Grand Finale Is Here!

The Grand Finale 09 is here. Last year this tournament had numerous upsets and some great play. Don’t miss the chance to play in the last hot tournament of 09. This event will draw some of the top teams in the region and will probably be the kick off event for the season. To sign up click on the application link below. Questions Contact: Mike Melton at 609-532-5122 or basketballspotlight@hotmail.com

Event: Grand Finale 09

Date: December 5th and 6th 2009

Place: Hoop Group Headquarters (Neptune, NJ)

Cost: $350 (Per Team)

Deadline: November 22nd, 2009

Click Here For Application

Confirmed Teams

14U
1. Team Nelson
2. Team Scan
3. Team Final
4. Team Underrated
5. Youth Interlock
6. Team NJ ABC
7. JSL Hoops
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13U
1. The City
2. Philly Aztecs
3. Linden Ballers
4. Team Final
5. Team Underrated
6. NJ Got Game
7. NYC Gauchos
8. Team Takeover
9. U Turn Warriors
10. F.A.C.E.S
11. On Point Cyclones
12. K.Y.D.A
13. SJ Blitz
14. Del Team Select
15. Showtime All Stars (NC)
16.

12U
1. Team Battle
2. Sam Cassell All Stars
3. Team Underrated
4. Team Final
5. New Heights NYC
6. Riverside Hawks
7. F.A.C.E.S.
8. On Point Cyclones
9. Team Scan
10. Playtime Panthers
11.
12.

11U
1. Team Battle
2. Team Underrated (White)
3. Team Underrated (Black)
4. Delaware Royalty
5. Team RIP City
6. Playtime Panthers
7. JSL Hoops
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Recap: Middle School Elite Game

MVP'S Isiah King (White Team) and Mike Silverthorn (Red Team)

Mike Silverthorn had a huge game to help the Red Team defeat the White Team in the Middle School Elite game of the Gym Rat Midnight Madness. Isiah King was a bright spot for the White Team.

MVP’s

Red Team

Mike Silverthorn (Forward)- Mike has truly made the transition to the wing. He looks very comfortable handling the rock and created a few crisp moves off the dribble. His size and versatility makes him an interesting prospect.


White Team
Isiah King (Guard)- The Brooklyn boy held it down. He constantly broke down defenders with wicked crossovers and other swift moves. He had the rock on a string and got into the lane at will. This type of game suited his style.

Other Top Performers
Rick Watson (Guard)- Watson had an argument for MVP. The Detroit native was truly in attack mode all afternoon. He blazed past defenders and then used his strength to convert at the cup. He’s a very aggressive ball player.

Vince Jackson (Guard)- Jackson has added some inches to his frame and now can create off the dribble. He got out in transition and finish off plays nicely. He’s really turning into quite a player.


Malcolm Manning (Guard)- Manning was playing up in this event but still managed to stand out. The savvy point guard used his low dribble to get into the lane and drop a few dimes. I loved his demeanor and pose in this game.

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Recap: Real Deal Game

MVP's Manny Taylor (Red Team) and Rob DE Persia (White Team)

Emanuel Taylor scored a game high 27 as the Red Team defeated the White Team 53-52 in a close contest. Rob De Persia had a great game for the White Team.

MVP

Red Team
Emmanuel Taylor (Forward)- Taylor was a man child against the opposition. He simply got low post position and cashed in on many opportunities. Even when he missed his size allowed him to rebound and go back up. He took full advantage the White Team’s lack of size.



White Team
Rob DE Persia (Guard)- Rob has grown a few inches since this event last year. Once again he was able to dance a little with the rock and penetrate the lane. I was really impressed with his ability to create space off the bounce and get his shot off.

Other Top Performers

Isiah Jennings (Guard)- I thought of Khalid El Amin when watching Jennings rock. The stocky guard got where ever he wanted on the floor by using a slick handle. Once he got into the lane he manuevered around shot blockers to get his shot off. I was truly impressed with him.

