USAD wins BasketBull Championships

by John Kibbe | Sunday, July 14th, 2013

New England was well represented in Westchester this weekend as the United Sons & Daughters out of Connecticut took home the 17U title of the Basketbull Summer Championships.

Using a combination of strong perimeter play with a four guard lineup and pesky defense via full court pressure, they were very successful all weekend long at getting out in transition and attacking the basket. Following Saturday victories over The City - White from New York and the Demarcus Cousins Blue Devils from Washington DC, USAD pulled off an impressive string of victories en route to the Championship on Sunday. In the morning quarterfinal, USAD beat a well disciplined, excellent shooting Maine Athletic Club. In the semis, they won a hard fought game over the Brooklyn power Juice All-Stars.
    
In the final game, a battle between two of the best non-sneaker affiliated AAU teams in the Northeast, USAD overtook an extremely athletic Westchester Hawks team. They were led in the final by 33 points from wing guard Isaac Vann. Contributions also came from point guard Schadrac Casimir, and guard/forwards Jahman Delancey and Brandon Wheeler with 13, 12, and 8 points. Westchester Hawks were led by 23 points by Samuel Dingba, who was dominant inside in the losing effort.

Players who stood out:

Schadrac Casimir (USAD): Casimir had three double figure outings scoring the ball from his lead guard position on Sunday. His most impressive performance of the day was a 21 point outburst against Juice, in which he really took the game over offensively in the second half. He’s undersized at 5-10, but makes up for it with a combination of quickness and mental toughness. He’s good from 3-point range but really excels from mid-range shooting off the dribble. Casimir is equally adept driving left or right, has a quick hesitation dribble, and a quick release on his jumpshot.

Isaac Vann (USAD): Wing guard also had a couple of big scoring efforts for USAD on Sunday. His 33 point effort in the final against a very athletic Westchester team really exemplified his well-rounded game on offense. Incredibly smooth with ball in his hands, Vann can score from anywhere on the court. Long arms and quick hands also make him an active defender.

Brandon Wheeler and Jahman Delancey (USAD): Both players are strong athletes who thrive attacking the basket off bounce. Wheeler had has best outing Sunday against Juice, as he scored 20 points and was extremely active inside. Delancey’s game is more perimiter oriented but the power guard finishes strong around the basket.

Samuel Dingba (Westchester Hawks): Undersized big man was extremely impressive battling inside for the Westchester Hawks. Dingba is a quick leaper and has long arms that allow him to play bigger than 6-5. He had some bigtime finishes at the basket in the Champsionship and more than held his own against a much taller CBC frontline in the semis. Also a very active defender, the shotblocker is athletic enough to defend the perimieter.

Jalen Terry (Westchester Hawks): Combo forward played extremely well against some athletic frontlines on Sunday. A great athlete and finisher in transition, Terry scored 17 points in the Championship game. He showed a nice perimeter jump-shot hitting three three-pointers and also had a  number of impressive drives to the basket.

Danny Upchurch (Westchester Hawks): Quick combo guard is tough to stop off of the dribble. Showed his playmaking abilities in Sunday wins over The City - Black and CBC, and then showed his scoring prowness with 19 points in the final.

Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez (Juice All-Stars): Impressive duo provided the majority of the scoring punch for Juice. Whitehead is a well-rounded scoring guard who makes the game look effortless. Rodriguez is a southpaw combo forward who is at his best attacking the basket.

Paschal Chukwu (Connecticut Basketball Club): Chukwu was active on both ends of the floor for CBC. Defensively, it does not take long to notice why he was such an attraction for college coaches, as he is a difference maker blocking and altering shots. His getting in foul trouble was the difference in his teams semifinal loss against Westchester Hawks. He is, however, also a major factor on the offensive end. Chukwu is an underrated passer out of the post and his presence opens up the perimeter for CBC’s guards.

Malcolm Smith (RI Hawks Black): Swingman came off the bench and was an energizer in a tough loss to CBC. Had a couple of impressive finishes on the break and really looked to score the ball.

Sem Kroon (RI Hawks Black): Kroon is an impressive looking prospect and had a very respectable performance battling Pachal Chukwu inside Sunday morning. He blocked a few shots and stayed aggressive rebounding on both ends of the floor.

Mike McDevitt and Andrew Cartwright (Maine Athletic Club): The Maine MAC frontline displayed a nice inside/outside combination. McDevitt is a high-motor big man who is at his best battling inside while Cartwright is a good perimeter shooter and a good finisher.

Samson Usilo (Riverside Hawks): Elite athlete was a playmaker on both ends of the floor in a win over Metro Boston. Usilo’s combination of strength and athleticism is tough to defend around the basket.

Nick Pasquale (Blackstone Valley Chaos): Pasquale is still growing into his 6-10 body, but he shows flashes of potential, especially on the offensive end where he finishes well when given the opportunity.

Jayvon Pitts-Young (MB Nation): With Dustin Cole sidelined by injury, Pitts-Young has stepped up and emerged as a leader for The Nation.  He’s running the show to perfection and proving to be totally dependable with the ball in his hands.  

Isaiah Robinson (Middlesex Magic): Robinson had a statement game on Saturday against the Juice All-Stars, proving himself capable of playing his game and putting points on the board against the highest levels of competition.  

Tim Preston (RI Hawks Red): The Hawks’ sophomore squad played up in the u17 division and made an impressive run to the tournament semifinals.  While the group was collectively impressive, Preston was a guy who had coaches flipping through their packets, making a name for himself with his strong play at the point.