to the finals of the event. Seven-footer Peter Jurkin, the fifth IU recruit on the team, did not suit up over the weekend.
But the Indy Elite star power wasn't enough to get by an upstart Eric Gordon All-Stars team in the 17U finals on Sunday, 85-82. The Eric Gordon squad, which has been playing together for over a year now and oozes chemistry, got a huge performance from scoring PG D.J. Balentine, who poured in 28 points against a tough backcourt.
The 16U finals featured a rematch of the programs in the 17U finale, as the Eric Gordon All-Stars took out Indiana Elite South, 61-55. Gordon was led by yet another IU recruit, skilled 6-6 wing Devin Davis, who had 18 points in the finals.
Gordon's 16U team is absolutely loaded, with Purdue commit Basil Smotherman, 6-5 wing Zak Irvin and sparkplug PG Zavier Turner, who is fresh off of teaming in the backcourt with McDonald's All-American Marquis Teague at Indianapolis' Pike H.S. this past season. Plus, newcomer Colin Hartman, another heralded 2013 IU commit, had a quiet weekend in his first event with EG since leaving the Indy Elite program.
The Indy Elite South team that lost in the finals is coached by former IU player and head coach Dan Dakich, who coaches his son Andrew, a sophomore at Zionsville H.S. The team also features Mark Donnal, a 6-9 low-post presence out of Ohio and 6-4 wing Blake Simmons of Castle H.S.
Prior to reaching the finals, EG knocked off yet another Indy Elite Team in the semis, Indiana Elite Stars. They are, however, without the services of Alex Etherington, brother of 2011 IU signee Austin, currently out until mid-June with a concussion suffered in the state sectionals.
Rounding out EG's impressive run last weekend was a decisive, 90-71, quarterfinal victory over Spiece Indy Heat. Granted, Spiece fielded a bunch of 15Us playing up, and were without 2014 IU commit Trey Lyles, who was playing two age groups up with the 17Us at Boo Williams. But they did still have silky smooth combo guard James Blackmon, another huge in-state get for Crean, along with Trevon Bluiett, P.J. Thompson, Richard Freeman and Jordan Pickett. -Wes Harris
Big Shots D.C.
The buzz around the Big Shots D.C. event revolved around a team from Baltimore, the Under Armour B'More Finest. With the services of Aquille Carr, the 5-7 point guard who came over from Team Melo, they captured the 16U crown over National Christian Academy. On the way to the championship, Carr matched up against D.C. Assault super frosh Romelo Trimble in the quarterfinals and dropped 33 points.
In the 17U division, Team Philly won the championship over the Fairfax Stars. Big man Mohamed Alie-Cox led the Fairfax team throughout the tournament, helping them earn a win over No. 22 D.C. Assault. -Harrison Sanford
Knox Vegas Heat Invitational
The Atlanta Celtics, led by Five-Star rated player Solomon Poole, captured the 16U title at the Knox Vegas Heat Invitational over Garner Road. Down by 12 with 9 minutes left, the Bulldogs continued to make careless mistakes which led to a number of buckets for the Celtics and the eventual win.
The Charlotte Nets won the 17u division that only had one team that made an appearance in the preseason Top 25, the Wisconsin Playground Warriors. The Warriors were missing UNC-bound wing J.P. Tokoto, though. -Harrison Sanford
