Team Battle Advances To The Final FourIn their Elite 8 Match up Team Battle defeated the Puerto Rico Playmakers 41-38 to advance to the 11U AAU Nationals Final Four. This is an historic feat for any program in the country and they are the first NJ team to make the Final Four since Dexter Strickland and the then NJ Flames made it to the Championship Game in 2001. Coach Gary Battle is really enjoying the moment “Mike I’m so proud of the kids and everybody in the program. It was a tough game and we played a little tight in the end but we pulled it out. We still have two more games to play but right now we are playing with house money because who would have ever thought that we would accomplish this much in two years” Battle added.
Their Final Four match up will be against the Cincinnati Knights tomorrow at 10:30 am. The Knights come in with a serious rep as they finished runner-up last season at the 10 and Under Championship. Gary knows it will be a tough road “This will be a tough game for us but right now I hope our kids play like they have nothing to lose. That’s my mindset right now because we are already living a dream by making to the Final Four”. Will the Knights experience carry them on or will Team Battle's swagger get them to the final game. Basketball Spotlight will keep you updated.
Darius Da Da Robinson was one of the first Mr. Memorial Day’s a few years ago and has continued to improve as a player. This season after a good showing at the Elite 80 Expo Robinson used his shooting touch to help Team Nelson take home the Grand Finale title. Shortly after Darius suffered an arm injury and missed the Atlantic City Showcase among other events. Robinson returned for the MDC and though a little rusty helped his squad advance to the Final Four.
Robinson’s play has earned him a spot in the Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic August 15th at Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. Darius will be suiting up with the South Squad as they square against the North team. Don’t miss the action make sure you are in the building.
Hello Basketball World.
It's your boy Jordan, reporting to you from the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It has been a busy, busy week. I arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 21st with my 15U team Sports University/Team Izod to begin playing in the Main Event. (July 22-26) We went 2-1 in our bracket, with our only loss being to Athlete's First by the score of 60-58. They tipped the ball in with 2 seconds left. With time running out, my teammate Ike shot the ball from half court and made it, but the refs said that it was a second too late. They went on to the platinum bracket and we went to the gold bracket. They won the overall Main Event championship and we won the gold bracket championship. We went 6-1 for the tournament. The team trophy and the individual medals were nice. We were this close to winning the whole thing. It was a great experience. I want to thank Coach Burno and Coach Bright for getting us prepared for each game. I also want to thank Coach Coleman, Coach Jones and our co-sponsor Darryl Dawkins. My teammates Josh, Jerome, Matt R, Matt J, Ike, Gillepso, Marvin, Rashad, Jimmy, AJ, and Tyquan (Tata) all had a great time. We are looking forward to coming back next year...and winning the whole thing!
Right after that tournament, my other 15U team, the Greenburgh Kings, flew into Las Vegas to participate in the Summer Classic tournament, running from July 27-31. We are currently 1-1 in our bracket. We have a 7:50 PM game tonight, July 29th. The game is against a team from California. After that, we go into bracket play. Yesterday, the team went to visit Hoover Dam. It is an awesome site to see. The only problem was that it was 120 degrees! Yes, you read that correctly...127 degrees at the dam! It has been over 100 degrees each day that I have been here.
Next week, I go to the 14U Nationals in Orlando, Florida with my New Jersey Shore Shots team. I am definitely looking forward to that! Still a lot of basketball to play!
J4-Out
11-17-1994
Gauchos Advanced To The Championship Round
Okay the pool games are over and now it’s time to get serious. Several teams from the Tri-State area are competing in Cocoa Beach, FL for the 11U Nationals. Some of the top teams have advanced to championship bracket and are still in a hunt for a national title.
Teams Advancing To Championship Bracket
Team Battle: (3-0)
Defeated Houston Hoops 59-38
Defeated CB Spiders 54-48
Defeated Slam and Jam Hoyas 54-42
South Jersey Jazz: (2-0)
Defeated VBC 43-19
Defeated Team Power 46-38
NYC Gauchos: 2-1
Defeated Triple Threat (Ark.) 55-47
Lost To Seattle Hoop Stars 50-46
Defeated Richmond Metro Gold 15-0
F.A.C.E.S.: 2-1
Lost To BWSL Wildcats 41-34
Defeated SJ All Stars 68-24
Defeated Arkansas Hawks 60-27
New Heights NYC: 2-1
Defeated Full Court Athletes 61-45
Lost To Georgia Stars 47-39
Defeated Sports Academy 56-44
Earlier this year I telephoned Shandue McNeil (Coach of the Long Island Lightning) about the progress of Jason Boswell. During our conversation he mentioned that he had this other kid that I needed to see and his name was John Severe. His enthusiasm made me anxious to check this kid out so I drove to the Fun Sport League in Brooklyn to watch him rock. After checking out his entire game I left the gym very impressed because Severe played the game with a great amount of passion. He reminded of a young Steve Francis in terms of how he attacked the cup.
