Team Charlotte 2019 Poised for Breakout in the NYBL

Team Charlotte 2019

After a great showing at CP3’s tournament this past weekend in Winston Salem, NC, where Antijuan Love's 2019 Team Charlotte team stood toe to toe with some of  2019’s elite, the Charlotte, NC based team could make some serious noise when the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) season  tips off this weekend.  In Keyford Langley’s event, Team Charlotte defeated the defending AAU National Champion CP3 by a comfortable margin; later took down the Upstate Warriors and the Queen City Thunder, before losing to Team Florida in the championship game.  For the sake of full disclosure, Langley’s team was incomplete and was not expected to compete in the tournament portion of the event, but was forced into action after All-Ohio Red was an unexpected no-show.  With that said, Team Charlotte’s performance in Winston Salem was nothing less than impressive.

Team Charlotte is best described as “an up-tempo team that loves to get out in transition, press, trap and get up in your face defensively,” said Coach Love.  Team Charlotte’s top guy is Zeb Graham Jr. (5’11/PG/Fort Mill, SC) who has been described as one of the best PGs in a state full of talent. According to Love, Graham finished with 32 points against CP3 and dropped another 29 points on Team Florida. Other key pieces to Love’s squad includes Raquan Brown (6’2/SG/Charlotte, NC), who is big and can reportedly play all 5 positions; Matthew Smith (6’3/PF/Charlotte, NC), who is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker; and Nas Tyson (6’0/SG/Monroe, NC), who is described as super-fast.

Formally known as Charlotte Elite, Team Charlotte is sponsored by former NBA and Tarheel great Jeff McInnis and Under Armour, and is off to a 10-4 start to the new season.  That does not include an impressive run at the winter league in Charlotte where Love’s team only lost 2-3 games against high school aged players. When Love’s team arrives in Washington D.C. on Saturday for the tip-off of the NYBL they will be a virtual unknown.  When asked how competitive his team would be in the NYBL Love responded, “I have no clue how competitive we’ll be; I don’t know what’s out there. I know we will be competitive,” continued Love.  We just want to fly under the radar,” said Love.  With guys like Keyford Langley picking you as his “NYBL sleeper team,” we’re not sure how long Love expects to sneak up on teams. Team Charlotte will make their NYBL debut Saturday morning at 9:15am when they face off against Bmores Finest.

Buckeye Prep 2021 to Represent Columbus in NYBL

Patrick Daniels, Jayden Hawkins-White, Azzan Daniels, Malachi Branham & Will Miller

When the third season of the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) tips off in Washington D.C. next week, Columbus, Ohio will be well represented by Coach Aaron Brown’s 6^th grade Buckeye Prep squad.  Brown’s team has seen steady improvement over the past 2 years as evidenced by their 7^th and 15^th place finishes at the D-II AAU Nationals.  In addition, this past weekend, Brown’s squad played up in the 7^th grade division of Ohio Youth Basketball’s Dot.com Classic and more than competed against older kids. In fact, Brown’s team won the 7^th grade Shootout Bracket.

Although Brown has been able to maintain a good core group of kids over the past 3-4 years, with the addition of more size in the post in the form of Malachi Branham (5’9 PF) and Elijah English (5’9 PF), Brown believes he has closed the talent gap on other 6^th grade teams in the city and around the state. As further proof of his team’s talent, in the Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase last week, 5 of Brown’s players were selected to the prestigious all-star game, while Patrick Daniels’ game-high 14 points garnered him top 5 honors. Buckeye Prep’s core group includes Daaron Brown (5’2/P/SG), Azzan Daniels (5’2/PG), Patrick Daniels (5’7/WF) and Jayden White-Hawkins (5’5/SG). The rest of the roster includes Will Miller (5’9 C), Makhale Massie (5’9/WF), Damion Davis (5’2/PG), Mark Small (5’5/PF) and Jake McCon (5’1/G).

“This is by far my best team yet!!! I don't think anyone can argue we may be best team in our area,” said Brown. Other Ohio-based teams/programs headed to the NYBL this season include the Mid-Ohio Pumas, Ohio Basketball Club, SWO Elite, All-Ohio Red, King James, The Truth, Rail Cities Attack, EBO Hoops and the Dayton Wolves.

