Rumble In The Bronx - New England Recap

by John Kibbe | Tuesday, June 16th, 2015

While the majority of New England was focused on the Zero Gravity Finals in Massachusetts, a few others made the trip to New York for the Rumble in the Bronx and ended up doing the region proud.

The New York Rens continued their impressive summer by winning the tournament championship. They received strong contributions from Connecticut natives Mustapha Heron (Saturday only), Tyrique Jones, and Tyrn Flowers. New England teams We Will, United Sons and Daughters, and The System also had strong performances this weekend, winning their pools before falling in Sunday’s quarterfinals.

We Will, a team comprised of players from Williston Northampton, was led by an impressive backcourt duo of Jake Ross and Jamaal David. They also received a strong weekend on the interior from Kyle Doucette. USAD, who continued to build on a strong summer, was led by the inside/outside duo of Malik Petteway and E.J. Crawford. Tyler Rowe, Collin Sawyer, and Roy Kane also had strong individual performances throughout the weekend.   

Players who stood out:

Mustapha Heron (NY Rens): Heron was arguably the top prospect in the gym on Saturday, scoring 16 second half points in a competitive game with the Jersey City Boys Club and following with 15 points in an extremely tough game versus the River City Reign. His impressive combination of strength and athleticism was on full display in both games. He also showcased in an excellent perimeter game shooting off the dribble.

Tyrn Flowers (NY Rens): With the Rens missing all three members of their typical starting backcourt and the vast majority of their offensive firepower on Sunday (Heron, Rawle Alkins & Devonte Green), Flowers stepped up his offensive, showing the ability to make tough threes and pull-ups alike as he continues to take his game to new levels.

Tyrique Jones (NY Rens): The 6-8 big man scored 14 points in the championship game versus Juice and had a number of loud finishes above the rim. He was a presence on both ends of the floor throughout the weekend and had a momentum changing power slam in the second half of a close game versus the River City Reign Saturday night.

Maliek White (River City Reign): The point guard impressed versus an elite Rens backcourt in a playoff loss Saturday night. He scored 14 points on a number of nifty drives to the basket and did an excellent job distributing the ball on offense.

Malik Petteway (USAD): Petteway was impressive all weekend long for USAD. He scored 20 points in a pool play matchup Friday night, posted a double-double versus an extremely imposing frontline in a Saturday night playoff victory over WE-R1, and had a solid performance versus the Rens in an overtime loss Sunday morning. The combo forward is a great athlete around the rim and showed a nice face-up game on the offensive end.

EJ Crawford (USAD): Crawford continued his strong play since joining USAD and led the team in scoring for the weekend. He scored 28 points versus a tough Middletown’s Finest Friday night and in doing so, showed the ability to score from all three levels. He also scored 24 points versus an elite WE-R1 team and paced USAD offensively in a double overtime loss to the champion Rens.

Colin Sawyer (USAD): Sawyer, a 6-3 shooting guard, scored 23 points in USAD’s opening game Friday night. A great long range shooter, he is almost automatic when allowed to get his feet set on drive and kick plays.

Justin Alleyne (Northeast Basketball Club): Alleyne ran point for NEBC in an impressive win over Grassroots Canada on Saturday. A very good athlete at 6-2, he scored 13 points (3 3-pointers) and dished out 8 assists in the victory.

Jake Ross and Jamaal David (We Will): The We Will backcourt impressed leading their team to the quarterfinals. Ross is a 6-4 shooting guard who showed a nice perimeter game in a Saturday afternoon pool play victory over New Heights. He also led We Will with 14 points in double-overtime loss to Juice Sunday morning. David, who is a 6-5 combo guard from Maryland, scored 10 points Sunday morning and in the process showed some nice playmaking ability.

Kyle Doucette (We Will): Doucette also had a strong weekend rebounding and scoring around the basket. The 6-9 big is deceptively athletic and did nice job battling inside versus a tough Juice team.

Connor Daly (CT Elite - Moore): Daly came off the bench and scored 11 points in a Saturday afternoon victory over Harlem United. He is 6-3 and showed a lot of versatility on both ends of the floor.

Jamar Brown (Harlem United): Brown dominated inside in a tough loss to CT Elite. He has a strong body and can finish through contact on the offensive end.

Kaleb Morton (Juice All Stars): Morton is a 6-5 wing guard who shot the ball extremely well on Sunday. A glue guy, he hit four three-pointers and scored 16 points in the championship game, showing a lot of toughness in the process.

Kody Pugh (WE-R1): Pugh is a 6-7 southpaw wing and was one of the best athletes in the tournament. He was fun to watch on Saturday.