I got to see more of John as he made a surprise appearance at the Grand Finale with the NY Panthers. During the Grand Finale he scored on a buzzer beater to help his team get to the finals. In the championship he gave Team Nelson all they could handle before coming up short. Severe didn’t come up short at the MDC as he teamed with his Long Island Lightning boys to take home the Gold Ball.
His play has earned him a spot in the Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic August 15th at Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. Severe will be balling with the North Squad has they take on the boys from the South. Don’t miss the action.
Jaren Sina the high profiled guard for Hoop Heaven AAU has been playing primarily 15U this summer. Most recently at the Hoop Group West Virginia Showcase he averaged 16 points and 8 assists while helping his squad win the 15U crown. They defeated Hoop Dreams of Kentucky 58-50 in the championship. This was a “Live Event” which means Jaren was able to show his excellent skills in front of some of the top coaches in the land. You can catch Sina in action August 15th at Life Center Academy during the Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic.
Things are heating up in Cocoa Beach at the 11 and Under Nationals. Some of the top teams from the Tri-State area are getting it done. Here’s a quick breakdown on what teams are representing.
Team Battle: (2-0)
Defeated Houston Hoops 59-38
Defeated CB Spiders 54-48
South Jersey Jazz: (2-0)
Defeated VBC 43-19
Defeated Team Power 46-38
NYC Gauchos: 1-1
Defeated Triple Threat (Ark.) 55-47
Lost To Seattle Hoop Stars 50-46
F.A.C.E.S.: 1-1
Lost To BWSL Wildcats 41-34
Defeated SJ All Stars 68-24
New Heights NYC: 1-1
Defeated Full Court Athletes 61-45
Lost To Georgia Stars 47-39
KBR Raptors: 1-1
Lost To The Family 60-48
Defeated Arkansas Hawks 33-30
Jaquan Johnson has quarterbacked the Team Nelson crew for several years. With Johnson at the controls this Chester, PA based squad has won several championships and has become one of the top programs in the region. This season Johnson put in serious work at the Elite 80 Expo, and helped his squad take home the Grand Finale crown. His play has earned him a spot in the Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic.
Johnson will be running the show for a loaded South squad as they take on the boys from the North on August 15th at Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. Be sure to join us for this special event. Also remember the Basketball Spotlight awards ceremony will take place at halftime. We will honor some of the top programs and players from this past season.
Name: Paul Price
AAU Team: Central Kentucky Tigers
Position: Point Guard
Class: 2015
Breakdown: At my first glance I figured CKT would be in major trouble when I they locked up with NJ Got Game. Got Game had the size advantage but the Tigers had Paul Price. Price was the shortest guard on the floor but after the toss he went to work. His low dribble and court savvy were too much for the Garden State squad to handle. I watched him hit the lane on several occasions and get his floater off over Got Game post players. Paul seemed to always make the right play at the right time. Hopefully I can see him rock again soon.
The nations top Jr. Elite Camp returns August 2nd thru 5th at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Hoop Group Jr. Elite Camp will bring together to top ballers from around the country for some serious competition. Last summer the camp was outstanding and Basketball Spotlight will be in the building again. Don’t miss the chance to compete against the best. For More Information Click Below
Hoop Group Website
For Last Summer Recaps Click Below
Hoop Group Jr. Elite Camp 08 Recaps
When Howard Sellers arrived at the Elite 80 Expo he stated that he was going to use this stage to shine and I must admit the youngster delivered. From the outset Sellers was in attack mode on both ends of the floor. Offensively he cut up several defenders and on defense he roamed the passing lanes. He summed up his weekend with the game winning shot in the finals. After this event Sellers went on to play a couple events with the Playaz before settling with his hometown AAU squad. We felt Howard was one of the top players in the region thus he was voted into the Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic Powered By Converse.
Sellers will suit with the South Squad as they take on the North Team on Saturday August 15th at Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. Come out and watch the ballers of tomorrow get it on one last time before they reach high school. It should be a dandy!
Name: Trevaughn Wilkerson
AAU Team: Team Final
Position: Power Forward
Class: 2015
Breakdown: I saw Team Final’s first pool game and they came up short but Wilkerson was a monster on the blocks. He faced constant double teams and still managed to put in a nice amount of work. He was dominant on both ends of the floor and battled to the very end. He will be a force for years to come.
