adidas Invitational update: Day 2
It didn’t take long to find the game of the day at day 2 of the 2012 adidas Invitational. A 9:30 a.m. 17U tilt between No. 6 Dream Vision and the No. 13 Michigan Mustangs had the potential to be a great one, but perhaps no one could have guessed the classic that would unfold.
Dream Vision found themselves down by 20 and on the verge of being blown out of their first game in one of the biggest tournaments of the summer. Then, Isaac Hamilton took over. The 2013 guard led Dream Vision on a furious rally to come back and win the game 85-82 with several college coaches looking on. Those who were there say Hamilton made it look easy, driving to the hoop for easy baskets or pulling up to hit threes.
But Dream Vision’s come-from-behind victory wasn’t the only game of note on Thursday.
No. 8 Garner Road dropped two, including a six-point decision to No. 12 Florida Elite. Garner Road was then upset by Urban DFW Elite, 60-51.
No. 19 Team Nashville, meanwhile, is a ranked team that has been quietly taking care of business. They won all three of their pool games and find themselves in good position heading into bracket play. Nashville and Florida Elite were the only two ranked teams to come out of pool play unscathed.
On the 16U side, D’Angelo Russell and the No. 18 Louisville Magic have made quite a statement. Not only did they go 3-0 in pool play, but they beat some pretty good teams in the process. They had to get by the Compton Magic, No. 21 Florida Elite and the Rens in order to win Pool 41.
Not to be outdone, No. 8 Team Thad went unbeaten in Pool 46, even if their competition wasn’t quite as tough. Led by Mizzou-commit Anton Beard and Leron Black, Thad beat Aim High (Calif.), Fieldhouse Elite and St. Louis Getaway by an average of 28 points per game.
The disappointment of the 16U field might be No. 12 Dream Vision, who went 1-2 and finished third in Pool 42, with losses to the Eric Gordon All-Stars and Atlanta Celtics.
With plenty of action in the 17U and 16U tournaments, the 15s quietly got underway as well on Thursday. No. 4 Indiana Elite picked up two wins, including an emphatic 30-point rout of No. 8 Dream Vision.
The No. 9 Eric Gordon All-Stars notched another statement victory by blowing out the No. 5 Compton Magic, 62-42. Even though the 15U tournament has just begin, it already looks like next week’s power rankings are in for a major shakeup.
