Nike EYBL and Adidas Gauntlet: Illinois Weekend Recap
This past weekend was the first live period for division 1 coaches to get out and evaluate the players for the spring. The best place to be for most coaches were in Dallas and Atlanta for the Nike and Adidas…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend was the first live period for division 1 coaches to get out and evaluate the players for the spring. The best place to be for most coaches were in Dallas and Atlanta for the Nike and Adidas circuits. Between both shoe companies events five teams have Illinois roots. Here is a look at how most of them did the opening weekend.
NIKE EYBL
Mac Irvin Fire
The Fire had an exceptional weekend in Atlanta. They finished with a 3-1 record. The only loss coming at the hand of in-state rivals Meanstreets in the first game of the EYBL. A tough game for both teams to start with seeing that most of the players were familiar with each other. After the loss Mac Irvin played CP3, NJ Playaz, and E1T1 United winning those game all in close fashion. It was a good team showing the first weekend. Expectations are high for this team this summer.
Team Leaders:
Points: Mike Foster – 16.8 PPG
Rebounds: Mike Foster – 8.3 RPG
Assists: Marcus Watson – 9.2 APG
Standouts
Mike Foster and Adam Miller did the heavy lifting for the team this weekend getting the most attention from opponents. Foster was a force inside and out, attracting double teams while inside the paint he powered through guys all weekend. Miller was a marksman who made several NBA range shots and mixed up some drives off picks to score at the rim. I expect these two national talents to garner most of the attention for the Fire throughout the circuit.
Sleeper
Marcus Watson Jr. was the eye opener for Mac Irvin. His play at the lead guard is also part of the team’s success this weekend. Watson around the city is known as that hard-nosed defender that you hate to see across from you because you know he is willing to do whatever it takes to speed you up or take the ball from you. Marcus was that and more this weekend. His play as a distributor stood out the most. Watson was instrumental in breaking down his guys and finding his guys all over. He would dish 10 assist against NJ Playaz and 14 dimes in a heated matchup against E1T1 United proving he can compete with the nation’s best guards. Marcus currently is the assist leader for the EYBL and with this talented team he could continue to do this the next three sessions.
Meanstreets
MeanStreets finished 2-2 with its biggest win over rival Mac Irvin Fire. The losses were to Woodz Elite and PSA Cardinals both losses were close neither more than three points. Meanstreets can take both losses and improve from them with their steady guard play they can easily go 3-1 the next session.
Team Leaders:
Points: DJ Steward – 16.3 PPG
Rebounds: Ahron Ulis – 6.7 RPG
Assists: Ahron Ulis – 5.7 APG
Standout
DJ Steward was a wizard with the ball in transition. Steward has to be one of the best scorers going downhill to the rim. He just finds ways to score around all types of defenders. DJ did his damage off ball screens and dribble handoffs majority of the time. He used his quick first step to blow past guys and there wasn’t much opposing teams could do.
Sleeper
In its first game Jeremiah Williams was the x factor in Meanstreets win over rival Mac Irvin Fire with his gritty play. He led the team in scoring with 20 points by taking advantage of mismatches on the court driving on bigger defenders often putting them on skates. Williams’s energy and toughness proved to be huge factors in the teams win.
Adidas Gauntlet
Team Rose
Team Rose finished its second weekend of the Gauntlet series with a perfect 4-0 record. They defeated teams K Low Elite 2, Nola 23, Florida Knights, and Team Loaded DC. The first two games would be blow outs because of the swarming defense Team Rose applies to teams. After that they played two tough games winning both of them by no more than four points. At this point on the circuit Team Rose is 7-1 and is at the top of their division.
Team Leaders:
Points: Ramean Hinton – 19.2 PPG
Rebounds: Ramean Hinton – 5.8 RPG
Assists: Elijah Pickens – 2.8 APG
Standout
Ramean Hinton continues to play with high intensity on both ends of the court. He runs lane hard and gets to his spot to make shots. Hinton often uses his defense to cause havoc and speed other teams up which often lead to easy fast break points. His work ethic fuels his teammates to play hard and this has been the formula of success for Team Rose.
All-In Gauntlet
All-In had some success this weekend winning its first 2 games to start the live period. All In was able to knock off Urban DFW by double digits then defeat Team Harden in convincing fashion. They would go on to lose to OSAG and SE United. With new pieces added to the team it may take some time for this team to find a groove. Splitting games for the weekend is a good sign of things to come.
Team Leaders:
Points: Darius Hannah – 12.0 PPG
Rebounds: Darius Hannah – 6.0 RPG
Assists: Kaliem Taylor – 3.0 APG
Standout
RJ Ogom made the transition to All-In this weekend pretty simple. His game translates to any team he suits up for. Ogom eats up contact around the rim and is a relentless rebounder that demands attention when he touches the ball. In his first game with All-In he scored 15 points and grabbed 5 boards in the process. Hopefully this move is the last for RJ.
Kevon Looney Elite (Team Y&R )
Kevon Looney Elite hasn’t fared well on the circuit so far (2-5) but showed a lot of promise this weekend as they were able to get two wins in Dallas. While still adjusting to the Adidas competition Kevon Looney Elite hasn’t hit their stride yet. Team Looney picked up wins over K Low Elite and Riverside Church both games showed they could compete with the top teams. But losses to New World and a bad blowout loss to Mass Rivals kept things in perspectives for them. There has been some progress, but playing in the Bounce division there needs to be more production.
Team Leaders:
Points: Dante Maddox – 12.0 PPG
Rebounds: Martice Mitchell – 4.6 RPG
Assists: Dante Maddox – 2.1 APG
Standout
Tyler Beard has started to get it rolling the more he played this past weekend. Beard began to catch a flow with Kevon Looney Elite. He has a quick first step that he uses to beat defenders and good body control to absorb contact finishing at the rim. His jumper has started to fall his last two games. All are good signs that he is starting to get comfortable with this squad and the Gauntlet which will be trouble for other teams.