Name: Tyler Dorsey
AAU Team: ARC
Position: Wing Forward
Class: 2015
Breakdown: I got a chance to check out Dorsey during my brief stint at the 12U Nationals. His game is still very fluid and you can add about 3 more inches to his frame. This kid has complete control of his game and seems very comfortable handling the rock while creating opportunities. His team finished 2nd in the country after losing to the Texas Titans in the finals. He should be a player that will remain near the top of this class for years to come.
The Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic Powered By Converse list is here. I would first like to congratulate all the players that have been selected because you truly earned it. Compiling this list was a very hard job and we did the best we could to be fair. Here are the 24 players selected for the Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic Powered By Converse. Each player must return their consent form to Basketball Spotlight by August 1st. Any questions feel free to contact Mike Melton at 609-532-5122 or basketballspotlight@hotmail.com.
North Team
1. Jason Boswell (Bronx, NY)
2. Ramone Gibbons (Boston, MA)
3. Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, NJ)
4. Jordan Washington (Queens, NY)
5. Kavon Stewart (Paterson, NJ)
6. Jordan Forehand (Bridgewater, NJ)
7. Joshua Marquez (Woodland, NJ)
8. Dwayne Foreman (Spring Valley, NY)
9. Reggie Cameron (Hackensack, NY)
10. John Severe (Brooklyn, NY)
11. Kody Jenkins (Hackensack, NJ)
12. Will Joyce (Newark, NJ)
South Team
1. Jaquan Johnson (Chester, PA)
2. Amar Stukes (Germantown, PA)
3. Conrad Chambers (Chester, PA)
4. Howard Sellers (Coatesville, PA)
5. Britton Lee (Philadelphia, PA)
6. Shafeek Taylor (Philadelphia, PA)
7. Rondee Jefferson (Chester, PA)
8. John Davis (Philadelphia, PA)
9. Aaron McGlawn (Philadelphia, PA)
10. Darius Robinson (Chester, PA)
11. Austin Colbert (Chesapeake, VA)
12. Semaj Reed (Philadelphia, PA)The Classic is set for August 15th at Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. Also remember the special end of the summer awards ceremony at halftime of the game.
What's up Basketball World!
It's your boy Jordan. Just getting back from Clarksville, Tennessee after playing in the 15U Nationals with my team, Sports University/Team IZOD. We made it to the Elite Eight after beating Long Island Lightning (Nick) and the Gauchos. I still don't understand how we end up in Tennessee still playing teams from New York. We then lost to Team Stat by three points. That was a tough game to lose because with a win we would have been in the final four. We ended up playing 5th/8th place game in which we lost to the Georgia Stars on a tip in at the buzzer.
Final result...we finished 8th in the tournament. We really felt that we could have won the whole thing, but we still finished in the top ten, which isn't bad. I got a chance to meet Trent Hassel of the New Jersey Nets. We played the majority of our games at Austin Peay University and Trent graduated from there and grew up in Clarksville.
Next stop...Las Vegas and the Main Event. (July 22-26) This is the BIG one. Everyone will be there and the competition is going to be crazy. I can't wait to get there. There is not too much time to rest. I will also be playing in the NYBC, also in Las Vegas (July 27-31), with my dad's team the Greenburgh Kings. Right after that, I go to Orlando to play in the 14U Nationals with my 14U team, the New Jersey Shoreshots. This is the most intense part of my AAU season. I am looking forward to it.
I can't wait for the Basketball Spotlight All-Star game on August 15th. This will be a great event!
This past weekend, I got together with my teammates on the Greenburgh Kings and we went to Dorney Park to kick back and have a little fun. We also went to the beach down in Belmar, New Jersey. We all had a really good time.
I'll let you know all of the details of the next two weeks. Stay tuned!
J4-Out
11-17-94
The Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic Powered By Converse final rosters will be released on Wednesday July 22nd. We will try our best to select the best 24 players for this event. We also understand that in these types of events some players that talented will not be selected but hopefully these guys will this as motivation. Here’s a breakdown of the event.
Event: Basketball Spotlight All Star Classic Powered By Converse
Date: Saturday August 15th
Place: Life Center Academy (Burlington, NJ)
Austin Ford Played Good On The Blocks!
Five Star conducted its Elite 80 Showcase at Temple University and Basketball Spotlight was in the building. The Class of 2013 had a good amount of players so we decided to do 2 reports. The first one will focus on the players that are fresh faces on the scene.
Class 2013 Report (Fresh Faces)
Austin Ford Forward (Blue Bell, PA)- Ford was one of the few post players at this event. He did a good job in terms of catching the ball on the blocks and using a soft touch to get buckets. He runs the floor well, rebounds and has a good face shoot from the foul line in. 
Sterling Johnson Guard (Wilmington, DE)- Johnson has an awkward looking shot from the perimeter but yesterday it was dropping. In transition he exploded to the bucket for easy scores. He had a good showing yesterday.
