Paterson……The Playaz 6th Annual Blow Up for 13u and 14u finished with a classic battle between the Gauchos of New York and the Playaz 14u team. the game was nip and tuck the entire way, but in the end, the Playaz overcame a 5 point lead with 21 seconds left in regulation to tie and send it into overtime and eventually win it 71-64! Marques Townes scored all 18 of his points in the second half and Isaiah Briscoe(pictured below), the tournament M.V.P. scored 17 and sent the game into the first overtime on a slick dribble drive layup. The Gauchos, behind the play of Isaiah Ice, Chris Robinson and Steven Bush seemed to have the game in control late when the Playaz relentless defense created turnovers late that proved to be their undoing. The Playaz also got strong contributions from point guard Nassir Barrino( 10pts), post man Nadi Beciri (14pts) and Juwann Carter who played strong defense when called upon in the contest. Robinson and Ice were named to the All Tournament team as well as Townes. The 13u game was won by Rhode Island over New Heights 67-53. Donovan Love(21pts) was named M.V.P. while point gurd Austin Paiui was named All Tournament along with New Heights Willie Barnes and Hakeem”Slue” Brown.

 Los Angeles, California…..  The Playaz 17u team concluded the Nike EYBL 13-1 and will be the #1 seed in the upcoming Peach Jam Tournament to determine the top A.A.U. team in the nation. The Playaz went out to Los Angeles, California to conclude the EYBL regular season by playing 5 more games during the weekend. They finished it up 4-1 taking their only loss in the EYBL season.They beat Friends Of Hoop from Seattle 85-69 behind Myles Davis 29 points and 5 rebounds, Kyle Anderson’s 15 points and 6 assists and Desmond Hubert’s 14 points and 5 boards. The next game was against the Arkansas Wings as the Playaz started the game down 19 -0 before pulling it out 65-59 behind 25 points from Myles Mack and 18 from Davis, all coming on threes, including 4 in the 2nd half. Derrick Randall brought the energy with 11 points and 10 rebounds. They continued the next day blowing out D-1 Sports of North Carolina 104-61 which is led by 6’10 wing Quincy Miller, who’s ranked #5 in the class of 2011. Anderson had 21 and 13 assists, Davis 21 on 5 threes and Mack 17. Vaughn Gray chipped in 16. The lone loss came from Georgia’s Southern Kings team as the Playaz took it on the chin in overtime 66-62. The Playaz rebounded by defeating the N.Y. Gauchos 64-51 as Gray led a balanced attack with 18 points. The result is the regular season champs in a strong EYBL league. The Playaz 17′s will now try to finish it up in North Augusta, South Carolina July 12-15 in The Peach Jam.

                          Meanwhile, The Playaz 15u team( pictured )made their presence felt in L.A. by going out and winning  The Adidas Magic Memorial Festival at U. of California Dominguez Hills College. The Playaz, playing without Shacore Edwards were led throughout the weekend by 6’6 Reggie Cameron, 5’10 Kavon Stewart, 6’2 Josh Marquez and also got strong play from 6′ DeAndre Noble, 6’8 Mike Young, 6’7 Amir Maddred, 6’2 Geno Thorpe and 6’4 Connor Cuccinelli. The Playaz 15′s won the “chip” 64-52 over The Las Vegas Prospect. Stewart led them in scoring with 17, while Cameron added 16. They won their 6 games by a 20 point margin in the tournament with the championship game being their closest contest. The Playaz 16′s also played well this weekend as they played in the Adidas Festival against the 17u group. They reached the semi finals behind the play of Dallas Englin, Tariq Carey, Grant Ellis and Davon Jacobs before losing to The Las Vegas Prospect 17u team in overtime.

Paterson, N.J…………. Paterson’s Tarik Robinson(pictured left) held a recruitment day showcase for area kids that are still unsure of their college basketball situation. Robinson, who has played professionally overseas invited Division 2 and 3 schools and Junior Colleges in the area to attend the event. Many Bergen and Passaic County highschool stars decided to show their wares in front of the coaches in hopes of catching one of the scouts eyes.

