Hello Basketball World! This whole week was very busy. Let’s begin with last Sunday. I played in a local fall league and had a very good game. After that game, my parents drove me to King of Prussia to play with Team Final. We again played a much older team and came out with a ton of energy and ended up winning by 15 points. Shout out to my teammates Quade, Nick, Keith, Isaiah, Gabe and Antone!
On Monday, I had a soccer game. Because some of the older players (not me) were disrespectful to our coach, they were “benched” for the first 20 minutes of the game. And since all the younger players were in, the other team came out strong with two goals in the first half. Then, during the second half, when all the main players were in, the other team didn’t score and we ended up winning three to two! I had eight saves.
On Tuesday, I had a Spanish test which included 100 verbs. I studied for more than 2 hours for it and all that studying paid off: I got a 99 out of 100! After school my dad and I went to a local gym and got up over 200 shots. It was a very intense workout.
On Wednesday, I was planning on going home from school to study all night for the three big tests on Thursday. But God had a different plan in mind. I learned, when my mom picked me up from school, that I had a game with Team Final in Chester. So I ate my dinner in the car and studied on the way there. We played the number one seed in the league and they used their strength to get a lot of offensive rebounds. We ended up losing the game by about 20 points. But it was good for us because the other team was made up of seven good 10th graders and a few ninth graders.
On Thursday, I got up at 6:30 a.m. to continue studying for the three tests I had. I felt that I did well on all the tests. That night I worked on my ball handling.
Friday was a day off for our school, so my mom and I went to work out. As usual, Obe Roundtree gave me one of the hardest workouts I’ve ever had. We did exercises that strengthen my upper body, lower body and core. Plus, he even threw in jumping and conditioning. After we got home, I worked on my ball handling and my shot. That afternoon I watched my school’s volleyball team play. They didn’t have a score keeper, so I volunteered. The girls played well. That night I visited with my grandmother (Lulu) who lives very close to me. We like watching old comedies. I love spending time with her; she has the best sense of humor and we always laugh so much together.
Saturday I was at The Haverford School open gym from 9 am. to 12 noon. I felt that I played well against some very talented high school players and ex-college players from around the Philadelphia area. The games were very physical and intense. That night I had a local game in the SCBL (Select Competition Basketball League) in Allentown. I knew it was going to be a hard game because I knew a lot of the players on the other team and they are very good. And thanks to God I had one of the best games of my life. I had 31 points and six assists. I connected on five three-pointers. We won the game by six points.
So that was my week. And I have a few shout outs. First off , Lou Benson, Jr.: thanks for giving me a lot of support over the years (Lou played professional ball), Obe Roundtree , the best trainer in the world, Coach Craig and Ed Jennings of SCBL, and always, God!
See you guys next week!
The Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic will be here December 1st and 2nd. Last year’s event brought out some of the best players in the country. I’m excited to see what the youngsters have in store this year. Stay tuned as we bring you more news on teams and players coming to this event. Check out the highlights from the Tip Off Classic 2011.
The Diary of Kyle Anderson Feb. 2nd, 2008 Kyle Anderson is one of the top ranked 8th Graders in America. Basketball Spotlight has decided to give you a peek inside the life of this young phenom. We are posting a weekly diary with the words coming straight from KA Jr. himself. Meet Mr. Anderson.
Hello, my name is Kyle Anderson and I am a 6'4 8th grader from Fairview, New Jersey. I attend Lincoln public school in Fairview. I enjoy doing many things in my life. Of course basketball is at the top of that list, but I also enjoy playing football, hanging out with my friends, and spending time with my family.
Spending time with my family is always important. Whether it's sitting on the couch with my sisters Brittany and Tai, playing video games with my brothers Duane or Jamar or just discussing wins and loses with my mother over dinner I truly enjoy my time with my family. My family has been very important to me in my short life and I love them very much.
