Nike Memorial Day proved to be the place to be if your from Tennessee as success was felt all around the 16 and under division.
Team Corey Brewer set the tone in the 16U division running through pool play unblemished at 3-0 and defeating the Wings Elite in bracket play to advance to the final four where they fell to the powerful Team Heat Elite group 75-51.
TCB got the ball rolling early in pool play action besting Team Winston 65-63 behind 14 markers from Grayson Murphy (Independence) and 12 from Ke'montre Jones (Oakland).
Jalon Cambridge (PJPII) added 11 while Trey Hollowell (Kentucky) pitched in 10. Imani Starling (Ensworth) was a catalyst from the back court on both ends of the floor before an injury cut short his event.
The Hammond Hurricanes felt the Team Corey Brewer wrath in the second pool play contest to the tune of 53-31. Murphy and Hollowell led the scoring with 13 each. Tyler McNair (Brentwood Academy) was a beast on the glass snatching 10 caroms and A.J. Bowers (MLK) was a staunch presence on both ends of the floor.
TCB scared the pool play foes to such a degree there third game resulted in a forfeit and a trip to the Gold bracket.
The Wings Elite fresh off a tough win over Team Penny White met their proverbial match as TCB behind 16 each from the law firm of Hollowell and Murphy bested the Arkansas crew 65-50 to advance to the final four of the event.
Tate Pierson (Brentwood Academy) had his best game of the event notching 12 markers while Jones did his damage on the glass with 7 points and 9 boards.
Team Penny White showed themselves nicely this weekend as well advancing to the Gold bracket before falling in a very tight game to the Wings Elite 54-52.
Tyran Davis (Mitchell), Kylan Watkins (Whitehaven) and Tyree Beason (BTW) were the leading scorers for the Memphis crew.
Tekorian Smith (Melrose) had a fine weekend himself scoring from the perimeter and playing exceptional on the ball defense.
Davis was especially outstanding playing with extreme effort and scoring in a multitude of ways. Daron Maxwell (Memphis East) also played well during the event.
In the EYBL portion of the event, Team Penny advanced to the Gold bracket only to find a very talented Team Final awaiting them.
T.J. Moss (Memphis East) had a nice event proving he is the Top player in the Class of 2018 in the state of Tennessee. Moss had several high scoring contests during pool play action. His shot selection at times seemed outlandishly deep but when he played within the flow of the offense and took reasonable shots his stroke was pure.
Mark Freeman (Southwind) played solid scoring some buckets and making some fine assists while Rodnarius Washington (Memphis East) lived up to his nickname "Pig" and was a beast on the glass and the interior.
Ryan Boyce (Houston) another Class of 2018 kid showed his immense potential knocking down outside shots and using his athleticism to create scoring chances for himself and others. This kid has a mega bright future.
WACG proved they belong among the elite winning a pair of pool games against the EYBL competition. Sadly we have to say goodbye to Tyger Campbell (Indiana) as he will be playing his high school ball at LaLumiere in Indiana.
Campbell and the top player in the country in the Class of 2018, Marvin Bagley were worth the price of admission themselves as they mowed down the early competition before running into some of the EYBL heavyweights.
Cameron Johnson (Brentwood Academy) was outstanding on both ends of the floor. He plays defense with passion and can finish at the rim with the difficult drive or short jumper. His future is bright whichever sport he decides to pursue.
Desmond Cambridge (Ensworth) was another outstanding defender making his mark on that end of the floor.
