Rumble in the Bronx – Event Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Saturday, June 9th, 2012

 
The 2012 Rumble in the Bronx spanned the course of 15 courts, 8 facilities, and two states, making it almost impossible to see everyone from New England.

That having been said, the local presence was surely felt this weekend in New York with notable performances coming at all three levels of action.

Tony Hargraves’ New Rens team was the Cinderella squad of the seventeen-and-under bracket, and although the organization may be based out of New York, there is a distinct New England presence to the group.  

Westminster point guard Kris Hargraves serves as the team’s primary playmaker and facilitator in the backcourt while Trinity Catholic swingman Brandon Wheeler provides a scoring presence on the wing.  Two local prep products, Hyde School’s Christian Ejigba and Governor Academy’s Joseph Kuo, anchor the team’s interior by forming a long and potent frontcourt tandem.  

New Rens faced some familiar faces in the quarterfinals by knocking off Merritting Attention, the Boston based squad who snuck up on unsuspecting competition to win their pool and opening playoff round game.  Jaleel Bell was a standout for MABC with his ability to put points on the board while Madison Park forward David Stewart more than held his own in the paint.  

The Nike sponsored Nike York Lightning is another program with a distinct New England flair.  Kuran Iverson had a very solid weekend for the group, playing with good intensity and showing his floor vision and playmaking skills from the perimeter.  The team’s other primary playmaker was none other than Putnam Science Academy guard Dayshon Smith, who also made plays for himself and others.  

The Westchester Hawks turned in their latest impressive weekend performance and this one even came without Samuel Dingba, who suffered a shoulder injury at last weekend’s Yale Elite Camp.  Notre Dame of Fairfield point guard Danny Upchurch stepped up once again, converting a three-point play the old fashioned way to beat the buzzer and help the Hawks advance in the silver bracket quarterfinals and then scoring well in the semis to send them into the silver finals.  

Team Scan took the sixteen-and-under championship with Chris McCullough playing a signature role.  McCullough scored a game winning tip-in in the semifinals that allowed Scan to advance to the finals, where they knocked off The City in the final.  St. Joseph’s Quincey McKnight and Cheshire Academy forward Eric Long also provided Scan with valuable contributions on both ends of the floor throughout the weekend.  

BABC’s u15 team continued their winning ways before falling to the eventual champs, New Jersey Playaz, in the semifinals.  Bruce Brown and Marcel Pettway continued to play to rave reviews as Brown generated attention with his athletic slashing game and Pettway continued to be a load inside the paint.  The loss was, incredibly, just the team’s first of the spring AAU season.  

Other players who showed well this weekend included: Connecticut Select u16 point guard Tyler Ancrum who did a nice job of running the show; Connecticut Elite’s u16 tandem of Larry McKinney and Isaac Van Bunnell; and MB Nation guard Justin Zukowski who went for 21 points against New Rens.