In my basketball life, I play with several different teams. I play with two different AAU teams and my school team. Both my AAU teams are two of the best teams in the country, but they are in different age divisions. My school team, the Lincoln Tigers is a lot of fun. It may not be tough competition, but I have to admit it's mad fun. Playing with kids you grew up with and sat in the stands with thinking "I can't wait until I can play on the team" is crazy. All of a sudden it's your time to "rep" your school. My school team is undefeated and I am averaging 33 points a game. As for my AAU teams, that's a little different. My 8th grade team is the Long Island Lightning and we came in 5th place in last years Nationals. The year before last in Newport News Va. we won the whole thing. We were the 12U AAU National Champions. The crazy thing about that is two years before that we came in 82nd out of 106 teams. That poor finish motivated me to win a National CHIP. I see the Long Island Lightning as my second family. I also play for the PLAYAZ BASKETBALL CLUB. I play for the 15U team and have played with them since I was 7 years old. Back then Tamir "Pop" Jackson of St Benedicts, Jayon James, Fuquan Edwin of Paterson Catholic and Brian Lewis of Eastside were on the team. If there is a conflict between the two teams (and there always is) I chose to play with the PLAYAZ. I have been the point guard on that team since I was 9. Since then me and Myles Mack of Paterson Catholic have been the starting back court. This summer with the PLAYAZ we won the Nike Main Event 14U out in Las Vegas which was really a great time on and off the court.
Well, it's getting late so it's time to wrap things up. I do want to say congrates to the Giants fans for their Super Bowl victory. Oh yea, on Wednesday Feb 6th me and my mom are going to St Lucia for a vacation, I let you know how that goes. So til next time this is Kyle Anderson signing out!!
They say point guards are born to play the position. This must be true with Tremont Waters. I’ve seen some Baby Ballers that had cute games but this kid showed some natural feel for the game at age six. Wow Waters is definitely a natural.
The Basketball Spotlight Tip Off Classic is coming December 1st and 2nd. This is the official start of the “Road To The Grand Finale”. We are getting tons of interest already please confirm your spot now and don’t be left out of this event. Listed below are the teams that will be participating in this event.
8th Grade Teams 1. Team Final 2. Playaz 3. CIA Bounce (Red) 4. Albany Dream Team 5. JCBC 6. DC Assault 7. Blue Magic 8. Hoop Nation Elite 9. Team Melo 10. Expressions (Black) 11. Expressions (Red) 12. Wall 2 Wall 13. Quincy Douby All Stars 14. ESYC 15. Team Scan 16. Playtime 17. MCB Elite (Red) 18. MCB Elite (Blue) 19. JSL Hoops 20. Team Takeover 21. St. Michaels 22. CBC 23. Hilltoppers Heat 24. CB Warriors 25. NWK 26. Milbank 27. Black Mamba's 28. Hoop Heaven Elite 29. UPlay (Canada) 30. PYO 31. New Heights
7th Grade Teams 1. Team IZOD (Supreme Team) 2. Team Final 3. Mass Shooting Stars 4. We R One (ECE) 5. Wall 2 Wall 6. JCBC 7. Team Rebels 8. Team Melo 9. CIA Bounce (Red) 10. CIA Bounce (Black) 11. NJ Shore Shots 12. Quincy Douby All Stars 13. Playtime 14. CJ Hawks 15. Riverside Rens (Council) 16. NWK 17. T One Ballers 18. Playaz 19. On Point Cyclones 20. Milbank 21. Riverside Rens (Lawrence) 22. 6th Man Warriors 23. Brooklyn Lions 24. CIA Bounce (White) 25. Play Hard Squad 26. New Heights 27. CMEK Hornets 28. Diamonds In A Rough 29. Team Takeover 30. NYC Rise Panthers
6th Grade Teams 1. We R One (ECE) 2. Playaz 3. Wall 2 Wall 4. Team Melo 5. Hoop Nation Elite 6. God’s Glory 7. Team Final 8.Team First 9. CJ Hawks 10. New Heights 11. ETU Select 12. Mid Jersey Mavericks 13. NWK 14. T One Ballers 15. On Point Cyclones 16. Milbank 17. Riverside Rens (JP) 18. Riverside Rens (Harris) 19. 6th Man Warriors VA 20. CIA Bounce 21. Gauchos 22. Brooklyn Kings
5th Grade Teams 1. God's Glory (A) 2. CJ Hawks 3. Team Takeover 4. On Point Cyclones 5. Team Phenom 6. NYC Rise Panthers 4th Grade Teams 1. God's Glory (A) 2. God's Glory (B) 3. Bayshore Bulldogs 4. CJ Hawks 5. Playtime 6. NYC Rise Panthers
The Playtime Panthers will be holding tryouts October 6th and 13th. The details of his age group his listed on the flyer above. Make sure you arrive 15 minutes before your age group tryout.
The Allentown Eastside Youth Center defeated Brooklyn Badgers 75-68 to the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest Title. We would like to congratulate ESYC on their victory and look forward to seeing them at the Tip Off Classic.
Basketball Spotlight and I’m Possible Training have joined forces to bring you the best basketball event of the year! The Inaugural 2012 East Coast Super Skillcase.
