St. Patrick Documentary Hits HBO October 25th

Prayer for a Perfect Season from Blowback Productions on Vimeo.

Follow the St. Patrick Celtics through their quest of trying to win their first National Championship. This documentary should be interesting and I will make sure to tune in.

Diary Of A Baller: Tyus "Kid Mamba" Battle (Edison, NJ) Entry #5

What’s up, basketball world? This week was busy, as usual, but it was fun because I managed to hang with friends and get a little bit of rest.

Monday was really good because I spent some quality time at home with my family. After I did my homework, I slept a few hours before dinner and Monday Night Football. I do not watch much football but my dad and my brother go out just about every week and throw the football up and down our lawn. It is one of my favorite things to do with them.

On Tuesday I had the Battlebasketball clinic at the Scotch Plains JCC. It was much easier this week because the kids listened and knew what to do the second time around. With the younger group we worked on basic moves like crossovers for layups, speed dribbles, power dribbles, and control dribbles. Then to end the night, we played a little knock-out and dribble knock- out. For the older group we also did a lot of ball handling, but since they are more advanced, we ran much more complicated drills like dribbling with two balls.

On Wednesday my dad and I went to the gym. We first lifted weights for about 30 minutes and did stairs and then the StairMaster for an hour. My dad does not like me to lift heavy weights, he says I am still young and growing so we lift very light and do a lot of reps. After we finished our strength workout we shot 300 jumpers, while reviewing individual moves. After 30 minutes we rush home for some late dinner.

Thursday I worked out at St. Joe’s and we shot a lot of jumpers from everywhere on the floor. In my opinion it’s always good to get up a lot of jump shots because it builds stamina and consistency. Following the shooting drills we went full court. I think I played well but a few of the high school kids seemed to pass the ball back and fourth to each other. So sometimes I can go through periods without touches. That’s when I focus on rebounding and working on the things I can control. I am really starting to get used to playing with older kids and its helpful because most of them are stronger, but I find myself to be quicker with the ball and more skilled.

I didn’t have school on Friday so I went to the mall with some of the kids from my school from 12pm to 4pm. I don’t really like spending my whole day at the mall, but I went anyway to get out of the house. When I go home from the mall I went on my Play Station 3 to play a little bit of Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops with some friends. I played for hours which is normally only allowed in my house on the weekends when everything else is done. Friday was a great day.

Saturday, I was supposed to go to the gym and workout with Vinney Darpina. My dad used to train him and now Vinney plays professional ball in Europe. He works me out when he is home. We did not know Coach Pete had a boot camp in the same gym so we both jumped into Coach Pete’s training instead. We ran about 25-30 sprints to get our conditioning up and worked on moves to the basket. Then I had a 5 hours break before Micah Lancaster clinic at 7pm and I have to say Mr. Lancaster has some of the best skill development drills I have ever seen or done. We worked on finishes at the basket and we did a lot of drills using a tennis ball. If you have never heard of Micah Lancaster you should look him up on Youtube because his drills will help to bring your game to the next level.

It is late and I need to get some rest. Quiz tomorrow on some vocabulary words in Religion. I am prepared so I should do well. Until next week. Peace!

Follow Basketball Spotlight On Twitter

Basketball Spotlight has entered the world of Twitter. Now we will be giving you updates from tournaments, camps and clinics from our Twitter page. To follow us on twitter click the link below. Basketball Spotlight will continue our efforts on trying to keep you updated with all the new action and occurrences.

Click Here To Follow Basketball Spotlight

Damon Harge Getting Busy On The Circuit

One On One Featuring: Jordon Riley (Durham, NC)

Jordon Riley (Durham, NC)

Jordon Riley is rated high on many websites around the country but he still brought his rep to the Super Showcase. He took the ride from Durham, NC and went right to work. We got a chance to talk to this youngster and this is what he had to say;

One On One

BS: What was your biggest moment of the season?
JR: My biggest moment was one game when I scored 37 points and 21 rebounds.

BS: What are the strong points of your game?
JR: The strongest point of my game is playing in the post.

BS: What part of your game needs the most work?
JR: I have to get better with my ball handling.

BS: What’s your dream college?
JR: Syracuse is my dream school.

BS: How does it feel being ranked high by different websites?
JR: It feels good and it’s an honor. I won’t disappoint.

BS: How was your Super Showcase experience?
JR: The Super Showcase was good and it showed me that I have a lot to work on.

BS: Give me one word that describes Basketball Spotlight?
JR: Exciting!

Battle Labeled Next NJ Hoops Phenom And Hits ESPN.com

Tyus Battle Reaches National Spotlight

By Jay Gomes (NJ Hoops)

As readers of NJ Hoops know we don't really cover or write about grammar school
basketball players. We usually wait until they get to high school.

