Yesterday we shared highlights and commentary from Saturday's opening game at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions: The Upward Stars (SC) vs Southern Select. It was difficult to imagine that the games following this hotly contested and well played 8 A.M. game between two of the southeast's best 17u teams could be matched in succeeding contests. But the 17u, 16u, and 15u teams that we followed through Saturday's rounds battled admirably to reach Sunday morning's semifinals. In the end, the only team from ABR's coverage schedule that advanced was the same Upward Stars 17u team that has been so successful all Spring. But the highlights below show that each team had exciting moments. And all undoubtedly benefited by participating in a tournament with a high level of competition. Enjoy the highlights of the teams we followed during Saturday's games.
17u Division
Upward Stars
We have yet to see this impressive group from South Carolina lose a game. The Stars won the Ice Breaker Invitational tournament and won every game during the King James Exposure tournament. And after winning a shootout against the highly regarded Southern Select Saturday morning, Upward proceeded to defeat Team Charlotte (see highlights directly below) and collect a comeback win over the formidable Florida Rams Saturday evening (watch the full game here).
South Georgia Kings
Since seeing them at the Ice Breaker Invitational and the King James Southern Exposure tournament, we have referred to the Kings' JJ Frazier and Aaron Scott as the "southeast's best back court." As we confessed here, we may not be qualified to make that claim after spending a relatively short amount of time evaluating the AAU scene. So maybe the "southeast's most exciting back court" is a more accurate description. But regardless of the wording, we believe the highlights from this game support our case. These guys are fun to watch, even in a losing effort.
16u Division
We have gotten quite familiar with the Worldwide Renegades 15u and the Georgia Stars Select 16u teams. The two Atlanta based teams met for the Ice Breaker Invitational championship last month and we were there to record and share a ton of highlights. And both teams returned to Riverview Park to have immense success at the King James Southern Exposure tournament. Each competed admirably yesterday but failed to advance to Sunday's final four round.
Worldwide 15u - Watch Jaylen Brown (#4), Terrance Phillips (#3), Ty Hudson (#0) and Renegades teammates lose a heart breaker after Alabama SAC makes a 3 pointer to win the game with less than 10 seconds remaining.
Georgia Stars Select - The Stars, who also won the Norman Parker Elite Showcase tournament in April, fell to the Birmingham Ice Express Saturday evening. See highlights below.
15u Division
The Will Avery Stars has a long history of success. After following the team deep into the AAU National Championships last July, we got our first look at many of the Augusta area's best ninth graders during the Stars' second round victory over the Gainesville Wildcats Saturday afternoon (see highlights directly below). The Stars later fell in third round action. We look forward to watching the team in the near future.
Showing posts with label South Georgia Kings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Georgia Kings. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday Recap... Saturday Preview
*Note: The "Live Stream of this morning's Southern Select vs Upward Stars game can be found at iHigh.com/hoopseen. Disregard the direction to go to our iHigh portal.
Friday was a great start to the weekend for ABR Live and the basketball teams we are covering this weekend. In Friday's "Weekend Plans" post, we shared our plans to be in three places at once this weekend. And our teams of interest all performed well Friday night, setting up an exciting Saturday for ABR viewers and readers.
Bob Gibbons TOC
Southern Select, featuring Westside High School's standout 6'4" Junior guard Frank Booker, advanced past the first round of bracket play Friday to set up a fascinating Saturday morning match up with the Upward Stars, based in upstate South Carolina.
We followed Booker throughout the high school season and through the first weeks of the ABR Spring League, and this is our first chance to get a close look at his AAU team, which weeks ago shocked many by defeating the Georgia Stars Elite team and the Atlanta Express in the Norman Parker Elite Showcase.
The Upward Stars are obviously not based in the Augusta area, but we feel like our area is Upward's home away from home after the Stars won the Ice Breaker Invitational and won all five King James Southern Exposure games. Both tournaments were hosted at Riverview Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, and ABR covered both extensively.
We are streaming the 8 A.M. Southern Select vs Upward Stars matchup at iHigh.com/augustabasketball, and we will provide highlights and commentary on this site. Additionally, we plan to provide highlights of the South Georgia Kings in their 9:20 A.M. matchup with the Flordia Rams. The Kings feature future UGA point guard JJ Frazier, exciting guard Aaron Scott, and workhorse Kirk Hill. The Kings are another of our "adopted teams," as we have enjoyed getting to know them during the past 6 weeks during their trips to Augusta. Watch this special feature on what we call the southeast's "best back court," and go here to find extensive coverage of the South Georgia Kings.