Nick DE Persia (Guard)- Nick also showed improvement in size and skills. He also loves handling the rock and making plays. I hope I get to see him on the AAU circuit.





Mikey Dixon (Guard)- Dixon shots had a tough time falling early on, but he got it going after creating havoc on defense. Mikey teamed with Lowe to trap the ball handlers while causing several turnovers.


Mike Jolaoso (Guard)- Joloaso brought that hard nosed Philly style to this event. Mike played excellent defense by getting up under ball handlers and forcing turnovers. On offense he did his usual damage while penetrating the lane.

Trey Lowe (Guard)- Lowe also got it going on defense by playing passing lanes and getting steals. On offense Lowe was very active in transition by pushing the rock and converting easy lay up’s.

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Recap: Baby Ballers Game

MVP's Tyler Jones (Red Team) and Hugh Merkle (White Team)

Tyler Jones scored a game high 15 points as the Red Team defeated the White Team 46-24 in the Baby Ballers Game of the Gym Rat Midnight Madness. Hugh Merkle led the White with 12 points in the loss.

MVP

Red Team

Tyler Jones (Guard)- Jones's game play and ability was just above the rest of the field. His size, ball handling and play making ability stood out brightly. Tyler even led the game in rebounds while dominating on both ends of the floor. This kid has a chance to be very good.

White Team

Hugh Merkle (Guard)- Merkle was the best outside shooter in this game. He banged home a couple of treys which helped stretch the defense. I like his form and release point on his shot.

Other Top Performers

Deondre Bourne (Guard)- This kid has some nice size and ability to get to the cup. He has an array of dribble moves that keep defenders off balance. When you watch him handle the pill the Big Apple influence is evident. He also has swagger.

Lucas Hudson (Guard)- This kid has was a joy to watch. The floor general has good ball handling and excellent court vision. I love how intense he plays and the way his leads the squad vocally. His dribble moves allow him to get into the paint and create opportunities.

Dante Enos (Forward)- Enos is a hard nose forward that plays with a lot of passion. He hits the boards hard but will end of playing a guard spot once he gets older.



Desmond Gorski (Guard)- I saw some nice talent in this kid especially when he drove the lane and used his floater. I just need him to become a little more aggressive because he has the skills to produce.


Frederick Ryle (Guard)- I like the way this little guy got into the lane at will. He put pressure on the defense with his speed and ability to drop off a few passes to teammates.

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Schedule Released

Sha Sha Matthews And Austin Colbert

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Schedule

1pm 5/6 grade - Baby Ballers
2pm 7th grade - The Real Deal
3pm 8th grade - Middle School Elite
4pm 9th grade - Future Stars
5pm 10/11/12 - True Ballers
6pm Best of the Best
7pm Jr. All-American Game
8pm All- American Game

Players should arrive (1) hour before your schedule game to get an uniform.

The Gym Rat Midnight Madness will be returning again this fall. The Ultimate Showcase has featured some of the top players in the world. The alumni include Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and most recently Tyreke Evans to name a few. Over 50 NBA players have participated in this event when they were younger.

This year Basketball Spotlight will once again kick off its coverage season with a trip to this event. Don’t miss your chance to register and get discovered. The young divisions include 5th Grade Thru 8th Grade.

Date: Saturday (September 26, 2009)

Place: Cherry Hill East HS (Cherry Hill, NJ)

Time: 12:00 PM To Midnight

Cost: $75 (Includes Full Uniform)

To Register Contact

Vince Jackson at vjackson@gymratmidnightmadness.org or (856)-383-2798

For Information visit Gymratmidnightmadness.org

The Grand Finale Is Here!