There have been a few exceptions over the 17 year of NJ Hoops however. On a rare occasion we see players playing and excelling with players many years older.

The few that come to mind over the years are Derrick Caracter, Kyle Anderson and more recently Karl Towns.

Now we have to add another one to the list in 6-foot-3 8th grader Tyus Battle. We first saw him in July at the Joe Brown Tournament with the NJ Demons in the 17 & Under Division. He fit right in with his poise, skills and athleticism and one would never know he was that young.

We saw Battle three more times this weekend, once again with the Demons, but this time he was at the the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest. He was playing in the Open Division with and against primarily high school seniors. He was one of the best players on his team throughout the tournament and helped lead the Demons to the championship round. He averaeged 9 ppg in the three contests with a high of 17.

Tyus's father Gary was a former Colonia High School star and Division 2 All American at New Haven and obviously taught the younger Battle well.

With a prospect that impressive speculation starts as to what high school and college he may like down the road. Gary told NJ Hoops that he would most likely choose from St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's Metuchen, Blair Academy or possibly even head to Florida to play for former St. Patrick's Coach Kevin Boyle.

I inquired if Tyus had a favorite college team growing up and Gary quickly responded "North Carolina. He likes the ACC." I asked what about the Big East and his repsonse signals hope for Rutgers fans. "We're Mike Rice fans." he responded.

NJ Hoops will be covering his career and development over the next five years and beyond.

NJ Hoops provides blanket coverage of NJ basketball all year long for the past 16 years and is proud to continue to be the NJ nominating source for the McDonald's All American game.

ESPN Article

DC Assault Off And Running

DC Assault 14's Wins 15U Crown

DC Assault 14U started the season off with similar results. The Potomac Valley mob ran through the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest 15U Division. They have a loaded crew and seem to be one of the early favorites to win the Tip Off Classic.

DC Assault 14U Road To Win Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest 15U Gold Championship:

Pool Play
DCA 45 NJ Roadrunners 15U 36
DCA 66 Wayne PAL Wolfpack 15U 19

Semi-Final
DCA 64 Keystone Blazers 15U 26

Championship
DCA 54 Connecticut Elite 15U 36

Riverside Hawks Tryouts Saturday

The Riverside Hawks are looking for a "Few Good Men."The #4 team in the country will open its doors as they host open 12U tryouts. Coach Lawrence has his battery recharged and ready to return to the Lab!! If you have what it takes then be there this Saturday (10/1) at 8am sharp!! Riverside is located @ 91 Claremont Avenue, New York NY 10027.

Basketball Spotlight Alum: Garner Shines At Under Armor Event

Basketball Spotlight Alum Shep Garner attended the Under Armor Grind Session in Chicago, Illinois and according to ESPN.COM was one of the top performers in the building. Garner who finished #2 in our regional rankings already has 3 offers and should have more coming soon. Click below to see the ESPN.com article.

Shep Garner Article

The Video That Launched The Spotlight!

This video brings back so many memories. It's definitely one of my favorites of all time. It might be time to do a part 2 this season.

Showtime All Stars Headed For The Spotlight

Coach Black And His Troops Are Ready To Hit The Road

The 14U Showtime All Stars are ready to hit the road up again with their new 14U team lead by 6'3 PF Tremain "Big Baby" Lawrence & 5'0 PG Dominique "Shorty Do Whop" Murphy. Coach Black feels as if this upcoming 14U team is as good as his old 14U Class 2015 team that had Jaylin Price, DiAntre James & Ronshad Allen-Shabazz. Lawrence & Murphy have paid their dues in this program, and have always played up on the Class Of 2015 team. Now they are playing in their Class 2016 group and they are ready for the big stage known as Basketball Spotlight. We will see if the boys from Raleigh, NC are ready Dec.3rd-4th, 2011 @ Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic.

Greg Tejada Returns

In a few short years Greg Tejada turned New Heights (Class 2016 Squad) into a “Big Apple” powerhouse. His squads won several Metropolitan AAU Crowns and also other championships around the country. After an appearance at the AAU Nationals last summer he just vanished. Now Greg has returned with his new called name The Rens. We caught with Greg to get the 411 on this project.

BS: Where did you go?
GT: I moved to Miramar, Florida right outside of Miami in Broward County.

