By: Julia Funderburk
Saturday at the showcase foreshadowed a championship Sunday of high intensity, grit, and tough games.' All teams that returned for day two at Nation's Ford High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina, were rearing to get back to the four courts and play for their chance at a trophy.' One of the first games of the day set the tone that stayed with all players and coaches for the rest of the day.' Team Loaded 704 and Team Winston, a 16U matchup, got things started.' Team Winston went on a run, early, and never wavered.' One of their many strengths came from grabbing offensive boards and taking advantage of second-chance points.' Hustle and hard work ethic were shown by both teams, Team Winston cruising to a 61-26 win.' A standout player from the entire showcase was Anthony Sellars.' The 6'6 small forward from the class of 2021 notched 22 points this game.
Immediately after this game, CP3 class of 2022 played Team Hickory.' Deante Green, a 6'8 forward, showed a monster offensive presence'he can score, grab boards, and make the necessary passes to help his teammates.' This big man moves fluidly and kept the intensity flowing even when the number one team in the country got out to a 30-point lead.
Most of the action'elimination games and championship games'took place on court three.' The Juice All-Stars, an elite team from Saturday, fought hard against the Greensboro Warriors.' This 17U matchup was an emotional one.' Strong performances from Jordan Williams (class of 2020) and Ahmil Flowers (class of 2020), especially at the end from the free throw line, helped the Warriors advance on a narrow 4-point victory.' The final score was 72-68.
Sunday's steady crowd filtered in and out but the largest audience of the day was for another 17U matchup, this time between DTA Elite and Team Charlotte.' Coach Jeff McInnis (Team Charlotte) was fired up all weekend and this game was certainly no different.' DTA Elite's combination guards lit it up from beyond the arc while the big men for Team Charlotte drove to the basket again and again.' Both teams followed their shots to the rim for second chances, and went on short runs that made the crowd active.' Daniel Ransom, a standout from Saturday, impressed once again and his high-octane, intelligent style of play lifted his team to the championship game.
Within minutes, the 17U championship between Team Charlotte and Greensboro Warriors looked like it was over.' Team Charlotte was hot early and went up 20-6 halfway through the first.' They looked unstoppable.' The Warriors brought energy, but it didn't match the electricity that Team Charlotte showed throughout the entire first half.' At halftime, the Greensboro Warriors found themselves with a 16-point deficit.' They eventually found their groove and rightfully frustrated Team Charlotte, who wasn't used to being stopped or at the very least, slowed down, when they narrowed Charlotte's lead to 5 points with 3 minutes remaining.' A player that deserves recognition for his performance in this game, and in the Warriors' games all weekend is Ahmil Flowers.' Flowers is a 6'4 small forward in the class of 2020.
This weekend's showcase had no shortage of talent, drama, and excitement.' Some teams were victorious and left the gym feeling proud of what they accomplished; others left with plans to right the ship and come back stronger.' Players received well-deserved exposure, in-person and on social media.' The Phenom hoops JMAC Showcase was a successful event and certainly did not disappoint.
Teams that Impressed:
Greensboro Warriors: An observation from this weekend's showcase is that the Greensboro Warriors like to be aggressive early and control the game from the start.' They also have players like Khalid Hines who want to be a part of every play.' He was seen sprinting up and down the court to make the shot and block his opponent's on the other end multiple times this weekend.' Another important part of their game is their composure in frustrating situations.' When their first opponent of day two, the Juice All-Stars, kept hitting threes and ended up going on a run to end the first half, they kept their cool.' When they weren't hitting shots, this team remained calm and turned it up a notch on defense.' They didn't panic, but instead looked for easy shots and played a tight man-to-man defense that ended up shutting the Juice All-Stars down and sending them home.' Their position in the championship game against Team Charlotte was undoubtedly earned.
Team Charlotte 17U:' This team won their bracket.' Each game they played showcased toughness, strength, and constant pressure.' They're excellent in terms of communicating with each other, being extra vocal and calling plays to each other.' When the offense gets hot, they're dangerous; they're known to go on lethal 10-0 runs with opponents finding themselves stuck in a hole they won't be able to climb out of.' This squad goes deep, too.' More than once, Coach McInnis subbed at least four players at a time, getting his starters some rest and the rest of his players some considerable minutes.' They have size, speed, and experience, and their win on Sunday proves they're right where they need to be.
DTA Elite: A strong pair of combination guards in Anthony Allen and Trevon Williams leads this fiery offense.' Smaller than most teams in the showcase, this team was able to capitalize on fast breaks and steals.' Their speed helped the defensive battle they found themselves in against Team Charlotte.' Sunday's pure shooter award is easily given to Anthony Allen, who hit a few three pointers early and made the crowd go wild.' Another specialty of this team is the ferocity with which they dunk the ball.' On more than one occasion, shooting guard Trevon Williams threw it down, hard, sending fans for DTA Elite and Team Charlotte alike into a unanimous frenzy.' Though they were unable to take down Team Charlotte, the eventual winners of their bracket, they held their own despite being at a size and rotational disadvantage, losing by just 10 points.
Team CP3: The current number one team in the country is humble and doesn't let the exhaustion from being chased by other hungry teams that are eager for their top ranking phase them one bit.' This team is modest.' They're loud when they need to be, when they're setting screens or shifting plays, but there's hardly any trash talk.' A few of their players admitted that their team almost always gets off to a rocky start in the first half.' Team Winston, who started off hot, went up on the CP3 team by more than twelve points with only six minutes remaining in the first.' By the end of the first half, CP3 was up by a basket.' They get the job done without drawing extra attention to themselves.' A very physical second half came from playing a team that matched well against this top team.' The score was close, but CP3 secured an 83-75 victory, led by 6'4 shooting guard Kheni Briggs (28 pts) and 6'0 point guard Khalil Marshall (13 pts, 8 assists).' Both are from the class of 2022.