The Grand Finale 09 is here. Last year this tournament had numerous upsets and some great play. Don’t miss the chance to play in the last hot tournament of 09. This event will draw some of the top teams in the region and will probably be the kick off event for the season. To sign up click on the application link below. Questions Contact: Mike Melton at 609-532-5122 or basketballspotlight@hotmail.com

Event: Grand Finale 09

Date: December 5th and 6th 2009

Place: Hoop Group Headquarters (Neptune, NJ)

Cost: $350 (Per Team)

Deadline: November 22nd, 2009

Click Here For Application

Confirmed Teams

14U
1. Team Nelson
2. Team Scan
3. Team Final
4. Team Underrated
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13U
1. The City
2. Philly Aztecs
3. Linden Ballers
4. Team Final
5. Team Underrated
6. NJ Got Game
7. NY Elite
8. Team Takeover
9. Team Money
10. F.A.C.E.S
11.
12.

12U
1. Team Battle
2. Sam Cassell All Stars
3. Team Underrated
4. Team Final
5. New Heights NYC
6. Riverside Hawks
7. F.A.C.E.S.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

11U
1. Team Battle
2. Team Underrated (White)
3. Team Underrated (Black)
4. Delaware Royalty
5. Team RIP City
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Gym Rat Moved To Cherry Hill East High School

Gym Rat Midnight Madness has moved its location to Cherry Hill East High School.

The Gym Rat Midnight Madness will be returning again this fall. The Ultimate Showcase has featured some of the top players in the world. The alumni include Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and most recently Tyreke Evans to name a few. Over 50 NBA players have participated in this event when they were younger.

This year Basketball Spotlight will once again kick off its coverage season with a trip to this event. Don’t miss your chance to register and get discovered. The young divisions include 5th Grade Thru 8th Grade.

Date: Saturday (September 26, 2009)

Place: Cherry Hill East HS (Cherry Hill, NJ)

Time: 12:00 PM To Midnight

Cost: $75 (Includes Full Uniform)

To Register Contact

Vince Jackson at vjackson@gymratmidnightmadness.org or (856)-383-2798

For Information visit Gymratmidnightmadness.org

R.I.P. Jonelle Melton

Hello Basketball Community,

This tragedy has been the toughest thing I ever experienced in my life but God, family, friends and you guys are giving me the strength to hold on. Please keep my family in your prayers. Below is the information for the funeral services.

Date: Monday September 21st 2009

Place: Lighthouse Outreach Ministry
715 Bellevue Ave
Trenton, NJ 08618

Service: Viewing 9:00 AM To 11:00 AM
The funeral will be immediately after.

Please keep us in your prayers and thanks again for all the support. God will help us get through this.

"The City" Hosting Tryouts

The City one of the new and successful programs in the region are holding tryouts for the upcoming season.

Date: September 19, 2009

Time: 2pm

Location: 145 Thompson Street NY, NY 10012 (Near Houston Street) (Trains A,C,E,F,V & S to West 4th)

Ages: 13& Under, Can’t turn 14 until after September 1st, 2010 (All 7th graders qualify despite age)

Contact: (646)232-0177 CoachPerovic@yahoo.com

Website: www.TheCityHoops.com

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions!

Basketball Spotlight Legends Of The Game: Magic Johnson

We at Basketball Spotlight feel that the young players today should have some knowledge of some of the great players of the past. Since You Tube has highlights for days we decided to periodically bring you a “Legend Of The Game” segment. This segment will include a short bio and video of the featured player. Our first Legend Of The Game feature will be Magic Johnson.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per game, with an average of 11.2.[3] Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992.

Magic Johnson Highlights

Basketball Spotlight Word On The Street: NJ Got Game Coming!; Battle Expanding?

Got Game Is Coming!

Welcome to the 2009 – 2010 season we decided to start our season off with a “Word On The Street”. There have been some interesting developments since teams played at nationals and we decided to let you in on some of the news.

Here comes NJ Got Game!

I told you guys last season while on the NJ youth forum that Dark Vader AKA Kevin Boyle was on his way to youth basketball. Boyle’s NJ Got Game was the talk of the late summer including the camp circuit. Word is that they are loading up in every age group and will making a run at multiple state crowns.

Official Tournament Circuit Coming Soon!

Basketball Spotlight will be posting the Certified Tournament Circuit next week. This list will help guide you through your AAU season without running into the pit falls of unorganized tournaments and events. It also will let you know what events we will be providing coverage for. Stay tune to find out the hot spots to play this season.