Tyler Reed Guard (Philadelphia, PA)- Reed was an explosive scorer that showed his mid range game. He has a nice pull up and floater that he unleashes over shot blockers. In transition he did a good job filling the lanes and converting buckets.
Devon Haines Guard (Philadelphia, PA)- Haines is a very confident point guard. His ball handling, passing and change of direction was very impressive. Haines understands that his job is to get into the lane and make things happen. I look for him to have a good future in Philly.
John Rodriquez Guard (Perth Amboy, NJ)- Rodriquez can really stroke the rock and has some shiftiness in his ball handling. The southpaw hit the deep and mid range jumper while also scoring in traffic. He definitely used this time to get his name out there.
Elijah Torres Guard (Carteret, NJ)- Torres unselfish play stood out during this event. He hit his teammates in stride and played good on the ball defense. He’s a good floor general and will make a high school happy. 
Chad Mordecai Guard (New Brunswick, NJ)- Mordecai found his stroke in the third game. He spotted up and canned several shots in the flow of the game. He’s a streaky shooter. 
Jakari Rowe Guard (Chester, PA)- I got a chance to watch Rowe put on an offensive show during one of his games. He had his shot falling and even used some slick dribbling moves to get to the rack. He shined on the stage yesterday.
Darrell Nicholson Guard (Chester, PA)- Nicholson usually runs the point and attacks the lane but today he showed his outside shot. Darrell uses a wind-up type release one his shot which was very effective but might be too slow once he reaches high school.
Jahyde Gardiner Forward (Philadelphia, PA)- Gardiner has a versatile game. He’s primarily a post player but will step out and knock down a trey ball or two. He seems to have a few inches to grow which should be vital for his high school game. I love the positive energy he brings on the court in terms having fun.
Garner Was Very Impressive At The Five Star Showcase!Five Star conducted its Elite 80 Showcase at Temple University and Basketball Spotlight was in the building. We got a chance to watch some of the top up and coming talent in the region. Here’s a look at some of the Class of 2014 and 2015 top performers.
Class 2014 Top Performers
Shepard Garner Guard (Chester, PA)- Garner was spectacular for most of the day. He plays at a different speed than most opponents and gives it all on both ends of the floor. During the first game he mainly attacked the glass and finished strong. Later on his jump shot began to fall and it was curtains for the opposition. Shepard also has the knack the hit the glass and dish a few dimes. Finally, he should be commended for the effort he put in on the defensive end. It’s rare to see a kid with his talent go that hard on the defensive side of the floor.
Matt Risse Forward (Haddonfield, NJ)- Risse seems to have grown an inch or two. I just love his feel for the game and how fluid he looks when he handles the pill. He maneuvers well under the bucket in terms of scoring and avoiding shot blockers. If he continues to put the work in this kid could be something special.
Cole Moody Forward (Mount Laurel, NJ)- I love Moody because he does what he does. He doesn’t waste time trying to handle the rock on the perimeter instead he races down the floor and goes directly to the blocks. Once he gets the rock on the post he only attempts high percentage shots.
Dustin Cole Guard (Southern, Maine)- He took the long trip down from Maine and didn’t waste his money. This youngster torched the net from the perimeter and made some slick drives going towards the cup. His back and forth battle with Jerron Love was one of the highlights of the day. I like what he brought to the table.
Adeyinka Adams Guard (Bronx, NY)- Adams arrived late but made his presence felt once he stepped on the floor. His low quick handle helped his skate pass defenders before hurting their hearts with short pull ups. He’s a very skilled player that does depend of flash to catch attention.
Naim Thomas Guard (Poughkeepsie, NY)- Thomas also missed the first game but he just knows how to get himself involved. The strong combo guard sliced through a couple of defenders and converted some buckets. Once he’s in the flow of the game he’s very difficult to defend.
Tavaris Headen Guard (Voorhees, NJ)- The southpaw is very powerful and loves to attack when the lane opens up. I also love his toughness on the defensive end. He’s very physical and plays the game with a high motor. Keep an eye on him.
Class 2015
Malcolm Manning Guard (Maplewood, NJ)- This youngster showed good poise while rocking against the older guys. He held his own when handling the rock and made some crisp passes while pushing the pill in transition.
Juwan Gooding Guard (Boston, Mass.)- Gooding outside wasn’t falling as much as in the past but he still was able to get anywhere he wanted on the floor. His body mass and ball handling is good for this class. It allows him to get into the lane, absorb contact and finish at the bucket.
Mikey Dixon Guard (New Castle, DE)- It will be hard to find a tougher player in the region. The pint size guard battled with the big boys, took an elbow to the eye and kept on ticking. He made some good plays, has the heart of a lion and refuses to give up.
Team Battle Advances To The Final Four
