Camp Darryl Classic: Championship Sunday’s Top Teams
As with most AAU tournaments, Sunday is the most important day, often filled with the most competitive games. This Sunday at the Camp Darryl Classic was no different. While teams played their hardest in order to avoid being sent home early, we watched and took notes. Below are some teams that had impressive performances on Sunday:
Impact Elite 15u – Impact Elite showed how well coached they are with great team play. They played with a high level of aggressiveness, controlling the glass on both ends of the ball and playing physical defense. They did a good job of getting into the paint on offense, often ending a possession with a pair of free throws. They were led by guards Emcee Williams and Brock Stevens, who both did a solid job of scoring as well as creating for their teammates. Also, forward Gary Humphries III was dominant on the glass and in the paint. They would finish champions of the 15u bracket.
Parallel 45 17u (Green) – This team displayed an ability to play great team offense. They moved without the ball and sets screens at a high rate; in addition to this, they moved the ball via the pass consistently. They shot the three ball very well, which helped them stay in games when they struggled to penetrate and finish at the rim. On defense, it was all about their ability to control the paint and protect the rim. They did a good job rebounding on both ends, but the biggest impact was made by their rim protection, as they had several players find success blocking shots. Parallel 45 was led by guard Jaylon Rogers, who was perhaps the primary playmaker offensively and very active on defense. In addition to Rogers, big Cass Phillips and forward Austin Harris had solid performances on both ends of the floor. They would finish champions of the 17u bracket.
SportingU 16U – While SportingU isn’t one of the biggest names in the Michigan AAU scene, they proved that they could compete. They shot the lights out from deep in a championship win over Parallel 45 16u. While they don’t have any 6’8″-6’9″ trees, they have solid overall size, as most of their team is between 6′-6’4″. Another good example of solid team play, they shared the ball well and cut/moved without the ball consistently. They also were impressive on defense, as they had an ability to force a high number of turnovers. SportingU was led by guard Peyton Vis, who was on fire in the championship game, knocking down pretty much everything he shot. They would finish champions of the 16u bracket.
Macomb County Cougars 17u – The Cougars are the only team to crack this list that did not win a bracket. This is due to their strong performance despite taking a loss. They played as hard as they possibly could but took a single digit loss in the championship game against Parallel 45. They epitomized solid team play, as not one or two players stood out but five or six played solid. They played very fast, physical and aggressive which helped them generate turnovers and easy fastbreak points. They did a good job getting to the rim and finishing or going to the free throw line. Also, they knocked down timely threes all game. The Cougars would finish 2nd place in the 17u bracket.