Battle Expanding ?

Word is that Team Battle will be expanding to more age groups and bringing in some serious talent. Everything is not confirmed as of yet so we won’t release any names but something is brewing. My source also tells me that this move might be a vital blow to another major program. We will keep you updated.

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Flashback: Baby Ballers Get Busy

2008 Baby Baller Red Team

The Baby Ballers took the floor last fall at the Gym Rat Midnight Madness and put on a show. Some of the top youngsters were in attendance including Malik Ellison, Stevie Jordan and Mikey Dixon. Here’s a video that show’s how they got busy.

Baby Ballers Video

The Gym Rat Midnight Madness will be returning again this fall. The Ultimate Showcase has featured some of the top players in the world. The alumni include Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and most recently Tyreke Evans to name a few. Over 50 NBA players have participated in this event when they were younger.

This year Basketball Spotlight will once again kick off its coverage season with a trip to this event. Don’t miss your chance to register and get discovered. The young divisions include 5th Grade Thru 8th Grade.

Date: Saturday (September 26, 2009)

Place: Eastern High School (Voorhees, NJ)

Time: 12:00 PM To Midnight

Cost: $75 (Includes Full Uniform)

To Register Contact

Vince Jackson at vjackson@gymratmidnightmadness.org or (856)-383-2798

For Information visit Gymratmidnightmadness.org

An Early Look At The Class Of 2014: The Race For #1

Austin Should Be Ready To Explode!

We said goodbye to the Class of 2013 a few days ago now we can take an early look into the Class of 2014. Here’s a short list of the top prospects that will be taking the floor and also have a chance to finished ranked Number #1 when our rankings are released this time next year.

Class 2014 Top Prospects

Brandon Austin Forward (Team Kobe)- A nagging wrist injury limited Austin’s production this season. This season expect him to come back fully healed and marvel spectators with his fluid moves. Brandon will need to bring it out in full force if he wants to dethrone Shep Garner for Player Of The Year honors.


Shepard Garner Guard (Youth Interlock)- The reigning Player Of The Year doesn’t have a let up bone in his body. Expect Garner to continue his aggressive play while guiding his team to some victories. Right now he has to be considered a front runner.

Conrad Chambers Guard (Team Nelson)- Chambers was regarded as one of the top players in the Class of 2013 now he’s joining this group so expect him to blossom. He stays in attack mode and his big game ability gives him a legit shot to win the Player Of The Year.

Isiah Whitehead Forward (Juice All Stars)- The new grammar school “King Of New York” has all the tools to make a run at the #1 spot. He’s turning his game into legit wing status and if he leads his squad to some big time wins he will strengthen his case.

Matt Risse Forward (Team Final)- Potential wise Risse is one of the best in this class. His length combined with his ability to shoot and handle the rock makes him a recruiter’s dream. He has a chance to be a special player.

In The Spotlight: Deante Cole

Name: Deante Cole

Position: Point Guard

AAU Team: Team NJ ABC

Class: 2014


Breakdown: Cole parted ways with Team Kobe after the AAU Nationals and then took it to the camp circuit. First, he hit the Five Star Camp in Florida where he had a strong showing. Next, He hit the Hoop Group Jr. Elite Camp and finished as one of the top guards in his camp level. Finally he finished off the year at Adidas Jr. Phenom Camp in San Diego, California. At Adidas he finished as the 38th best player and made the Top 20 All Star Game. Next season he will return to Team NJ ABC and should be a welcomed addition to a guard loaded squad.

Gym Rat Midnight Madness Flashback!

Stephon Marbury and Josh Smith At Gym Rat Midnight Madness. Check Out Josh's Highlights When He Scored 53 Points At Gym Rats!

Josh Smith Gym Rat Highlights

The Gym Rat Midnight Madness will be returning again this fall. The Ultimate Showcase has featured some of the top players in the world. The alumni include Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and most recently Tyreke Evans to name a few. Over 50 NBA players have participated in this event when they were younger.