We are especially excited to provide highlights of one of Augusta's finest AAU teams, the Will Avery Stars, in their second round matchup at 12:10. The Stars defeated the Greensboro Warriors 61-49 Friday. Today is our first chance to see the Stars (an earlier attempt failed), but we enjoyed following this group of ninth graders last summer.
The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions is a "bracket play, elimination style tournament." We are happy that our friends from Southern Select, the Will Avery Stars, the Upward Stars, the Worldwide Renegades, the South Georgia Kings, and the Georgia Stars Select all advanced. And we will do our best to bring you highlights and information about as many of these teams as possible as they compete during Saturday's rounds.
Click here to see highlights from Sothern Select, the Upward Stars, and the Worldwide Renegades during Friday's opening round. And follow us on Twitter (@AugBball) for updates about today's coverage schedule.
Southern Stampede at the Nike Boo Williams Invitational
Our Friday "Weekend Plans" post highlighted the Southern Stampede 16u team and their Friday matchup with the nation's #1 ranked Texas Titans in the Nike Boo Williams Invitational. We anticipated a battle. The Stampede is ranked in the top 20 nationally, and as we say in the video below from last weekend's King James Southern Exposure tournament, the team is "loaded with weapons!"
And the Augusta based team, which features Aquinas High School guards Ahmed Hill and Michael Scott along with many of the southeast's best 10th grade basketball players, did not disappoint. The game was decided on the final possession as the Titans earned a 53-51 victory in the opening game of this famous tournament. Expect highlights from this and other Stampede games from this weekend early next week.
Garden City All Stars Classic
We especially enjoyed our time at Butler High school covering Friday's opening round of the GCA Hardwood Classic, which features AAU teams in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. One of our "ABR Live" reporters said it (or texted it) best during a 9u game: "These kids are a blast to watch!" It was fun to be a part of a great family atmosphere. All five of the Garden City All Star teams are exciting to watch. And the Southern Kings 12u, coached by former ASU Jaguar standout Adam Miller, is a particularly impressive team. We look forward to following the remainder of this tournament and suggest that Augusta's basketball fans consider stopping by Butler High School to watch these young boys compete.
Watch the highlights below from Friday's GCA Hardwood Classic action! (We have yet to finish the Garden City 12u game, one of the evening's most impressive performances. We will finish the highlights and post soon!)
Southern Kings 12u
Garden City 9u
Garden City 10u
Garden City 11u
Garden City 12u
Friday was a great start to the weekend for ABR Live and the basketball teams we are covering this weekend. In Friday's "Weekend Plans" post, we shared our plans to be in three places at once this weekend. And our teams of interest all performed well Friday night, setting up an exciting Saturday for ABR viewers and readers.
Bob Gibbons TOC
Southern Select, featuring Westside High School's standout 6'4" Junior guard Frank Booker, advanced past the first round of bracket play Friday to set up a fascinating Saturday morning match up with the Upward Stars, based in upstate South Carolina.
We followed Booker throughout the high school season and through the first weeks of the ABR Spring League, and this is our first chance to get a close look at his AAU team, which weeks ago shocked many by defeating the Georgia Stars Elite team and the Atlanta Express in the Norman Parker Elite Showcase.
The Upward Stars are obviously not based in the Augusta area, but we feel like our area is Upward's home away from home after the Stars won the Ice Breaker Invitational and won all five King James Southern Exposure games. Both tournaments were hosted at Riverview Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, and ABR covered both extensively.
We are streaming the 8 A.M. Southern Select vs Upward Stars matchup at iHigh.com/augustabasketball, and we will provide highlights and commentary on this site. Additionally, we plan to provide highlights of the South Georgia Kings in their 9:20 A.M. matchup with the Flordia Rams. The Kings feature future UGA point guard JJ Frazier, exciting guard Aaron Scott, and workhorse Kirk Hill. The Kings are another of our "adopted teams," as we have enjoyed getting to know them during the past 6 weeks during their trips to Augusta. Watch this special feature on what we call the southeast's "best back court," and go here to find extensive coverage of the South Georgia Kings.
We are especially excited to provide highlights of one of Augusta's finest AAU teams, the Will Avery Stars, in their second round matchup at 12:10. The Stars defeated the Greensboro Warriors 61-49 Friday. Today is our first chance to see the Stars (an earlier attempt failed), but we enjoyed following this group of ninth graders last summer.
