Battlefield: Spring Classic
Day Two At The BasketBull/Five-Star Basketball Hall of Fame Spring Classic
It was a great first day at the BasketBull Hall of Fame Spring Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball. We saw some really talented teams and players competing at their highest level as they battled for a chance to move on. The teams that went undefeated advanced to the Gold Bracket where they will battle it out for the Spring Classic Championship.
Connecticut Basketball Club, No. 12 in the Five-Star Top 25, cruised into the Gold Bracket with two convincing wins by a combined 35-points. Super talented junior Kris Dunn was his usual self - The long and powerful 6-foot 3 guard from New London High School slashed his way to the basket at will and hit several deep shots, showing off his improved range. When asked about the recent news he was offered by National Champions UConn, Dunn calmly replied, “They are one of a few that have come into the mix, I’m blessed.” Northfield Mount Herman big-man Ethan O’Day was also impressive as he controlled the glass and displayed a tremendous motor throughout the day.
Expressions Elite (MA) was also impressive as Five-Star rated Junior Ricardo Ledo controlled the entire game. Showing off some point guard skills, Ledo got his teammates involved every chance he could and scored whenever he needed to. The 6-foot 5 guard from Providence, Rhode Island, who attends Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts, showed everyone in attendance why he is considered one the best players in the country. Also impressive for Expression was guard Rob Hazard who made several deep three pointers and got to the rim to make plays for his teammates.
The Riverside Hawks of New York showed off some really impressive talent as well as they too advanced into the Gold Championship bracket. Junior point guard Shaq Mosley of Uniondale High School ran the show and dropped an impressive 32-points, including 5-three pointers in a win over Positive Image (PA). Also impressive for Riverside was forward Jordan Parks who was a force slicing through the defense routinely from the wing. The 6-foot 6 senior from Campus Magnet School in Queens has been on the radar of several mid-majors. During a break in the action, Parks decided to put on a dunk show for the fans and threw down a reverse wind-mill and followed it up with a two-hander where he jumped over three 12-year old kids from the crowd. His teammate, 6-foot 4 junior Emile Blackman of Half Hollow Hill West High School, then added another little kid to the line and dunked over 4-kids with one hand. The entire gym surrounded the court and loved every minute of it. When Parks was asked about his future plans, he broke some news to Five-Star. “I recently gave a verbal commitment to St. Peters. It seems like a great fit for me,” the affable high riser explained.
Brookwood Elite from Canada was the second most impressive team from our neighbors to the north. Brookwood rolled into Championship Bracket with wins over Metro Boston and New England Storm. They were led by junior swingman Kenny Jean Louis. At 6-foot 5 with long arms, Jean Louis scored in a variety of ways as he averaged 17 points a game for the day.
Syracuse Select advanced to the Championship bracket as well, with wins over LOX and the New England Storm. Leading the way was junior Marquies Young of Henninger High Schoolin Syracuse and Matt Welch of New York Mills High School. Young, a 6-foot 5 forward averaged over 20-points on the day, while Welch, a 6-foot 9 center averaged a double-doubleand controlled the paint all afternoon.
The potential for a CBC (No. 12 in the Five-Star Top 25) and Expressions Elite match-up in the semi-finals exists, which would feature two of the best guards in New England - Kris Dunn and Five-Star rated Ricardo Ledo. CBC was without the nation's No. 1 junior Andre Drummond yesterday, as he had school work to complete back in Connecticut at St. Thomas Moore. Stay tuned for more details later in the day.
