NYBL Represented in AAU U-13 Final 4

Team Melo-AAU U-13 Runner-Up

By the time the U-13 AAU Nationals wrapped up in Greensboro, NC earlier this week, 2 NYBL teams had punched their thicket to the final 4 and were still in the hunt for a championship. The Maryland-based Team Melo is certainly no stranger to national championship games, as just a few short week ago they battled the Oakland Soldiers in the championship game of the NYBL Finals in Columbus, Ohio. As was the case in Columbus, Team Melo fell short, ultimately finishing second to Mike Saunders’ George Hill Rising Stars squad. Without some of their star players, Coach Bill Francis’ team still managed to scratch and claw their way to the final game.  From most accounts, the play of Jeremy Roach was spectacular, as he willed his team to the championship game.

San Diego Select-4th Place

Steve Wade’s San Diego Select team had a good run through the NYBL season, and although they stumbled a bit in the league finals in June, they were well prepared to make a run to the AAU Final 4. After defeating a CBC Elite (another NYBL team) in the quarter-finals (52-42), San Diego faced off against George Hill in the semifinal game. San Diego would take the eventual national champion to the wire, but would eventually come up short (46-45) and have play for 3^rd or 4^th place. In the semifinal consolation game, San Diego would suffer a second straight loss at the hands of the New York Gouaches (56-61) and finished 4^th. Not only did NYBL teams represent half of the Final 4, there were a total of 5 NYBL teams in the Elite 8 (Oakland Solders, CBC Elite and Team Loaded Red). Congratulations to all of the NYBL teams that placed at the AAU Nationals this week. Finally, congrats go out to Mike Saunders Sr. and the George Hill Rising Stars for taking the championship!