The adidas Invitational has proven to be a benchmark for the start of the summer scene, this is the second summer of this event and the talent level is very high to say the least.
In Tennessee news from the event we have one major player breaking out, a solid 15 and under squad holding their own and another Memphis squad winning some games.
In times such as these with coaches draping the sidelines, players have a tendency to get nervous or rise to the occasion.
Robert Hubbs (Dyer County) has chosen the latter. The 6'4 guard from West Tennessee, playing for the M33M Ballerz out of Memphis, made his presence felt during the adidas event drawing several offers including Auburn, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Memphis in the process.
He is certainly another player to watch in the burgeoning Class of 2013.
After rolling through pool play at 3-0 the Nashville Celtics 15 and under squad had their confidence on high and as youngsters sometimes do they felt a surge of invincibility. Bracket play and a date with Meanstreets took all the fun out of that equation.
One of the top 15 and under teams in the country exploded on the Celtics in the first half and accumulated a 20 point lead.
Showing a character and toughness that will be vital as they move up in age classification the Celtics came roaring back and actually cut the lead to 6 before falling 72-58.
Jaylen Barford (Northside) was big in the second half finishing with 22 points and leading his team when things weren't looking so good. Emmanuel Smith (Oakland) also showed some fire and used his athleticism to make plays and get his team back in the game.
Marcus Graves (Ravenwood) played good at the point guard spot, while Donta Van Lier (Maplewood), Chris Walker (Marshall County) and McKinda London (Summitt) all had moments of brilliance.
The Memphis Magic rebounded from a tough pool to win two games in bracket play before falling to the powerful Indiana Elite squad on Friday afternoon. Cameron Golden (Ridgeway) played well scoring the ball and making plays on the defensive end. Kadarrio Fleming (Ridgeway) and Craig Hill (Cordova) did their best inside against the monsters from the Elite. Ethan Moffett (Fayette Academy), D.J. Wooten (Lausanne) and Dre'Sean Looney (Southwind) gave the Magic solid minutes while on the floor.