2015 Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Rankings

MVPs-Cameron Carlisle, Kaleb Martin & Sean Jones

Below is a link to the 2015 Spring Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase rankings. The rankings were based on where each player was ranked by their respective coach.  In general, #1, #2 and #3 ranked players were ranked in the top 20.  Also, for the most part, #1 ranked players from each team made the top 10.  In addition to the top 20 and top 10 rankings, a number of players were designated as "Best Defender," "Most Skilled," "Top Prospect," "Mr. Hustle," "Best Attitude" and "Top Underclassman." These special awards are designed to provide additional recognition for certain aspects of the game.  Congratulations to all the players that made the lists!

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Rankings

Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase Recap

Julian Malone, Corey Davis, Dylan Carter, Cameron Carlisle, Steve Stewart & Malik Johnson

Although the numbers were a little smaller than normal for the spring event, there definitely was no shortage of talent at Otterbein University last Saturday for the spring edition of Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase.  Not only were there some of the more established players in the gym, we had the opportunity to get our first look at some really talented kids. 

Late in day on Saturday, Julian Malone (5’9/PG/2018/Westerville) put on a show with his ability to score the ball. In fact, at one point, Malone scored at least 14 straight points.  Highly skilled with ample athleticism, Malone had the gym buzzing. Cameron Carlisle (5’10/SG/2018/Gahanna) had a breakout season for Gahanna Lincoln High School this past year as he lead his freshman team to an undefeated season and a tournament championship.  Carlisle’s play on Saturday was just as impressive as he took command of his team.  He scored the ball, distributed to his teammates and demonstrated an all-around game. We were also really impressed with Alex Johnson (6’4/WF/2017/Cincinnati) who has good size, great footwork and can step outside and knock down a jump shot. Cory Davis (6’4/SG/2018/Cincinnati) arrived late, but his performance was right on time. We’ve seen Davis play on several occasions and he continues to get better every time we seem him.  Davis can either get to the cup or he can shoot from the perimeter. One of the most athletic players we saw all day was Dylan Antoine (6’0/P/SG/2015/Akron). In addition, Antoine plays hard and has a consistent motor.  Some of the other standouts in the high school division included: Steve Stewart, Malik Johnson, Dylan Carter and Collin Woodside.

K. Martin, Z. Loveday, D. Blanton, R. Hampton, I. Kennedy,  R. Bryant, C. Painter & M. Key

We saw him 2 weeks ago in Cleveland and were very impressed, but the work he put in on Saturday was nothing short of amazing.  As was the case 2 weeks ago, Kaleb Martin (5’5/PG/2019/Green) had the gym buzzing. We knew he was a wizard with the rock and we knew he had great vision and was a willing passer, but we were amazed with Martin’s ability to shoot from deep with great accuracy.  If that wasn’t enough, Martin is also a great defender who plays extremely hard.  Pound for pound, Martin has convinced us he is one of the top 2019 floor generals in the state! You know the old saying, “you can’t teach size.” Well, Zach Loveday (6’7/C/2020/Gallipolis) has plenty of that, particularly as just a 7^th grader.  He’s not just big, but Loveday demonstrated the ability to knock down the 12 footer with consistency. He still has a lot of work to do and will need to continue to develop his thin frame, but we would not be surprised to see Loveday as a high major prospect in a few years.

Two weeks ago at the Buckeye Prep Winter Showcase Ronald Hampton (5’7/PG/2019/Huber Heights) was one of the best players at the event.  On Saturday, Ronald Hampton was one of the best players at the event. The last time we saw him play we were impressed with his ability to score; this week we were impressed with his on ball defense and toughness.  Oh yea, he still scored on Saturday, but his motor and athleticism are equally as impressive. Hampton scored a team-high 9 points in the all-star game. We also saw Jason Morton (6’6/C/2020/IN) for the first time. We had heard some good things about him, and his play on Saturday confirmed what we had heard.  Great size, strong, finishes around the cup and moves well for his size. Morton’s play garnered him a spot in the all-star game where he finished with a game-high 12 points. We had not seen Russell Cooper (5’5/PG/2019/Akron) before, but the strong, athletic guard was really impressive. Although Cooper was quick and relentlessly attacked the basket, he played under control and made good decisions with the ball. There were several quality bigs at the event and that list should include Michael Key (6’4/PF/2019/Toledo). Key is a big, strong lefty who is aggressive around the cup and finishes with contact.  Ryan Bryant (6’3/SG/2019/Ironton) is not a “big,” but he is big and handles the ball as well as many of the smaller guards we have seen. Great footwork and his ability to pass the ball at his size separated him from other shooting guards on Saturday.

