Force One 6th Graders Getting Ready

Player Of The Week: Temple Gibbs (Team Scan)

This week’s Player of the Week goes to Temple Gibbs. Temple led Team Scan with a game-high 19pts and several key steals in a 58-31 victory over Kings St. Kings 8th grade squad. This was the first time these two teams met and Temple played like the best player on the floor in a game full of talent. At one point, he shut down a fastbreak on the defensive end pinning a shot to the backboard then showing Tiger Woods style emotion after being called for the foul. Following the footsteps of brothers Ashton and Sterling, Temple has shown his all-around game and impressed everyone in the gym.

Diary Of A Baller: Tyus "Kid Mamba" Battle (Edison, NJ) Entry #9

What’s up basketball world, it has been a long week for me personally.

Monday, I went to the gym to lift. While lifting my dad and I talked about what I can work on to help me get better. He said I really need to work on my defense, speed, strength, and mental toughness. Even though I have improved on these four things I still need to get much better at them. So now that is my goal for the year - to improve these areas before I graduate from middle school.

When I went to school the next day I received a 90 on my social studies quiz, which is good. When I got home I had a lot of homework to do so I didn’t get to go to the gym or anything, but I did watch the St. Patrick’s movie, “A Prayer for a Perfect Season”. I liked how you were able to really get to know the players and coaches on the team. I never realized how much they had to go through to get as far as they did.

Wednesday, I went to the gym at HoopsAmerica. I wasn’t able to get a really good workout because I could only stay for 20 minutes because I had to go to school practice. Within that 20-minutes I was able to get in most of my ball handling drills. At school practice coach Brian put in a few simple sets and defenses. We then worked on individual moves to the basket and we ended it off by playing 5 on 5, which we do every practice.

Friday, I had to take pictures for our yearbook so the night before I had to go out and find a dress shirt because all 8th graders had to wear a white dress shirt and a tie. When I got home I went straight to the PS3 to play Battlefield 3, which I have been playing a lot since I got it last week.

Saturday, I was supposed to go to a haunted hayride with some kids from my school, but since it started snowing we didn’t go. My mom then picked me up since my dad had to go to New Orleans for a business trip. I haven’t seen my mom in a while so my brother and I were excited to go to her house. She brought home a seafood platter from the restaurant where she works. We ate and then fell asleep while watching a few horror movies on AMC.

Monday is Halloween so I will make sure I tell you all about it. This is Tyus Battle signing off.

Peace.

Youngsters Shine At Pangos

NyRhique Smith and Devonte Green

Top 8th Graders NyRhique Smith and Devonte Green made the trip to the Pangos East Frosh/Soph Camp and didn’t disappoint. Both youngsters made it to the Top 60 All Star Game which was a great accomplishment since the camp is for high school players. We will keep you posted on the progress of these youngsters.

Basketball Spotlight Launches Youtube Collection

We have collected footage from all our former events and combined it with highlights from all the top young ballers to bring you the Basketball Spotlight Youtube Collection. To have your video added to our collection please email me the link to basketballspotlight@hotmail.com.

Spotlight Youtube Collection

St. Ants Vs. St. Pats: Which Movie Is Better? Cast Your Vote!

Perhaps Bobby Hurley Sr. and Kevin Boyle Sr. Last Pregame talk as rivals.

Since the on court rivalry between St. Patrick’s and St. Anthony will never be the same we decided to pit them head to head one last time. Both schools have released documentary/movies and we would like you to choose which movie you enjoyed more. After voting we encourage you to give your reasoning on the message board . You can vote in the right column at the top of the site.

St. Anthony “Street Stops Here”


St. Patricks “Prayer For A Perfect Season”

Basketball Spotlight Returns To CT Adidas Jr. Phenom Camp

Basketball Spotlight will be headed back to New Haven for the Adidas Phenom Exposure Camp. Last year this event produced some of the top talent in the New England region and Metropolitan area. We will definitely be in the building to give you exclusive recaps and interviews.

Click Here To Register

ADIDAS PHENOM EXPOSURE CAMP
November 5-6, 2011
New Haven Field House
New Haven, CT
Boys Grades 2-12
www.EliteSportsEvents.com

One On One Featuring: Ty-Shon Alexander (Concord, NC)

Ty-Shon Alexander is one of the most versatile players in America. The lanky guard impacts the game in several ways. During the season he helped the CB Spiders win numerous championships and finish #10 in America. We got a chance to talk to this lad and here’s his one on one.