The 2012 East Coast Super Skillcase, directed by world renowned skills coach, Micah Lancaster, will feature the same advanced teaching and instruction that is offered at Nike skill academies and NBA workouts. Micah Lancaster has directed a Nike related training academy with Kobe Bryant and has worked with NBA players such as Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Mario Chalmers, and Nolan Smith along with many others. Now players, grades five through eight, will have the same opportunity as NBA, college, and high school stars to experience Micah's innovative skill training and teaching techniques. The Skillcase is designed to make every player feel like they are alone in the gym with Micah.
Players will be brought through elite skills training in the morning and a competitive five on five game sessions in the afternoon all under the watchful eye of Mike Melton's Basketball Spotlight. Camp video highlights and player analysis will be posted on www.bballspotlight.com at the conclusion of the event.
Through innovative NBA skills training, organized competition, and the presence of Basketball Spotlight, each player will be given the unique opportunity to "skillcase" themselves by flashing their talents, improving their skills, and showcasing their game like never before!
Space is limited. Register online now! www.skillcase.org
Where: Atlantic City High School
When: October 27-28, 2012
Who: Boy's 5th-8th grade, Classes of 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
Cost: $199
For Hotel Information Visit www. skillcase.org
Super guard Jamir Moutrie scored 27 points to lead DC Assault to a 57-40 victory over rival Team Takeover. The win gave DC Assault the Bullis fall tournament 8th Grade championship. Congrats to DC Assault for winning the crown.
Hey Basketball World! How is everybody doing? I had a great week! It was extremely busy. Let’s start with last Sunday. I had two games; one in Allentown and one at King of Prussia Competitive Edge. I played well and with a lot of energy and most importantly my teams won both games. On Monday I had soccer practice and my parents picked me up and we went right to The Chester Boys and Girls Club for a Team Final game. Even though we lost, we got better since we played a much older and more physical team.
Tuesday morning my mom and I got up at 6:00 a.m. to workout with my trainer, Obe Roundtree in Bethlehem. We do full-circle training which means we do exercises to strengthen the entire body with an emphasis on core workouts. It is an extremely hard workout, but I love it and can see the positive results in just four weeks. As soon as the two fall basketball leagues are finished, I will be going to these workouts three times per week. After school, I had a soccer game. I had 12 saves in the game which was fantastic! Even though we lost, my coach was very happy with me and the progress I’m making. That night I worked out in a local gym with Derrick Mims who is one of my favorite coaches in Allentown. Coach “D” has been helping me develop my basketball skills since I was eight years old. He is very intense, a great teacher and mentor. Thank you, Coach “D” for always supporting me.
On Wednesday, my school had “Prayer at the Pole” at 7:15 a.m. It was great to see so many of my classmates there praying together. We are so blessed to be able to openly pray to our Lord in this country. Wednesday night I went to another Chester Game. We lost in overtime, with only four players. One of our players fouled out in the second half. We played very sloppy as a team. We need to be very sharp on every aspect of the game; even the little things when we play against bigger, stronger and older opponents.
On Thursday after school, I was invited to an open gym by The Haverford School’s assistant coach Leon Dales, III. It was a great workout and I got to compete against some very good high school talent. And thank God that I was playing great because Haverford’s head coach Henry Fairfax told me half-way through the practice that there was a major D-1 head coach watching. I shouldn’t name the coach just in case there is an NCAA ruling against this. It was an honor to play in front of such a prestigious college coach.
On Friday I had a lot of tests and did very well in all of them. I worked out by myself after school and then that night I attended a school social party which was a lot of fun. On Saturday my dad and I went to Muhlenberg College to watch a high school showcase. During the day I caught up with two previous Basketball Spotlight “Diary of a Baller” writers: Otis Livingston and Tyus Battle. That was cool because I have read their diaries and they told me that they read mine.
And I almost forgot, I was invited to play in the “Coaches vs. Cancer” All-Star game on October 30th. I was really excited about getting selected by Frank Murphy and look forward to playing against some of the top eighth and ninth graders in the country for a great cause.
And remember our Team Final Motto: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Nate Pierre Louis got things over very early by choosing to attend St. Peters Prep High School in the fall. The two-time Player Of The Year Pierre Louis has been one of the highest scorer’s in the country the last few years while playing for Team IZOD while leading his team to several Basketball Spotlight championships.
His father and coach Franz Pierre Louis loves this choice; “First and foremost our family will like to thank all of the high schools that showed interest in Nathaniel and wish you all well during your high school season. Nate chose St. Peters Prep because he felt it was the perfect fit academically and athletically. He looks forward to succeeding in the classroom and on the floor. He should be a great addition to the young talent at the Prep."