Isaiah Kennedy (5’8/PG/2020/Beavercreek) had another impressive showing on Saturday as evidenced by his all-star nod and Top 5 Award.  Kennedy’s skill set coupled with his size gives him an advantage over smaller guards.  When his motor is running and he chooses to play closer to the bucket, Devonte Blanton (6’3/PF/2020/Cleveland) can be a problem.  Good size, strong and skilled, Blanton has all the tools to be a star.  He has proven he can hit the outside shot, but he can make more money right now finishing near the rim.  The younger brother of Delvon Roe, a Michigan State standout, Blanton has the genetics and raw materials to be a good one.  Darrion Henry (6'3/PF/2020/Cincinnati) logged in another solid performance in Columbus last weekend.  In Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago Henry impressed us with his size, athleticism and ability to get up and down the court. Henry should be a great addition to Malcom Walter’s Kings James squad this season. He’s only a 6^th grader, but Noah Peeoples (5’8/PF/2021/Akron) played up in the 7^th/8^th grade divisions and more than held his own.  He was still strong in the paint and was still able to finish against bigger and stronger defenders, but his perimeter shot surprised us.  It’s no wonder he is virtually unstoppable at the 6^th grade level! We also really liked Alex Pfriem (6’3/SG/WF/2019/West Chester), Andre O’Danial (5’7/PG/2020/Kettering), Payton Harris (6’1/PF/2019/Springfield), Kyle Adkins (5’10/SG/2019/Ironton), Jake Younkin (5’2/PG/2020/Loveland) and Sammy Anderson (5’8/PG/2020/Dayton).

S. Jones, D. James, C. Livingston, N. Rittinger, Q. Clark & P. Daniels

For the second time in as many weeks we had the opportunity to evaluate Chris Livingston (5’7/PF/2022/Akron) and his play on Saturday proved that he was who we thought he was, a big time prospect. Although he competed against 6^th graders, Livingston’s length and athleticism were still evident. Livingston is fluid and runs the floor like a deer.  His consistent play warrants a statewide ranking, and national recognition should not be far behind. Sean Jones (4’10/PG/2020/Reynoldsburg) had another big weekend.  Everywhere we went people were talking about the dynamic PG.  Jones has the ball on a string and has a box full of dribble moves he use to get by his defender.  With continued work and development, Jones should be a great looking prospect going forward. We had not seen him before, but Malaki Branham (5’9/WF/2021/Columbus) is a prospect worth keeping an eye on. Long, athletic with a high motor best describes his game right now. In addition, we were really impressed with his ability to attack the basket and finish with a bump at a high rate.  From what we saw, Branham has the potential to be ranked among the best in the state. Noah Rittinger (5’4/PG/2021WV) was one of the better young guards at the event.  Rittinger does a great job of running a team, he makes great decision with the rock and he can shoot and pass at a high level.

We saw him in Lima several weeks ago and his performance in Columbus was equally impressive. Quincy Clark (5’0/PG/2021/Gahanna) has an elite handle; he easily gets into the paint and is adept at creating his own shot or good looks for his teammates.  One of the better lead guards in the showcase, Clark has a bright future with continued work and development.  The showcase was loaded with elite guards, and two such guards were Derrick James (4’0/PG/2020/Columbus) and Khalil Luster (4’6/PG/2020/Lima), both of who are highly skilled, quick as lighting and excel at finding open teammates.  John “The Show” Mobley did it again on Saturday.  Although the kid is only a 3^rd grader, and is forced to play up against elite 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders, the kid finds a way to separate himself from the pack.  I guess it doesn’t really matter how big you are, if you can handle that rock, shoot the ball with range and make good decisions you can compete with anybody.  Mobley’s reputation and national ranking are well deserved! We have to add Tae Perie (5’3/PG/2021/Akron) to the list if elite guards at the event. Perie, a lefty, played with poise, showed great vision and was strong. We have to acknowledge the play of Patrick Daniels (5’2/W/PF/2021/Columbus). Daniels displayed great footwork, nifty post moves and the ability to finish at a high rate. For his efforts, Daniels was selected to the all-star game where dropped a game-high 14 points and received Top 5 honors.  Other standouts included Travon Jackson (5’5/PG/2021/Columbus, Azzon Daniels (5’2/PG/2021/Columbus), Jaden Hawkins-White (5’4 SG/2021/Columbus), Damaryea Gadson (4’11/PG/2021/Akron), Collin Albert (5’3/PG/2021/Cleveland) and Trey Robinette (5’3/SG/2021/Cincinnati).