BS: How was your season playing with the CB Spiders?
TA: My season with the spiders was very well.

BS: What was your best moment of the season?
TA: 2010 Nationals in Hampton, VA when we came in 10th place overall.

BS: What is your dream college?
TA: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or University of Kansas.

BS: What do you enjoy the most about AAU Basketball?
TA: I get to travel and see and play different teams in different states.

BS: What’s the strongest aspect of your game?
TA: Being a team player and know how to see the whole floor.

BS: What part of your game needs the most work?
TA: My ball handling.

BS: What player do you pattern your game after?
TA: Ray Allen.

BS: What are your career goals?
TA: I plan on going to college and major in Criminal Justice and become a FBI Agent or play basketball in the NBA.

BS: Give me one word to describe Basketball Spotlight.
TA: Cool.

Tip Off Classic Deadline Is November 15th

The Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic formerly the Grand Finale will take place December 3rd and 4th. This event will be Basketball Spotlight’s first leg to the Grand Finale formerly Summer Slam. This event has already garnered attention from some of the top teams in the country. Don’t miss your chance to start your season against the top competition while gaining the best exposure. Space is limited for this event. Check out action from last year's event.

Click Here For Single Team Registration

Click Here For Multi-Team Discount Registration

Super Showcase Profile: Najohn Dickerson (Trenton, NJ)

Name: Najohn Dickerson

Hometown: Trenton, NJ

Position: Forward

Class: 2017

Showcase Report: Najohn is just beginning his basketball journey but he is projected to be about 6’8 so the potential is there. Like most young post players this youngster is still developing but most coaches will want his services in years to come. This youngster is committed to getting better.

Word On The Street: Free Agency In Full Effect

A lot of things are going on around the AAU world right now. So we decided to hit a couple of our sources and bring you another “Word On The Street”. Remember most of this information is from reliable sources including those directly involved.

Is Team Takeover Really Taking Over?

Team Takeover 12U finished #5 in the country and has reloaded in a big way. They acquired Chris Lykes who reclassified into the Class of 2017 but also snatched up former Mr. Memorial Day Andre Boykin and Raine McKeithon from Maryland Panthers. When you throw in top point guard Aaron Thompson and rising stud DJ Mitchell things could get scary.

Where will Nowell land?

One of the big off season stories is the movement of Markquis Nowell. After leaving the Gauchos the high scoring guard was rumored to have been heading to Riverside then suddenly newly formed Team IZOD 12U. Is he really coming over to NJ? We will keep you posted as this story develops.


JJ Watson on The Move?

After spending one successful year with the CB Spiders it seems that combo guard JJ Watson has decided to seek another squad. Rumors have him looking to hook up with NC Rising Prospects or newly formed Team Felton 13U. He would be a huge pickup for either squad because this kid can go.

Diary Of A Baller: Tyus "Kid Mamba" Battle (Edison, NJ) Entry #8

Hello basketball world. Monday I had way too much homework for hoops or other activities, therefore Tuesday at the JCC was the beginning of my basketball week. The kids at the JCC are looking better and better so my dad let everyone get into some 5 on 5 full-court games, which was a lot of fun. Khalif and I played on separate teams and my dad refereed as my team went on to get a 1-point victory in the last second. Khalif was really mad because all of us Battles hate to lose at anything.

Wednesday, I went to workout at Hoops America. I didn’t stay long because I went to my first school practice at 7pm. When I arrived at my school practice we did a little ball handling. Idris Joyner’s father was running the practice and he did a great job. After the ball handling we split into two groups, one for post moves and one for moves to the basket. We went over some basics like drop steps and jump hooks. After the skill work we played some full court. All I was really doing was fooling around with Idris and some of my teammates and at the end of practice I went to steal the ball from Idris and he crossed me over. Of course everyone went crazy, LOL. After that Idris just did not stop talking about it and neither did my brother. As my father always says, “let your game do your talking, son” Idris and Khalif know my game spoke real loud during the 5 on 5. He did get me with that one sneaky crossover dribble, though.

Thursday, I went to The Club at Woodbridge to workout with 3 kids from New York. One of the kids was my age and 6’10 so I was really looking forward to seeing him in person. The kid just started playing basketball so he is putting in a lot of work to develop his game. I think he can be very good if he continues to put in the work in the gym. One of the great things about being my father’s son is that I get to meet some really unbelievable people from different places. I believe this kid’s name was Emanuel and he was from Nigeria.

