Chucky Atkins-led E1T1 Rebels (2023) deep & loaded
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The Chucky Atkins-led E1T1 Rebels (2023) are poised to make deep runs at national tournaments on the travel basketball circuit this spring and summer. The Rebels — an Orlando-based, Nike-sponsored program — showcased their weapons in winning the 2019 E1T1…
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Continue ReadingThe Chucky Atkins-led E1T1 Rebels (2023) are poised to make deep runs at national tournaments on the travel basketball circuit this spring and summer.
The Rebels — an Orlando-based, Nike-sponsored program — showcased their weapons in winning the 2019 E1T1 Invitational at the Big House in Tavares. The Rebels overpowered a talented Team Breakdown, 71-60, in the championship game.
Atkins’ Rebels are a well-coached, fundamentally-sound squad that goes 10 deep.
They showed against Breakdown that they could bring in wave after wave off the bench and not miss a beat. The Rebels pass well, can beat you inside or out, and have active hands on defense.
“All our kids we work extremely hard with,” said Chucky Atkins, who played in the NBA for parts of 11 seasons. “We want to be different from any other AAU team, where we just throw guys together and pick from the litter. We want smart basketball players because we’re educating them. We’re also training them.
“We can do everything. If you want to make it a running match, we can run. If you want to slow it down and have a half-court game, we can execute.”
The squad is led by No. 13 Sean Stewart, No. 23 Cam James and No. 21 Jalen DeBose. The 6-foot-5 Stewart, son of former NBA player Michael Stewart, attends Lake Highland Prep; James attends Apopka Middle; and DeBose goes to SunRidge Middle.
“[Number] 13’s a monster,” Atkins said. “Twenty-three is a monster. Twenty-one’s a monster. Across the board we have a really strong team.
“What I’m liking about them is those guys are starting to believe in one another and play for one another.”
Left-hander Jaylen Smith (Ocoee Middle), who wears No. 9, is one of the top guards along with No. 11 Sean Combs (Bellalago Academy) and No. 2 EJ James (Chain Of Lakes Middle), the son of former University of Miami and NFL standout Edgerrin James.
EJ James led the Rebels in scoring in the victory over Team Breakdown on Sunday with 13 points while DeBose added 12 points. Two others were in double figures with 10.
The Rebels defeated E1T1 Heat, Q6All-Stars and Lakeland Fire on the way to the championship game. Team Breakdown took down the Broward Storm, Nightrydas and Miami Warriors on the way to the title game.
Asked how the team came together, Atkins said: “Me and Steve Reece kind of put together a plan to where we could start a younger group so that we can bring them up and they’d already be in the [E1T1] system. It is too hard every year, every summer, to try to run around and find guys and fill up a roster.”
If you have high school basketball news, you can reach Pat Lammer via text at 954-661-9671.