Top 5 Award Winners

(HS) Dylan Carter, Corey Davis, Cameron Carlisle, Steve Steward and Malik Johnson. (7^th/8^th Grade): Kaleb Martin, Isaiah Kennedy, Ryan Bryant, Chris Painter and Michael Key. (4^th/5^th/6^th Grade): Derek James, Quincy Clark, Patrick Daniels, Trey Robinette, and Sean Jones.

Other Players to Watch

Derick Jones, Caden Johnson, D’Marco Howard, Nick Morris, Jordan Pomroy, Lucas Thopmson, Noah Thomas, Arian Smith, Tyrus Tony, Derick Jones, PrinceDemonte Antoino, Trey Mack, Anthony Garrett, Carlton Wilks, Malik Lewis, Omar Abuhaamdeh, Devin Myers, Evan Leist, Micah Wallace, Jared Moman, David Miller, Braylon Wenger, Grant Huffman, Luke Frazier, Chris Painter, Dominiq Penn, Josh Thomas, Austin Speed, Josiah Mobley, Elijah English, Jarious Jones, Will Miller, 

Showcase Rankings

Top Performer Pictures

All-Star Teams

Buckeye Prep Spring Elite Showcase Rosters & Schedule (Initial Draft)

Below is link with the initial draft of the showcase rosters and schedule. Parents, coaches and players should continue to visit the website to obtain event updates.  Also, below is an email that went out today regarding the upcoming elite showcase. Let's do it!!

Showcase Roster & Schedule (Revised 3-7-15)

Parents/Coaches,

Attached please find the “initial draft” of the showcase schedule and rosters.  I say initial draft because there could be some changes between now and Saturday.  As players are added (there are still a few spots available), rosters may change as well as the schedule.  The numbers are a little lower for the spring event this year because many high school players are still participating with their high school teams, and there are a couple of new tournaments this year scheduled at the same time as the showcase.  In fact, because of the OBC tournament in northeast Ohio and a tournament in Indiana, there are not enough elite kids from that area to move forward with the Ohio North vs South all-star games.  I will try to bring those back at another time. With that said, I’m excited about the level of talent committed to the event, and the smaller numbers will give different kids a better shot at exposure.

Please read the attached documents very carefully to insure your child/player is accounted for; is listed in the correct division, and his name is spelled correctly.  If you see any mistakes, simply email me at taylorobe@aol.com with the issues(s) and I will make the corrections prior to the event. In addition, it’s very important that you continue to visit the website (http://www.buckeyeprep.blogspot.com) between now and Saturday in order to check for updates, as I will be posting changes up until the night before the event.  Also, attached is another copy of the registration forms.  Please have them completed prior to your arrival on Saturday.

The facility is located at the Rike Center (1 South Grove Street Westerville, OH 43081) on the campus of Otterbein University. Registration will open at 7:30am; I will give opening remarks by 9:30am; and the first round of games will tip off at 10:00am. On another note, there will be an $8.00 admission charge, but $3.00 of that will be waived if you bring 3 can goods (fruits and vegetables preferably).  We are using the event as a fundraiser for a local food pantry and we would prefer the can goods over the money!  In addition, this year’s event is being sponsored by Sylvia Garrett Insurance Agency L.L.C.  Also, I still have the need for a coach or two of anyone is interested.  In closing, my staff and I are looking forward to another great event and we hope you and your son/player is excited as well. Please arrive with a healthy dose of patience and positive energy as it will be a long day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 614-203-2929.

http://agency.nationwide.com/agent/sylvia-antionette-garrett-340036884-34003688400000

https://www.facebook.com/SylviaGarrettAgency

CONCUSSIONS IN YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYERS: A SERIOUS INJURY

Below is another article written by Dr Kenneth Ransom exclusively for the Buckeye Prep Report.  Dr Ransom has a son who plays AAU basketball and has continued to provide our readers with a series of health related articles of the past couple of years. Enjoy!

