Titans 16U Gold closes summer on top
There’s no better way to end a summer on the circuit than holding up your index finger to form a No. 1. That’s what the Colorado Titans 16U squad was able to do after winning the gold bracket title last…
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Continue ReadingThere’s no better way to end a summer on the circuit than holding up your index finger to form a No. 1.
That’s what the Colorado Titans 16U squad was able to do after winning the gold bracket title last week at the Las Vegas, wrapping up a strong July on the highest of notes.
The Titans went 2-1 in pool play, then stormed through bracket play with a 5-0 mark that was highlighted by a victory over Benchwarmers Blue (Iowa) in the championship game.
“We rotated defensively, shot the ball fairly well and just played together,” Titans coach Christian Scott said.
Few championship runs come without a complete team performance and that was certainly the case for the Titans. Still, a number of players stood out for the way they elevated their performances on the way to a title, including guards Luke Wilson (Boulder) and Sam Foster (Broomfield) and forward Sam Grad (Fairview), who stepped up big on a frontline that had been hurt by injuries.
“Sam Grad really stepped up the last two games after our other center went down with a foot injury,” Scott said of the 6-foot-5 junior. “He’s long, blocks shots. He gets up and down the floor fairly well and has pretty decent post moves. He can also hit the outside shot, which helps spread the defense out on the perimeter so our guys could drive.”
Scott noted that he was impressed with the way that Grad and Wilson ran the show for the Titans, particularly noting the improved attack mentality Wilson has shown throughout the summer.
“We’ve been working on getting him to be more aggressive and not settle for an outside shot,” Scott said. “He’s more of a driver for us. He sets up other players to get their shots as well, and that played a part in our last two games a lot.”
Scott also pointed to Holy Family guard Joe Golter as a player who made major strides during the summer.
“He’s improved a lot,” Scott said.
Also performing well at the Las Vegas Classic was Colorado Fire Elite Gold, which went 2-1 in pool play and won its first game in bracket play.
Fire was led by Thompson Valley product Julian Espinoza, who poured in 21 points per game over the spring and summer circuits.
(Photo courtesy of Big Foot Hoops)