This year Basketball Spotlight will once again kick off its coverage season with a trip to this event. Don’t miss your chance to register and get discovered. The young divisions include 5th Grade Thru 8th Grade.

Date: Saturday (September 26, 2009)

Place: Eastern High School (Voorhees, NJ)

Time: 12:00 PM To Midnight

Cost: $75 (Includes Full Uniform)

To Register Contact

Vince Jackson at vjackson@gymratmidnightmadness.org or (856)-383-2798

For Information visit Gymratmidnightmadness.org

Battle Basketball Clinics Are Here!

**TRAINING BEGINS NOW**

Battlebasketball Basketball Clinics and Speed & Agility Classes begin September 12th at Iselin Middle School and will run through December, ages 7 & older. Now is the time to train for the season. We have designed numerous session packages:

BASKETBALL CLINICS: Saturday 10-12pm
4 Clinics = $150.00 ($37.50 per clinic)
8 Clinics = $200.00 ($25.00 per clinic)
10 Clinics = $225.00 ($22.50 per clinic)

SPEED & AGILITY CLASSES: Saturday 9-10am
4 Clinics = $80.00 ($20.00 per class)
8 Clinics = $120.00 ($15.00 per class)

Attached is the registration form to fill out and mail by September 5th to waive the $35.00 registration fee. In addition if you sign up more than one participant you save an additional $25.00 per registration.

Click Here To Register

Basketball Spotlight Class Of 2013 Top 100

Austin Colbert Is Class Of 2013 #1 Player!

The Class Of 2013 players are on their way to high school. This has been a great year for this bunch and we will miss them dearly. Here are our Top 100 Rankings for this class. Basketball Spotlight tried our best to be fair but please understand we are not perfect and this is just our opinion. Some players that are not on this list or believe they should be ranked higher need to use this as motivation on the high school level. Our rankings are based on performance and potential. We only rank players we actually see in person. Once again good luck in the future Class Of 2013.

The following players were among the Top 100 but are not listed because they have chosen to reclassify and join the Class of 2014; Conrad Chambers (Chester, PA), Jaquan Johnson (Chester, PA) and Floyd Preito (Philadelphia, PA).

