Hey folks, sorry I’m a little tardy on this report.
Had a bit of a computer problem on opening day of this 1,000-team, three-tournament club hoop extravaganza in the shadow of the Las Vegas strip.
OK, first things first. This is hoop paradise. Yes, you have to wade through some mediocre talent, but man there are some players out here.
Let’s start with Carson Desrosiers and the Mass. Rivals juniors in the Adidas Super 64.
Watched them this morning simply obliterate High Intensity of San Diego 82-60.
CD, who played point-center at times, finished with 17 in that one before an ogling Arizona State staff. Carson was asked, interestingly enough, about his feelings for UNLV. Interestng that Vegas and Lon Kruger remain in the big fella’s picture.
The ASU folks and Georgia Tech, more than anyone, have hovered around Carson, who showed off some behind the back dribbling work and a nasty fake crossover when lugging the rock up the floor.
The Rivals 17s sealed the deal on their pool on Thursday night by drubbing a Detroit club.
Friday at 5, Vegas time, it should be a war with the Rivals and New Jersey Players in the opening round of the championship bracket.
Remember, this is a Rivals team that lost point guard Jaymie Spears of Haverhill and St. Marks before the tournament when he decided not to travel.
Also, Burlington’s Zach Hurynowicz came down with an injury, so the point is in the hands of Trinity/New Hampton’s Jordan Laguerre … or Carson.
Michigan-bound Evna Smotrycz has played relaxed, like a guy who has his college choice all made.
Then there’s Harvard-bound guard Matt Brown and 6-8 Ryan Canty, who has been offered by UNH (three Wildcats coaches including Merrimack product Chris Mohr) have been omnipresent here.
Down to the Rivals 16s, who suffered a two-point loss and a one-point loss to go 1-2 in their pool.
Greater Lawrence Tech’s Donald Celestin dazzled yesterday, knocking in 52 points in two games, including 37 in the Rivals win over a California club.
Mike Trovato’s Rivals 14 year-olds, that is incoming freshmen, rolled through their bracket at 3-0 and set up for a date in the championship bracket.
A couple of local athletes have backboned the run – Central Catholic-bound bruising big man Doug Gemmell has been an absolute monster in the paint, while electric Nolan Von Leigh (pardon the spelling here, please, if incorrect) has been dynamite scoring the basketball. Von Leigh is slated for Georgetown High.
“I couldn’t be happier with the showing our teams have had out here,” said Trovato of the three Rivals entries. “We were really shorthanded coming out here, because of injuries. “There are so many different, great sponsored teams out here with some incredible players. I’ve seen Roy Williams, Tom Izzo and Villanova’s Jay Wright at our games this week. For our teams to do this well is absolutely phenomenal.”
Mark Dunham’s Granite State Jayhawks teams, 17s and 16s, haven’t fared so well in the Nike Main Event tournament.
The Jayhawks 17s, featuring Salem’s Alex LaRosa and Pinkerton’s Ben Proulx, have gone 0-2 in pool play with one more game left today, Friday.
The losses came to the Boise Elite and a nasty and very athletic team out of Maryland in a game that got a little nasty.
LaRosa, who comes off the bench behind Nashua’s Jake Nelson and Manchester Central’s Will Bayliss, has three 3s in the two games. Proulx has added his muscle and grabbed a handful of boards in both games, coming off the bench.
The good news for the Jayhawks is that they are automatically entered into the championship bracket, one of 32 teams to draw byes without pool play in part because they earned a power reputation when they knocked off the New York Gauchos at the recent Boston Shootout.
That action begins after Friday’s early pool finale with a team out of Shreveport, Louisiana.
The Jayhawks 16s, coached by Methuen’s Jay Avant, have gotten yeoman work underneath from Pelham’s Mike Lombard and a pair of double-figure scoring efforts out of Stephen Spirou, but have fallen short in both games. They’ll be headed to the consolation bracket over the weekend.
We’ll have much more on the action, highlighted by the Rivals’ 17s Friday nighter later that evening.
Great action, though. A great take for the hoop junkie.