BS: How did you get involved in this new project?
GT: Well this Project is much bigger than travel basketball. New Renaissance Basketball Association (NRBA) or “New Rens” is named after the Legendary Harlem Renaissance one of the greatest historic basketball teams of all time. Filmmaker Dan Klores who you might know from “Black Magic” and “Winning Time - The Reggie Miller vs. The Knicks” movie was the visionary. Billy Counsel will poster our JHS and elementary program along with Hector Almodovar, and Steve Harris. The organization will be nationwide and there will be 2 H.S. teams out in Florida coached by Lance Tejada who has 2 NYC public school championships at Wings, and coaching experience on the collegiate level.

BS: What are your goals for the project?
GT: Our goal is to have the first American public high school for basketball/sports in NYC, so I will definitely keep you in tune with that progress. We had a coaches meeting earlier this week and it was astounding who was in the room. I’m really looking forward to what we will achieve as an organization.

BS: How does it feel to be back on the Spotlight scene?
GT: Great, I look forward to supporting the spotlight like I always have. When you were with your last organization (Metro Hoops), I always knew you were on to something, and I like to thank you for your services providing good competitive basketball in the NY/NJ area.

BS: Who are some of the top players that will be joining this new club?
GT: The familiar faces from my program in the past along with a few new editions. There are a few kids finishing up commitments with other program and might come over. If so I will handle it in a professional manner. Check for information on our website www.therens.org.

BS: Any programs in particular you would like to play?
GT: The best at any and all age levels.

BS: Can you give us an update on Rakym?
GT: He is in the lab and will be at your first tip-off event.

Diary Of A Baller: Tyus "Kid Mamba" Battle (Edison, NJ) Entry #4

What’s up basketball world? It has been a long but very good week filled with some fun and exciting things.

On Monday my dad and I spent a few hours with the guys from Saint Joe’s Metuchen doing ball handling and skill work. We also shot 200 jumpers in that 2 hours and played a little full court. There were a few Big East schools in the gym but I cannot say I remember who they were.

Tuesday my dad, Khalif and I ran a basketball clinic at the Scotch Plains, NJ Jewish Community Center (JCC). Battlebasketball is my dad’s training organization, where he specializes in clinics and private sessions, focusing on skill training. Now we are teaching a clinic at the JCC once per week on Tuesdays. The clinics are for kids 1st through 8th grade. We did 2 hours with the kids and I must say it was tough at first but in the end it was a lot of fun. It made me think back to when we first began doing clinics when I was about 8 years old. Lucky for me my dad had me work with a group of kids that were 6th and 7th graders, which made it much easier because they were more mature. The clinic went well and we had a lot of good feedback from the parents.

Wednesday, I had practice with my Demons team to prepare for the Hoop Group Fall Jam. We reviewed our plays, did some skill and played some 3 on 3 games. Coach stopped the 3 on 3 games several time to review help defense and communication. My dad showed up about 30 minutes before practice ended and got on me for not going hard on every play. Afterwards we stopped at Wendy’s hit the dollar menu and went home.

On Thursday my dad, step-mom, Khalif and I went to the gym to workout. My dad and I had a few shooting competitions where you had to make 10 elbow jump shots as fast as you could while rebounding your own ball. I hate to admit I lost the first round because my dad only missed one shot and finished with a time of 55 seconds. I shot horrible and finished with a time of 1minute and 21 seconds.

Friday was cool because it was my 14th birthday. For my birthday, part of my family and I went to eat at the Cheesecake Factory in the Menlo Park Mall in my town of Edison. I received a GameStop gift card and some cash from my dad and step-mom. Afterwards, we went to the gym at the Club at Woodbridge and did skill work for an hour. My Dad trained a 7th grader from East Brunswick while I worked out with my Team Final teammate Jason Grahm, who also lives in Edison.

Entering the weekend and finally it was game time. At 1230 Saturday we played a team called Youth Interlock. I am proud to say I was able to get my first 17U win. We played great as a team and I played well also; scoring 25 points 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Game 2 was against a very physical team from New York State and we pulled out another win. I scored the ball well and had a lot of assist but I thought I could have tried a few more things. On Sunday we played the Rarington Valley Roundballers and they were very tough. They played a trapping defense that gave me a little trouble but we pulled out the win, after I got a steal and threw it to Justin Sears (Plainfield High) who laid it in with 3 seconds remaining. Another win for the Demons. Now we are in the semis against another tough team and won by three. My team and I were starting to get used to the pace of the game and we were playing very well on both ends of the floor. Now we are in our first championship game of the year and we are playing the Maryland Spartans, which was a very athletic team and they played very hard. It was a very close game throughout, but unfortunately they started to make a run with 2 minutes remaining and we never recovered. We ended up losing by 10.

I would like to say good job to my teammates and coach for playing so hard and hanging in with some good teams. This is Tyus battle signing out. Peace!