Here are a few of the area players that shined in the games.

Shondell Stewart -Kennedy H.S.-  Probably attending Miami Dade Juco for a year. Shondell was his usual high powered self doing it from inside and out! 

Tyshawn Pickett- Passaic H.S.- Showed his entire repertoire showing his outside shot to go along with his inside power game

Andre Blackwood- Paramus Catholic H.S. – Can flat out shoot the rock! And showed that to the schools that were in attendance!

Najee Salaam- Passaic H.S.-  Showcased his athleticism with couple of strong moves to bucket and finishing with dunks!

Owen Barnes- Teaneck H.S.- Showed his ability to run the show, specifically on the break! Underrated outside shooter!

Kyle Steinbergin – Teaneck H.S.- Showed his long range capabilities the entire night. Unlimited! Also above average defender!

Chris Albuquerque – Eastside H.S.-  Showed nice post moves around the basket, but must finish more consistently. Good rebounder!

Other notable Players In Showcase:

Marquis Matthews -Eastside, Terrell Spaulding – Eastside, Janif Green – Eastside, Alex Brown – Formerly Paramus Catholic,  Jaemille Barnes- Kennedy H.S.,  Jordan Wade- Paramus Catholic

Hampton, Virginia…………….The Playaz Basketball Club A.A.U. program ran by Jimmy Salmon  took it’s show on the road to the prestigious Boo Williams A.A.U. Tournament in Hampton, Virginia and proved that it is one of the best programs in the country. The Playaz 15′s went down and won 6 games enroute to the Boo Williams ” CHIP”in their age group. Meanwhile, The Playaz 17′s team is part of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League that will determine the top teams that will compete in this years Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina to determine a true A.A.U. champion. They began their quest by going 5-0 in the first of three tournaments. They will also play in Houston and Los Angeles. Going against some of the top teams in the country, the 17′s look like they will be in the hunt the whole way playing some special basketball down here!  (Boo Williams pictured left)

                                                                        Playaz 15′s Beat Mean Street  55-53 In Boo Williams Final !

                       The Playaz 15′s will be a team to deal with again this a.a.u. season as they are picking up where they left off as 14 year olders. They took on a very tough Mean Street team out of Chicago who features one of the top ranked players in the country in 6’8 Alex Foster. the Playaz more than handled him and his teammates. Trailing early in the 1st half , the Playaz took the initial hit and then battled back behind the play of 6’6 Reggie Cameron (Paterson Catholic) who finished the contest with 17 points. As Cameron kept them in the game, it was only a matter of time for his teammates to come with him. 6’3 Shacore Edwards (Irvington) scored 17 of his 20 points in the 2nd half and showed the athleticism that’s  going to open eyes in this a.a.u. season. 5’11 point guard Kavon Stewart( Paterson Catholic)) got to the basket with the game tied at 53 and drew a foul, where he calmly knocked down two free throws that proved to be the game winner! Meanwhile they also got a solid effort from 6’1 Josh Marquez( DePaul H.S.) whose hustle and willingness to do the dirty work is probably the key to this teams success. The trademark of this team, along with the 17 year old team is the unselfish play and from the early results it seems like the perfect formula.

      The Skinny on the 15′s:

Shacore Edwards #10 - Had a great tournament and opened up many eyes during the week! Averaged 15 during the weekend and took over in the 2nd half of championship game!

Reggie Cameron #2 - Also shined throughout the weekend as his reputation as  one of best shooters in his class  with unlimited range was justified throughout. Could not be left alone! Averaged a team high 18 points for the weekend!            

Kavon Stewart #3 – Showed why he is considered one of the best point guards in his class. Ran the show to perfection, having his best game in the quarterfinals against Long Island Lightning from New York!

Joshua Marquez #23 – This kid maximizes his talent to the fullest. Is always giving his all and has now become a more consistent jump shooter! Can not be slept on!

