The Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic is in the books but it left our heads scratching with a few questions. Here are some of the interesting questions that came to mind after this event.
Top 5 Questions From The Tip Off Classic!
The last few years the Team Final Class of 2023 have made early exits from the Basketball Spotlight events. This season started out much differently as the Philly based Nike Program ran through the Tip Off Classic in impressive fashion. Led by quartet Sebastian Robinson, DJ Wagner, Dean Newsome and Cornelious Robinson Team Final knocked off some impressive teams including Philly Triple Threat, NY Rens and Team Thrill in route to winning the title. Do the have the weapons to run through the Spotlight circuit undefeated like no team before them? I guess we will see.
The Tip Off Classic gave us a chance to check out some top floor generals. The top four in our early opinion were Sebastian Robinson who led Team Final to the championship, Elliot Cadeau (Team IZOD and Christian Bliss (NY Rens) who both guided their teams to the Final Four. While ultra-quick Ramir Barno go Philly Triple Threat into a quarterfinal showdown with eventual champion Team Final. All four guards have different styles and the will to win. This should be an interesting development as the Spotlight circuit progresses.
Each year a player comes through the Tip Off Classic and introduces himself to the country as a top prospect. This year Derick Queen of Team Thrill made his appearance and had scouts and spectators salivating about his play and potential. The long, wiry forward has legit guard skills including ball handling, creating space, making plays for others and knocking down the outside shot. In today’s game this makes him an intriguing down the road prospect. Will he become one of the best players in the country? We will see as Team Thrill plays a national schedule.
Sometimes a new program pops up and demands to be in the Orange Division of Basketball Spotlight. Often times we deny the entry but Ivy Lions had some credible recommendations so we gave them the nod. After a pool loss to ASA Select, Ivy Lions turned things around by knocking off League Bound Elite, reigning National Champions Riverside Hawks and TJ Lakers to win the crown. Now they said they are ready to defend their crown at the Clash For The Cup. Who has the cure for the IVY Lions?
Another squad that came on the horizon late last summer were the Black Ops from NYC. I heard the squad is associated with Carmelo Anthony and has two teams featuring the top 6th Graders in the NYC/NJ area. Well one of their teams appeared at the Tip Off Classic and crashed the party winning the Orange Division Championship. This squad had a few players I saw on different teams last year and are now Black Ops. How will this movement affect the other NY squads? Will they get other age groups? I guess we will see!