Baby Baller Profile: Tyler Brelsford (Ellicott City, MD)

Tyler Brelsford (Ellicott City, MD)

Tyler Brelsford is a 5th Grader but plays the point like a seasoned veteran. He established a national name by performing on the AAU circuit and at several camps. He then brought his game to the Baby Baller Super Showcase and impressed. We got a chance to get to know some things about the Potomac Valley youngster.

Tyler Brelsford Favorites

Favorite School Subject: Math

Favorite College: Duke

Favorite Sneaker: Nike Hyperfuse

Favorite Rapper: T.I.

Favorite Current NBA Player: Lebron James

Favorite All-time NBA Player: Michael Jordan

Favorite Website: Basketball Spotlight

Favorite TV Show: Sportscenter

Biggest Influence: My parents

Career Goal: To make it to the NBA

Super Showcase Profile: Azzur Taylor (Newark, NJ)

Name: Azzur Taylor

Hometown: Newark, NJ

Position: Guard

Class: 2016

Showcase Report: Taylor usually plays as a defensive specialist but at the Super Showcase he got a chance to explore his offensive side. He can score the ball but will eventually become a point guard on the high school level. This year he should work on his decision making and ability to run an offense.

Super Showcase Profile: Marcus McClary (Linden, NJ)

Name: Marcus McClary

Hometown: Linden, NJ

Position: Forward

Class: 2016

Showcase Report: Marcus was a post player but has now decided add some perimeter skills. His ball handling has improved and he has good mid range touch. I like his frame and he should become a decent prospect especially if he continues to work on his guard skills. Keep an eye on this southpaw.

Baby Baller Profile: Jalen Gaffney (Columbus, NJ)

Jalen Gaffney (Columbus, NJ)

Jalen Gaffney showed up at the Baby Baller Super Showcase on a mission. He seemed to have a different swagger than earlier in the season and attacked the basketball relentlessly. We got a chance to get to know Jalen a little and here are his favorites.

Jalen Favorites

Favorite School Subject: Math

Favorite College: UNC

Favorite Sneaker: KD's

Favorite Rapper: Tyler the Creator

Favorite Current NBA Player: Kevin Durant

Favorite All-time NBA Player: Michael Jordan

Favorite Website: Nike.com

Favorite TV Show: That 70's Show

Biggest Influence: My Mom and Dad

Career Goal: Become and NBA Player

"Kid Mamba" Impressive At Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest

Tyus "Kid Mamba" Battle

Tyus “Kid Mamba” Battle took the court for a 17U/Open Division game at the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest and dazzled the crowd with flair and poise. The 8th Grader sliced the defense while showing his crisp moves and superb outside touch. Battle tallied 25 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assist while leading the NJ Demons to a one point victory over Youth Interlock. Stay tune as we bring you more on Battle and the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest.

Kyle Anderson Video (Very Interesting)

Kyle Anderson is on his way to UCLA and the video talks about his abilities and recruitment process. I think this is a very good video for youngsters to watch because it gives great insight to the world of a big time basketball player.

One On One Feat: Zachery Cooks (Atlanta, GA)

They say point guards are born for the position so on March 4, 1999 one came to life in Atlanta, Georgia. Zachery Cooks has shown he’s a natural at running a team and making things happen. Basketball Spotlight reached out to the Peach State point guard and here’s what he had to say;

BS: How was your season with the Atlanta Knicks?
ZC: It was great! We played in numerous tournaments and made a name for ourselves.

BS: What player do you pattern your game after and why?
ZC: I pattern my game after Kemba Walker, because he’s a playmaker. He’s not that big of a guard, just like me, but he uses his advantages like his speed, court vision, and scoring ability to make plays.

BS: What was your biggest moment of the season?
ZC: The biggest moment of the AAU season was the game against a great team out of California, Cali Style. The game was packed! It was big for me because all eyes were on me when I had the ball. I think I played well. I was mad that we lost by 7 in overtime though. It was a great game!

BS: You traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to the Basketball Spotlight Super Showcase. How was that experience?
ZC:It was a great experience. Lots of competition, great coaches, and most importantly, I had fun!

BS: What was going through your mind when the plane landed?
ZC:I was kind of nervous, because I didn’t know what to expect. I talked to my dad before we got off the plane and he told me “just go out and play.”

BS: What is your dream college?
ZC:My dream college is Duke University.

BS:What are your goals for the next basketball season?
ZC: My goal is to win a National Championship!

BS: What do you love the most about being a point guard?
ZC: What I love about being a point guard is being a leader; putting my teammates in the right position, making plays for my team, and just having the trust of my coach when the ball is in my hands.

BS: If you could use one word to describe Basketball Spotlight what would it be?
ZC: Awesome!