Basketball Spotlight Class Of 2013 Top 100 Rankings

1. Austin Colbert Forward (Floral Park, NJ)
2. Shafeek Taylor Forward (Philadelphia, PA)
3. Jordan Washington Forward (Queens, NY)
4. John Severe Guard (Brooklyn, NY)
5. Howard Sellers Guard (Coatesville, PA)
6. Ramone Gibbons Guard (Boston, MA)
7. Jaren Sina Guard (Lake Hopatcong, NJ)
8. Rondee Jefferson Forward (Chester, PA)
9. John Davis Forward (Philadelphia, PA)
10. Reggie Cameron Forward (Hackensack, NJ)
11. Jason Boswell Forward (Bronx, NY)
12. Daquan Drenon Forward (South Jersey, NJ)
13. Semaj Reed Forward (Philadelphia, PA)
14. Jhami Jefferson Forward (Brooklyn, NY)
15. Will Joyce Forward (Newark, NJ)
16. Darius Robinson Guard (Chester, PA)
17. Kavon Stewart Guard (Paterson, NJ)
18. Britton Lee Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
19. Terrence Samuels Guard (Brooklyn, NY)
20. Jordan Forehand Guard (Bridgewater, NJ)
21. Mike Young Forward (Pittsburgh, PA)
22. Dwayne Foreman Forward (Spring Valley, NY)
23. Geno Thorpe Guard (Pittsburgh, PA)
24. Jabril Chandler Forward (Atlantic City, NJ)
25. Amar Stukes Guard (Germantown, PA)
26. Rasheed Jordan Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
27. Isiah Louis Guard (Brooklyn, NY)
28. Shaquille Davis Guard (Brooklyn, NY)
29. Aaron McGlawn Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
30. Ethan Telfair Guard (Brooklyn, NY)
31. Amir Maddred Forward (Camden, NJ)
32. Kody Jenkins Guard (Hackensack, NJ)
33. Miles Overton Guard (Chester, PA)
34. Shamiek Sheppard Forward (Brooklyn, NY)
35. Joshua Marquez Guard (Woodland, NJ)
36. Rakwan Kelly Guard (Newark, NJ)
37. Steven Griffin Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
38. Andrew Sawyer Guard (Westchester, NY)
39. Jerry Price Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
40. Mike Riddick Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
41. Andre Patton Guard (Wilmington, DE)
42. Louis Hayes Guard (Voorhees, NJ)
43. Chris Regis Guard (West Jersey, NJ)
44. Malik Starks Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
45. Darrell Nicholson Guard (Chester, PA)
46. Joel Hernandez Guard (Teaneck, NJ)
47. Davonne Regan Forward (Westchester, NY)
48. Dimitri Lewis Guard (Boston, MA)
49. Maynard Grant Forward (Queens, NY)
50. Jared Nickens Forward (North Brunswick, NJ)
51. Sterlin Johnson Forward (Wilmington, DE)
52. Iverson Fleming Guard (North Brunswick, NJ)
53. Jakari Rowe Guard (Wilmington, DE)
54. Joshua Doughty Guard (Mt. Vernon, NY)
55. Trevis Wyche Guard (Neptune, NJ)
56. Davon Reed Guard (Ewing, NJ)
57. Devon Haines Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
58. Keione Osbourne Guard (Teaneck, NJ)
59. Stephen McNair Guard (Newark, NJ)
60. Tyrice Beverrette Guard (Lakewood, NJ)
61. Josh Blasgrove Forward (Brooklyn, NY)
62. Devon Bell Forward (Voorhees, NJ)
63. Kyle Quiero Forward (Verona, NJ)
64. Master Coleman Guard (Queens, NY)
65. Daquan Chew Forward (Ewing, NJ)
66. Jahad Harris Forward (Linden, NJ)
67. Donovan Johnson Guard (Bronx, NY)
68. Carlton Carter Guard (Stafford, MD)
69. Ryan Bland Forward (Voorhees, NJ)
70. Austin Ford Forward (Blue Bell, PA)
71. Chris Jenkins Guard (Hillside, NJ)
72. Jared Hall Guard (West Orange, NJ)
73. Jahyde Gardiner Forward (Philadelphia, PA)
74. Trevonn Morton Forward (Brooklyn, NY)
75. Bernard Brantley Guard (Bridgeport, CT)
76. Ian Rohde Forward (Ringwood, NJ)
77. Dylan Daniluk Forward (Runnemede, NJ)
78. Isiah Tripp Guard (Baltimore, MD)
79. Jimbo Long Guard (Matawan, NJ)
80. Basil Malik Guard (Philadelphia, PA)
81. George Lambert Forward (S.I., NY)
82. Cane Broome Guard (East Hartford, CT)
83. Lamel Faison Guard (Brooklyn, NY)
84. Keith Kirkwood Guard (Neptune, NJ)
85. Christian Morton Guard (South Jersey, NJ)
86. Hakeem Saintil (West Orange, NJ)
87. Karon Crawford Forward (Chester, PA)
88. Drew Corsi Guard (Rumson, NJ)
89. Jonathan Azzinaro Guard (Voorhees, NJ)
90. Denzel Welcher Forward (Newark, NJ)
91. Nelson Zevas Guard (Trenton, NJ)
92. Keyshwan Rice Guard (Asbury Park, NJ)
93. Bryan Rivers Guard (West Windsor, NJ)
94. Deandre Santos Forward (Ewing, NJ)
95. Julian Moore Forward (Fort Washington, PA)
96. Travis Rocida Guard (Paramus, NJ)
97. Darrian Collins Guard (South River, NJ)
98. Elijah Torres Guard (Carteret, NJ)
99. Corey Edwards Guard (Union, NJ)
100. Hanibal Mathis Guard (Philadelphia, PA)