Amir Maddred#34 -  The 6’7 St. Patricks freshman is improving every day. Nice post up game and ability to knock down the mid range jumper. When not in foul trouble had a fine weekend!

Jordan Arthur #40 – The 6’8 big man got better as the weekend went on and the team would not have won without his contribution. Play of weekend was his follow up dunk over a defender in the semi finals against the Gauchos from New York!

DeAndre Noble #1 -The Paterson Catholic player gave quality minutes off the bench. Showed his athleticism, especially defensively and knocked down the open jumper when available!

Connor Cuccinelli #42- The 6’4 swingman from St. Mary’s H.S. has done a good job spelling Edwards and Cameron and has had moments, particularly his 10 point game in the quarters against Long Island Lightning.

                                                            PLAYAZ 17′s DO THEIR THING AT BOO!

From the first night when Paterson Catholic’s 5’9 guard Myles Mack sliced up the host Boo Williams A.A.U. team until St.Peters Prep 6’0 guard Miles Davis lit the gym up from the perimeter against the Mac Irvin Fire from Chicago, the Playaz 17 year old team made noise to start play in the Elite Youth Basketball League. In between the M and M boys was the off the charts play of  6’8 Paterson Catholic sophomore Kyle Anderson and 6’5 Don Bosco Prep junior Vaughn Gray. Not to mention the athleticism of New Egypt 6’10 Desmond Hubert, Derrick Randall(Paterson Catholic) and Jarrod Davis( Lakewood) and the solid floor play of St. Peter’s Prep Kevin Walker.The Playaz looked great in their quest to be one of the 24 best A.A.U. squads so they will be invited to the Peach Jam. This weekend was a great start! Next E.Y.B.L. tournament will be in Houston in three weeks!

The Skinny On The 17′s:

Myles Mack – Had a great weekend and again showed that it’s the heart in the player that counts the most! The 5’8 guard challenged the bigs and lit up the guards. Has the uncanny ability to rise to the occasion when he’s needed most. Had 32 against Boo Williams!

Kyle Anderson – Was the key to alot of the Playaz runs this weekend. Can get to the lane easily and his length makes it almost impossible to stop him there. Has improved his range and all you have to do when watching a player is check the score when they play ,then check it when they sit. He is a winner!

Myles Davis – When this kid got hot this weekend he was almost unguardable from the perimeter. Had a 27 and a 32 point game, but was not one dimensional. Put it on the floor a few times to keep them honest and actually distributed the ball well!

Vaughn Gray – People keep sleeping on this 6’5 baller, but they couldn’t miss him this weekend as he was tremendous. He went to the basket strong and knocked down the midrange jump shot. The scary part is there is still so much upside to his game!

Desmond Hubert – When you watch the things Hubert can do athletically you honestly can picture this kid in the league! Of course he has a long way to go but the kid has freaky athleticism. Had eye opening moments throughout the weekend. As his midrange gets better, Watch out!

Jarrod Davis – Believe it or not, as good an athlete as Desmond is, Jarrod might be the best one on the squad. Can get to the bucket at will and can knock down the jump shot!

Derrick Randall – Still a beast inside. He was relentless on the boards this weekend and he had to be going against some of the best big men in the country!

Kevin Walker – Is a true playmaker who seems to have found his niche with this deep squad. Will be depended on more as the a.a.u. season goes on! 

Neptune, N.J………….. The 12th annual Spring Fling hosted by the Playaz Basketball Club featured some of the best talent from Washington D.C. to Massachusetts as the 15 year old and 17 year old age groups got a chance to display their ability at the Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune. When the dust was settled the Playaz 15 year old team and Playaz 17 year olds stood head and shoulders above the rest for this weekend!

                                                             Playaz 17′s Take Off On Team Takeover 74-54!

