#S16 Champions Crowned

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, May 29th, 2017

The Super 16 Showcase came to a close on Sunday with champions being crowned throughout all age groups.

The Middlesex Magic were the big winners from New England as they took championships in both the varsity and 10th grade division.

It wasn't an easy path in the varsity division as they pulled away from PTT Elite in the quarterfinals and won a close battle in the semis over CT Select, but they were able to put it all together in the finals and click on all levels in the final against NY Rens 2019 team.

Thomas Shaughnessy and continued to play a leading role while Tyler Aronson solidified his spot as a key running mate in the backcourt. Up front, Patrick Harding and Thomas Greaney both showed off their recent developments. Harding looked stronger and more assertive on the block while Connolly has begun to build up his body while simultaneously showing more offensive versatility. Tommy ONeil was a model of consistency all weekend long as well.

The Magic were equally impressive in the 16u division, but this time it Tyler Kolek playing a starring role. The southpaw put up big numbers splashing threes but also stood out with his basketball I.Q. and toughness. Another Aronson,, Spencer Aronson, plays an equally important role on the 16's as his big brother does on the 17's while Rhett Carter and Patrick Mogan provide a budding interior tandem to match.

In the Gauntlet Challenger pod, New World was the big winner, capturing championships in both the u17 and u16 divisions. With a line-up loaded with division I, and often mid-to-high major, caliber talent they knocked off the New York Jayhawks and Mass Rivals Select to earn the championship. 2019 guard Sherif Kenney was a man among boys throughout the weekend while big point guard Amir Harris stood out as a tremendous long-term prospect himself. Sophomore big man Karim Coulibaly anchored the team in the paint.

New World punched their ticket in the u16 division as well, scoring wins over two of New York's best on Sunday. First it was a match-up against fellow Adidas Gold program Juice All-Stars in the semis where they took a 59-49 decision. In the finals, they outlasted Riverside Hawks to earn the championship.

It was nonetheless still nothing short of a huge weekend for Riverside Hawks as head coach Tony Hargraves returned to the sidelines and shared the Gauntlet Qualifier title in the varsity division. Jason Douglas-Stanley emerged as the star of the weekend. The Mount Vernon guard got going early on Saturday and kept it going throughout the weekend in order to lead his team on their Cinderella like run through the #S16 field.

Elsewhere in the varsity division, Ring City Elite took the 17u national title by dominating the field. They doubled up CT Stampede in the semi-finals and defeated the Troy Cougars 58-43 in the final.

Albany City Rocks Orange and All for One shared the championship in the 16u American field after equally impressive runs. All for One opened with a 60-40 win over the Lightning and then survived the RI Magic in a dramatic 62-61 decision. The City Rocks, who made the trip from Albany, left little room for such drama as they defeated Magic-Kedner 56-34 and Lehigh Valley Wildcats 75-57.

The New York Jayhawks made a major statement this weekend as well. Their 17u squad was among the most dominant clubs in attendance on Saturday while their 16u squad is equally deep and talented. It was the freshmen that won championship gold on Sunday though showing off the program's budding pipeline in the NYC area. Zed Key and  Luis Salazar formed an intimidating tandem inside the basket while Andre Curbelo was the maestro with the ball on the perimeter.

Team Overtime might need a new name after this weeked as they not only captured the 9th grade national championship, but did so without anyone pushing them anywhere close to overtime. They handed out a 48-14 beating in the quarterfinals, made it 56-28 in the semifinals, and then knocked off NS Blizzard to take the championship.