Basketball Spotlight would like to congratulate Nate Pierre Louis on his high school selection and look forward to watching him perform on the Spotlight circuit this season.
Mass Shooting Stars used a balanced attack to run past Wall 2 Wall 69-32 and win the Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest 13U Championship. Devandre Edmonds led the scoring for MSS while Tim Gribb led W2W in the loss.
Top Performers
Devandre Edmonds Forward (MSS)- After a slow start Edmonds totally dominated W2W inside. If he wasn’t knocking down the short jumper at the foul line he was scoring off the screen and roll. He came to life in the second half on the glass by dropping in put backs and controlling the paint defensively.
Stephon Baxter Guard (MSS)- The pint sized floor general was a total pest on defense by turning ball handlers and forcing several turnovers. On offense he directed the traffic and made sure his teammates got the rock in the correct place. He showed tremendous heart and toughness today.
Paul Durkee Guard (MSS)- A key addition now has Durkee primarily on the wing which has opened his game up. He still shows the knack to score from anywhere on the floor but he also took over the point guard responsibilities when things got physical. I like the way he’s developing.
Scott Graziano Forward (MSS)- Graziano is the new addition that allows Durkee to roam the perimeter. He’s a rugged forward that hits the glass on the weak side and nail the open 10 footer. His presence will definitely help MSS move forward this season.
Shivam Sharma Guard (MSS)- Sharma made W2W pay when the collapsed in the paint by nailing 5 treys in their victory. He was very aggressive and wasn’t gun shy in his NJ appearance with this group. His long range accuracy will keep the pressure off of the forwards.
Jayson Whyte Forward (W2W)- When it’s all said and done don’t be surprised if Chico becomes the best prospect out of everyone listed in this article. His body indicates that he should stretch out deep into the 6 foot category. Right now he lacks the strength and game to impact but that might change down the road.
Timmy Gribb Guard (W2W)- Gribb was a bright spot for W2W. He scored the ball well off the bounce and didn’t back down even when the game got out of control. I like some of the wiggle he showed and look forward to seeing him again.
Name: Lance Ford AAU Team: MCB Elite Position: Wing Guard Class: 2017 Event: Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest Analysis: I like some of the talent I see in Ford even though he’s still raw. He shows some athleticism and scoring prowess but must learn to play under more control while also playing on the left side of the floor. On this squad he’s the go to guy which causes him to take too many unauthorized shots. He should be considered a talented work in progress.
Name: Damon Harge AAU Team: Showtime All Stars Position: Point Guard Class: 2018 Event: Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest Analysis: Harge arrive in New Jersey with a lot of national hype. During his first game the 7th Graders showed dominance against a low level 15U squad. The real test was in their second contest versus an aggressive PYO squad. The Philly boys tried to rattle the youngster but he played like he was accustomed to the environment. He showed some quickness handling the pill and enough strength to fight through the traps. He showed range on his shot even though most of his shots rimmed in and out. Damon’s talent and feel for the game with very apparent and I didn’t see a guard during my time in Hampton (6th Grade AAU Nationals) that could match him right now.
Name: Jordan Riley AAU Team: Showtime All Stars Position: Forward Class: 2017 Event: Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest Analysis: In their first game blow out on the 15U level, Riley made some strides on offense but didn’t look to show the same effort on the defensive end. In their second contest against better competition Riley showed the effort that made him an early national name on this level. Despite playing up Jordan was still a load to handle in the paint. He cleared space to score and was a problem on the glass. He needs to bring the same intensity each game on the floor. Hopefully, it will come with maturity.
Name: Jamir Harris AAU Team: Playaz Position: Combo Guard Class: 2017 Event: Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest Analysis: Just when you wondered where the Playaz would get there next gun in steps “The Terminator. Today, Harris was very aggressive with the rock in his hands. I like the height and accuracy on his mid-range pull up. He also showed some extended range. He will definitely be a dominate scorer on this level therefore he now needs work on his facilitating skills. I see point guard position in his future so gearing up early will be in his best interest.
Name: Marcus McClary AAU Team: Playaz Position: Wing Guard Class: 2017 Event: Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest Analysis: McClary was a key pick up for the Paterson based squad after reclassifying into the Class of 2017. He consistently charged the rock down the throat of the defense while finishing strong at the rim. He’s a tough competitor especially from the foul line in. To make the transition onto the high school level he will need work on his ball handling and decision making on the perimeter.