Friday, I got an 83 on my science test. I did all right considering that the test was very difficult. My mom and dad were not that excited though. “You killed your A average”, my dad said when I told him. I will definitely do better on my next science test. When I got home I was supposed to have team practice with Final, but my dad called it off. So all I really did was sit back, relax, and play MW2 with a few kids from my school on line.

Saturday, I woke up at 6am to get ready for my tournament. Our first game was at 10:35am and we were playing up to 16u. The game was close throughout, and went into double overtime, but fortunately I hit a pull up with 2 seconds left to put us up by one to win the game. I hit a buzzer beater last season in the same gym. The second game we lost by 1 to a team we should have never lost to. Our transition defense was bad and we were not executing well. I missed a buzzer shot with from 25 feet as time ran out on us. Our last game we blew the team out by 30 or 40. We played well for our first tournament. We still need to work on a lot of things but overall I think we will be very good.

I went to my mom’s house after the game. I was trying to go see Paranormal Activity 3with my uncle but he got sick. So instead I just watched a few horror movies. Next week I have a few quizzes and tests so I will make sure to tell you how I do.

Peace
Tyus Battle

Curt Jones Class of 2016 (Richmond, VA)

Team Final Holding Tryouts

TEAM FINAL Boys basketball team will be hosting tryouts


DATE: Saturday November 5, 2011

For Grades: 6th / 7th Grade Boys

Time : 10am-12pm

Location: Life Center Academy
2045 Columbus Road ,Burlington NJ

Cost: $20

For more information Contact us at:

609-509-1859 or Email at TeamFinalAAU@yahoo.com


You can also visit our website:

WWW.TeamFinalAAU.net or www.TeamFinalAAU.com

Prayer For A Perfect Season Film Review

After watching “Prayer For A Perfect Season” I must say that HBO did an excellent job showing St. Patricks quest for a national championship. The film is built around their winner take all game against St. Anthony.

This movie depicts the adversity that the players and coaches went through while trying to get the ultimate prize. In the past St. Patricks has worn the villain hat but I think this picture will change the minds of many of those naysayers. “Prayer For A Perfect” season left no stone unturned.

I would like to personally thank HBO for sending me an advanced copy and encourage all you guys to tune in October 25th on HBO at 9:00 PM for the world premiere. Get your popcorn ready because it’s definitely worth the watch.

Introducing Christian Martinez (San Antonio, TX)

DC Assault Takes HOF 15U Crown

DC Assault Racking Up Titles

DC Assault continues to show early dominance by winning the Hall Of Fame, Philadelphia Classic 15U Championship. Here’s a breakdown of their road to the crown.

Pool Play
DCA 60 East Coast Elite 15U 19
DCA 71 PW Elite 15U 40

Semi-Final
DCA 61 Jersey Shore Warriors 15U 49

Championship
DCA 63 Keystone Blazers 15U 54

Jamar Watson
Jamir Moultrie
Mickey Bell
Anthony Cowan
Blake Francis
Sam Green
Ako Adams
Sean Strittmatter
Reggie Gardner
Alani Moore
Joe Hampton
Arehon Harrison

Coach: Zach Suber
Asst. Coach: Reggie Gardner

Tip Off Classic Almost Here

The Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic formerly the Grand Finale will take place December 3rd and 4th. This event will be Basketball Spotlight’s first leg to the Grand Finale formerly Summer Slam. This event has already garnered attention from some of the top teams in the country. Don’t miss your chance to start your season against the top competition while gaining the best exposure. Space is limited for this event. Check out action from last year's event.

Click Here To Register Online

Double Tree To Host Tip Off Classic

The Doubletree Hotel in Tinton Falls, NJ will be the official host for the Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic. The hotel sits only 5 minutes from Hoop Group Headquarters and includes a continental breakfast. Click the link below to register for rooms.

Hotel Registration

Team Scan Ready To Go Again!

Team Scan Is Back And Strong As Ever!

The Mighty Team Scan is off and running after winning two fall tournaments. They won the Adidas Challenge in Connecticut and the Basketbull Columbus Day Classic. Congrats to Team Scan’s coaches and players for their early success. They are gearing up for the Tip Off Classic.