Pick and Roll Series: Part 3

During Part 2 of the Pick and Roll series, we observed the CHVAA Patriots and their success against the Augusta Eagles in creating open shooting opportunities using the "pick and pop."

Part 3 of the Pick and Roll Series observes some of the ways teams use the screen and roll to force the defense to make mistakes in helping and rotating to cover for teammates, allowing the offense easy opportunities.  Video footage of two young, but fundamentally sound, AAU teams, the 14 and Under Kentucky Elite and the 15 and Under Georgia Defenders Elite, is used to show how good spacing, patience, and solid dribbling and passing skills, will enable a team to use the screen and roll to free players up for high percentage shots.  Enjoy.

Georgia Defenders Finish in Final 8 at Showcase in Orlando, FL

The Georgia Defenders Select 15 and Under AAU basketball team finished as one of the eight best teams in the 2011 15u AAU Super Showcase in Orlando, Florida.  The highly competitive field featured 96 teams from all over the United States.  After winning the first five games, including impressive victories versus Team Final, the Philadelphia based powerhouse that draws players from Central Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, and the CIA Bounce, a Canadian program that is widely recognized as one of the strongest in North America, the Defenders fell to the CP3 All Stars, named after NBA All Star Chris Paul.

The Georgia Defenders have proven to be one of the best 15 and Under teams in the country after an impressive showing in the intensely competitive July "recruiting period."  The mixture of talented players and sound coaching is tough to match at the high school level.  The Defenders feature three interior players (JT Grant, Cedric Turmen, and Vincent Hicklin) who can score, rebound, and defend.  These abilities do not go to waste.  Defenders Coach Michael Stokes' offensive system and the skilled and unselfish play of guards Michael Scott, Ahmed Hill, Jared Coleman, and Marcus Stroman provide great opportunities for the inside players to use their skills.

Strong inside play will make for a good team.  But the Defenders are exceptional because they combine good inside play with impressive play on the perimeter.  Shooting guard Ahmed Hill scores in bunches (see the video in this post for an example).  Hill is skilled and athletic enough to be dangerous from the 3 point line, from mid range, and in the paint.  Like most good scorers, he also has a knack for getting fouled enough to shoot a lot of free throws.

Michael Scott, a solid point guard who attends Aquinas High School in Augusta, Georgia, runs the offense effectively and consistently puts the ball in the hands of the appropriate players in the places on the floor where they are most effective.  Scott's defensive ability may be his biggest asset.  Although he is usually the smallest player on the court, size is certainly no liability on the defensive end as he routinely harasses opposing guards, forcing turnovers and disrupting offenses.  Marcus Stroman is another intelligent guard who, as a freshman, led Keenan High School to the 2A South Carolina State Championship.  Add sharp shooting guard Jared Coleman to the mix, and it is easy to see why the Defenders have been so successful.  Watch the video below to see these Georgia Defenders Select players and other talented teammates in action during the Super 32 Showcase in Aiken, South Carolina, earlier in July.

Defenders Select Peach State Update

Twice this week we have posted (here and here) video highlights of the Defenders Select, a 16 and Under AAU team featuring two Augusta area players, Matt Miller (homeschool Augusta Eagles) and Michael Scott (Aquinas High School).  After finishing as the runner up in last weekend's "Super 32" tournament in Aiken, SC, the Defenders won all 5 pool games and advanced to bracket play as the first seed from Pool D in the "Peach State Summer Showcase" in Augusta, GA.  The Defenders were defeated Thursday evening in the quarterfinals by the Carolina Hurricanes.

In addition to the Augusta based players mentioned, the Defenders feature explosive guard Ahmed Hill (#10), forward JT Grant (#23), and center CJ Turman (#33), among other talented players.  The Defenders' next tournament is the "Fab 48" in Las Vegas starting July 22.

Check out highlights from the Defenders' latest 66-41 win versus the Baltimore Stars.  Also, click here for more information about the Peach State Summer Showcase.

Peach State Highlights - Defenders Select vs Atlanta Express

Earlier this week, we featured the 16 and Under Defenders Select AAU basketball team.  The Defenders have now won its first three games of the 2011 Peach State Summer Showcase in Augusta, GA.  The latest win, versus the Atlanta Express, was the team's most difficult contest and its most impressive showing.  After the Defenders led 27-20 at halftime, the Express made a 14-3 run and took a 34-30 lead.  But a barrage of jump shots by Defender guard Ahmed Hill enabled the Defenders to regain the lead and claim a 49-43 win.  Ahmed Hill scored 32 points to lead the Defenders, and Matt Miller added 9 in the victory.

The Defenders Select feature two Augusta area players, Matt Miller and Michael Scott of the homeschool Augusta Eagles and the Aquinas Fighting Irish, respectively.  Next, the Defenders play the South Piedmont Heat at 5 P.M. tonight at Greenbrier High School.  After that contest, the Defenders face the Baltimore Stars Thursday at 9 A.M. at Augusta Christian Schools.  Enjoy the highlights of the Defenders vs Express game.

"The Gym"

"The Gym" is a colloquialism commonly used by basketball players referencing the place where skills are developed and experience is gained.  After a poor performance, an aspiring ball player is put on notice by a respected coach or a more established player with a direct statement such as, "you need to get in the gym."  There is no single gym.  "The gym" can be the driveway with a hoop, the local park where players gather to play half court or full court games, the YMCA or recreation department facility where court time is earned by winning pick up games, the gymnasium or outdoor court that is used sparingly enough to allow the most dedicated player to practice his individual skills without the interference of others, the college basketball court where the most skilled players gather to test themselves against the best competition during the off season, or the school facility where formal practices and games are conducted.  This section of the blog examines the various competitive basketball events in the greater Augusta, Georgia, area:  the formal high school and college games, the spring and summer AAU events, the high school summer leagues and team camps, the competitive pick up games, and the individual workouts.

There is little debate about where "the gyms" are in Augusta, GA, this week (July 11, 2011):  The Peach Jam, a Nike sponsored AAU tournament featuring 40 of the most talented high school AAU teams in the country, and the Peach State Invitational, a tournament that in the past 5 years has gone from a field of 16 teams to one of more than 150 teams.

In this section's first post, we feature two teams in action this week.  The CIA Bounce will battle The Family in its first game of the 2011 Peach Jam Tuesday at 11:30 A.M. at Riverview Park in North Augusta.  The Bounce is a 16 and Under team from Ontario, Canada.  The Defenders Select, a team featuring three local players - Michael Scott, a rising sophomore at Aquinas High School; Matt Miller, a rising junior with the homeschool Augusta Eagles; and Austin Stokes, a rising sophomore at Westminster Schools - will compete in the 16 and Under division of the Peach State Invitational.  The Defenders' first game is Tuesday at 1 P.M. versus the South Carolina Raptors at Greenbrier High School.  See the video below for highlights of our two featured teams.