In a hard fought 3 on 3 tournament game a player is “taking it to the hole” when he gets a hard elbow to the top of his head by a defender.  He is a little dazed but not knocked unconscious. On the way home, he doesn’t remember anything about the tournament; where it was, what teams played or even who played on his team. At the Emergency Room he is diagnosed with a concussion. This is a true event that happened to my son on Presidents Day. He missed over a week of school and was not able to return to physical activity for two weeks.

Basketball is not considered a “contact sport” like football or hockey but we all know that there is a lot of physical contact.  Young athletes are getting bigger, faster and play more aggressively than ever consequently concussions are becoming more common in the sport of basketball. Since there is no protective head gear it is essential that a concussive injury is detected early and the player protected from further injury. Not only is a player more susceptible to any type of injury because of the impaired mental condition but more importantly, a repeat concussion could significantly worsen the initial brain injury, resulting in a longer recovery and possibly permanent problems.  Developing brains in young players are especially susceptible to injury and long term problems.

It’s very important for parents and coaches to have a low threshold for suspecting a concussion and recognize early symptoms. Loss of consciousness, by definition, is a concussion! However, the player does not have to be knocked out in order for the brain to be shaken sufficiently to cause injury. Memory loss is the most sensitive sign, especially for recent events.  The player may also feel light-headed or have problems concentrating which could manifest as deterioration in his performance.  A headache is also a very common complaint immediately following the trauma. Nausea or vomiting can be a sign of a more serious injury. It is critical that the player NOT RETURN to PLAY the SAME DAY if suspected of having a concussion. The player should be taken to a health care professional for a complete neurological evaluation as soon as possible.

Treatment for a concussion is to rest the brain, both mentally and physically, with a gradual return to full function. The player will usually need to miss at least a couple of days of school and possibly a week or more. School work may cause headaches and the student can find it difficult to concentrate. Test taking can be especially frustrating for someone with a concussion. Almost all schools require a note from a medical professional before the student is allowed to return to class.

As far as physical activity or playing basketball again, the International Concussion Consensus defines a five step process to:

“Return to Play Progression”

Step 0: As a baseline step, the athlete needs to have complete physical and cognitive rest and not be experiencing any concussive symptoms for a minimum for 24 hours before starting any physical activity.

Step 1: Start with light aerobic exercise only for about 5 to 10 minutes with just enough activity to increase the heart rate.  Activities like stationary bike, walking or light jogging, shooting free throws or threes are acceptable but no weight lifting, running or jumping.

Step 2: The athlete may engage in moderate exercise at a reduced duration and level from their usual workout. Some running and shooting drills, ball handling, light weight lifting or core training are good.

Step 3: Non-contact practice otherwise a typical workout at a full speed. May also add more cognitive challenge as focus should be near normal. There should be no scrimmaging, one-on-one drills or pick-up games where there is physical contact.

Step 4: Full contact practice is next in order to make sure the player is really ready for game play.

Step 5: Return to game competition.

Symptoms and cognitive function need to be monitored during each increase in the level of exertion. Besides headaches or light headedness, the player may have difficulty focusing or experience earlier fatigue.  If any symptoms return, the activity should stop as this may be a sign that the athlete is pushing too hard. Only after additional rest and there have been no symptoms for 24 hours, should he start again at the previous step during which symptoms were experienced.

The “Return to Play Progression” should ideally be under the guidance of a qualified medical professional and the training conducted by an experienced person who is knowledgeable about concussions and knows the athletes physical abilities and endurance. In some cases, the athlete may be able to work through one step in a single day, in other cases it may take several days to work through an individual step.  It could take days, to weeks or even months to complete the entire 5 step progression depending on the severity of the injury.  Do not to rush through the “Return to Play Progression” process.  The concussion has not healed sufficiently until the athlete can successfully complete of all 5 steps, otherwise there is risk of superimposing a second concussion making recovery even more difficult and prolonged.

Remember it is essential, especially in youth basketball, for parents and coaches to be familiar with the early signs of a concussion in order to take immediate steps to prevent further injury and get appropriate medical attention for the player.

Reference:  A “Heads Up” on Managing Return to Play from the Center for Disease Control (CDC):  http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/return_to_play.html

By Dr. Kenneth Ranson