 The day started with the Spring Fling 17′s semi-finals featuring  The Playaz vs. The Long Island Lightning and Team Takeover(Wash. D.C.) vs. City Rock. The Playaz looked impressive from the start as they took it to the Lightning beating them 86 – 60! Lakewood H.S. swingman Jerrard Davis led a balanced attack with 17 points. 5’9 guard Myles Mack (Paterson Catholic) had 16 points, while 6’9 Desmond Hubert’s(New Egypt H.S.) 15 points, 6’7 Kyle Anderson’s (Paterson Catholic) 13 points and 6’0 Miles Davis (St. Peter’s Prep) 11 points also reached double figures. The Lightning were paced by Derrick Gordon (St.Patrick’s) with 19 points and St. John’s recruit Davontae Grace with 8. Team Takeover had a little more trouble, but eventually pulled away with a 72 – 58 win. Julian Debose led Takeover with 23 points while Mykael Hopkins added 16 points and A.J. English 10. City Rock got 23 points from 6’0 guard Derek Millinghaus.

The stage was set for the most impressive teams of the weekend to meet. The Playaz team effort proved to be the difference as they got major contributions from their entire squad enroute to a 74-54 win. The Playaz made 8 treys in the contest and got 17 team assists. They were led by Mack with 23 points and 3 assists and Anderson with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 dimes. Miles Davis scored 15, including 3 treys and also dished out 6 assists. That did not tell the story as the Playaz forced numerous turnovers and got excellent play from Hubert, Jerrard Davis, Vaughn Gray (Don Dosco Prep), Keith Lumpkin (St. Peters Prep), Derrick Randall (Paterson Catholic) and Kevin Walker (St. Peters Prep). Takeover was led by Duke recruit Michael Gbinijie with 25 points and Hopkins with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Guard James Robinson from DeMatha Highschool was also impressive for the Takeover. Kyle Anderson and Desmond Hubert were voted co- MVPs while Miles Davis and Myles Mack (pictured together) were voted to the All tournament team. 

                                                                             Playaz 15′s  Defeats N.Y. Gauchos 54 -44!

     The Playaz 15′s took care of business by first putting it to Sports University(Izod) in the semi finals with a 66 -43 blowout! The Playaz took an 8 point lead at the end of the 1st half and turned it up in the 2nd. 6’3 Shacore Edwards (Irvington) led the Playaz with 15 points, while 5’11  Kavon Stewart (Paterson Catholic) had 13 and 6’6 Reggie Cameron (Paterson Catholic) added 12.Connor Cuccinelli (St. Mary’s) knocked down a couple of  big treys and guard Stephon McNair (St. Benedicts) made a few impressive moves for the Playaz during the 2nd half run. Spencer Weiz (Seton Hall Prep) led Sports U. with 15 points. The Gauchos made the finals by defeating New Heights 68 -56. Dacari Johnson’s 15 points and Jaquan Johnson’s 14 led the Gauchos. Isaiah Lewis led New Heights with 23 points. The Playaz and Gauchos had played a tough contest in pool play and this game would be no different. They played to a 15 -14 1st half as the Playaz held the ball a total of 8:00 minutes trying to pull the Gauchos out of their zone defense. The 2nd half was more normal as the Playaz pulled out a 54 -44 hard fought win. Cameron led the Playaz with 18 points and 5 rebounds and Edwards added 13 points and 8 boards. 6’7 Amir Maddred (St. Patrick’s) added 8 points and 5 rebounds. Stewart ran the team brilliantly in the 2nd half and 6’1 Joshua Marquez (DePaul H.S.) provided the defensive chaos and added 5 assists. 6’8 Jordan Arthur (St. Peters Prep) added 6 boards while 6’0 DeAndre Noble (Paterson Catholic) knocked down a clutch jumper late in the contest. The Gauchos were led by Deshaun Smith with 15 points. Cameron and Edwards were named co- MVP’s while Maddred and Marquez,along with the Gauchos Tyler Wilson and Johnson were named to the All tournament team.(Marquez,Maddred,Cameron,Edwards pictured bottom)