The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions is a "bracket play, elimination style tournament." We are happy that our friends from Southern Select, the Will Avery Stars, the Upward Stars, the Worldwide Renegades, the South Georgia Kings, and the Georgia Stars Select all advanced. And we will do our best to bring you highlights and information about as many of these teams as possible as they compete during Saturday's rounds.
Click here to see highlights from Sothern Select, the Upward Stars, and the Worldwide Renegades during Friday's opening round. And follow us on Twitter (@AugBball) for updates about today's coverage schedule.
Southern Stampede at the Nike Boo Williams Invitational
Our Friday "Weekend Plans" post highlighted the Southern Stampede 16u team and their Friday matchup with the nation's #1 ranked Texas Titans in the Nike Boo Williams Invitational. We anticipated a battle. The Stampede is ranked in the top 20 nationally, and as we say in the video below from last weekend's King James Southern Exposure tournament, the team is "loaded with weapons!"
And the Augusta based team, which features Aquinas High School guards Ahmed Hill and Michael Scott along with many of the southeast's best 10th grade basketball players, did not disappoint. The game was decided on the final possession as the Titans earned a 53-51 victory in the opening game of this famous tournament. Expect highlights from this and other Stampede games from this weekend early next week.
Garden City All Stars Classic
We especially enjoyed our time at Butler High school covering Friday's opening round of the GCA Hardwood Classic, which features AAU teams in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. One of our "ABR Live" reporters said it (or texted it) best during a 9u game: "These kids are a blast to watch!" It was fun to be a part of a great family atmosphere. All five of the Garden City All Star teams are exciting to watch. And the Southern Kings 12u, coached by former ASU Jaguar standout Adam Miller, is a particularly impressive team. We look forward to following the remainder of this tournament and suggest that Augusta's basketball fans consider stopping by Butler High School to watch these young boys compete.
Watch the highlights below from Friday's GCA Hardwood Classic action! (We have yet to finish the Garden City 12u game, one of the evening's most impressive performances. We will finish the highlights and post soon!)
Southern Kings 12u
Garden City 9u
Garden City 10u
Garden City 11u
Garden City 12u
Sunday, April 22, 2012
King James Southern Exposure: South Ga Kings Defeat Baltimore Stars
The Augusta Basketball Report is broadcasting live at our iHigh Portal from the King James Southern Exposure Tournament in North Augusta, SC. The tournament is noteworthy because it features some of the best AAU teams in the southeast United States. And this is the first of two "evaluation weekends," when college coaches can evaluate high school players during an AAU tournament. In addition to the live streaming broadcast, we are "live tweeting" from our Twitter feed (@AugBball), and we are updating this site with highlights, news, and commentary.
In our initial story about the Worldwide Renegades 17u team, we referred to our relative lack of familiarity with the broad AAU "circuit." It is certainly true that we have "been around the block" more than a few times when it comes to Spring and Summer basketball. But there are certainly many media outlets who have more current knowledge of the AAU teams in and around the southeast than we.
In our initial story about the Worldwide Renegades 17u team, we referred to our relative lack of familiarity with the broad AAU "circuit." It is certainly true that we have "been around the block" more than a few times when it comes to Spring and Summer basketball. But there are certainly many media outlets who have more current knowledge of the AAU teams in and around the southeast than we.
So we realize that when we call the South Georgia Kings' dynamic back court of UGA bound JJ Frazier and Aaron Scott the "Southeast's best back court," the experts in the field are likely to doubt our claim. After all, even Coach Jessie Flemming's own players got into a good natured argument with each other Sunday outside of Riverview Park when I told them my opinion (apparently some of the players think the guards at their own high school hold this title!).
Our reaction to the doubters? If there are tandems on the Southeast Summer and Spring circuit that are more exciting than this duo, we are excited to find them, film them, and write about them. So judge for yourselves by watching the highlights of Frazier (#8), Scott (#5), 6'4" teammate Kirk Hill (#21), and the rest of this fine team from in and around the Savannah, Georgia, area.
First Half Highlights: South Georgia Kings vs Baltimore Stars
Second Half Highlights: South Georgia Kings vs Baltimore Stars
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Ice Breaker Bracket Play: South GA Kings Defeat Augusta Metros
The South Georgia Kings, led by UGA commit JJ Frazier, knocked the Augusta Metros out of bracket play. The Kings now advance to Sunday's round. View the first half highlights below.
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