Junior Elite Championships - Day 2 Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Games of the Day

HS Championship – Bristol Ballers vs Bishop Elite

The last game of the day turned out to be the most exciting.  The High School division championship game was an offensive shootout.  Each team relied heavily on their star players;  Elite’s Devin Gilligan and Bristol’s Dominique Elliott.  Gilligan created numerous plays off the dribble and was very strong finishing inside at will.   Elliott was an offensive machine; he can shoot the three and also finish in traffic. The lead seesawed back and forth. In the closing seconds, Gilligan fouled out trying to send the Ballers to the free throw line.  After the Ballers split the 1-and-1, and were up 2 with 20 seconds to go, Elite guard Logan Kesty’s midrange jumper was forcefully swatted away by Elliott.  With 8 seconds on the clock and the ball in Elite’s possession, the ball was in the hands of Center Trevor Fahmy, who had entered the game for Gilligan. He caught the ball and spun off his defender to get the easy deuce at the rim that knotted the game at 86.  After a missed desperation three by Elliott the game went to overtime.  In the extra session, Elite guard Anthony Muccioli made an and-1 lay-up, but missed his free throw.  Elliot answered with an and-1 of his own, capitalizing on the free throw and putting his team up 1.  With just 8 seconds left in the game,  Elite put the ball in Kesty’s hand and he crossed over, drove left and shot a running jumper that dropped through the net just before time expired to give Elite the 90-89 win and the championship.  Gilligan finished with 34 and Elliott ended with 36.

6th Grade Championship - Spirit Lake Warriors vs. Hudson Valley River Hawks

No surprise that a rematch of one of Saturday’s best games would produce the same excitement on Sunday.   Early on it was the Warriors’ Isaiah Cunningham who ran the show at the point guard position.  With a great handle on the ball, he was able to drive and kick it to find open teammates.  He also showed a nice step back jumper.  Warriors’ Deontavius Parker dominated the interior, altering and blocking shots and scoring off offensive rebound put backs.  The Hawks however, caught fire in the second half scoring on 7 consecutive trips to give them their biggest lead. Hawks big man Tanner Dyslin finished with 20 points, scoring in the paint and on midrange jumpers, helping the River Hawks win the championship.

7th Grade Championship – Greater Boston Lions vs Western CT Warriors

A great game that came down to the wire.  Both teams fought hard to gain some breathing room but to no avail as the lead fluctuated back and forth.  The brilliant guard play of G.B.L.’s point guard Niles Cohen kept the Lions within a few points, but the interior presence and versatility of the Warriors’ Trevon Douglas would be the difference in the outcome.  Douglas has a solid frame that he uses to his advantage on the block, but also steps out and knocks down jumpers. Douglas finished with 22 in a narrow Warriors 1 point win.

8th Grade Championship - USAD vs Middlesex Rage

Middlesex guard Michael O’leary had the hot hand in the first half and was the catalyst in starting a 10-0 run against U.S.A.D. Jake Arcouotte’s steady point guard play helped the Rage coast all game long.    O’leary finished with  19 points, while U.S.A.D.’s point guard Chris Donaldson finished with a team high 15.

8th Grade Championship - Bristol Ballers vs. Bishop Elite

Bristol kept the game close throughout, but it was the athleticism of Elite’s guard Jordan Bell and wingman Kabongo Ngalakulondi that was the deciding factor in the outcome, giving Elite the championship.  Bell finished with 25, while Ngalakulondi finished with 18.  Michael Belton finished with 16 for the Ballers.

9th Grade Championship – Pawtucket Hoops vs Hartford Heat

This matchup was a battle of the guards from the get go.  The Heat’s Raheem Robinson is a very fast and agile guard who is hard to stop in the open floor. For the other side, Hoops’ Devante Yuon has a solid frame and gets to the rim easily. The two carried their teams on their backs, but in the end, the Heat were too hot for the Hoops and scortched them for an 71-59 championship win.

10th Grade championship – Bishop Elite vs Team Impact 9A

It was an impressive offensive performance by both teams in the first half. Bishop Elite held on to a narrow 43-41 lead in the first half. Team Impact was led by big man Craven Johnson who used his stocky frame along with a variety of moves to score on the low block. The most intriguing matchup was the battle between the centers, the Impact’s Johnson and Bishop Elite’s Zack Gratten.  Both of them scored at will in the post. Johnson fouled out early in the 2nd half, leaving his team with a shortage of big men.   Elite took advantage of the size differential and pounded the ball inside.  After building a sizeable lead, Elite featured guard Trevor Glassman, who poured in 5 threes in the 2nd half that put the game out of reach for Team Impact, with the final score 88-66 Elite.

Other Players to Watch

Jordan Alexander, Impact – Lefty guard who can score on both sides of the court.  Scored 10 consecutive points and finished with 18.
 
Tony Bell, Northeast Basketball Club – Has a great change of pace dribble and finishes on either side of the rim with ease.  He sliced and diced through the defense on Sunday, finishing with 24 points and also sacrificed his body on defense, racking up a number of charges.
 
Halil Dahleh, Greater Boston Lions – Lanky guard who gets to the bucket and finishes in traffic. Dahleh scored 20 points in impressive fashion, tearing through the defense. 
 
Rakiese Mcfadden, CT Elusive – Amazing athlete who can jump out of the gym. CT Elusive’s coach said that hitting his head on the backboard was not a surprise as he’s done it numerous times. 

Mario Grahm & John Floyd,  Thames Valley Thunder -  Guard duo who can really fill it up.  Both are flat out scorers who can put the ball on the deck and get it to the hole. Grahm put together a 20 point performance on Sunday.

Jake Wilcox, Mass Elite – a 4th grader with an excellent handle on the ball.  Has a great crossover dribble that helps him get free of his defender.  Can take it to the hole or find the open man on penetration.