The sixth annual CBL (Competitive Basketball League) will be holding registration this Saturday, August 9th from 10am to 1pm at Mississippi Boulevard Church.

If you have questions or would like more detailed information contact league commissioner Kater Jones (901-859-3275) or league president Jermaine Johnson (901-230-3760).

So if your interested in playing with the best in the city then take a moment and register on Saturday...you won't regret it.

Alls well that ends well.

The Tennessee Travelers made their way to the Price Chopper Invitational in Kansas City for the final event of the summer season.

The Travs finished 2-2 advancing out of pool play before falling in a close game to the Illinois Warriors by three in the quarterfinals.

Playing shorthanded the Travs called up Brandon Herman (Grace Baptist) and Fred Sturdivant (Brainerd) from their 16's to field enough players to compete.

As has been the case most of the summer Jalen Steele (Fulton) was the man. The rising junior from the defending AA state champions has had an outstanding summer and is certainly primed for a spectacular junior season.

His high school running mate James Gallman (Fulton) continued his solid summer in Kansas City while Kyle Teichman (Brentwood) left a lasting impression in front of a veritable gaggle of college coaches.

 

A great way to end your summer is to be playing up until the final buzzer sounds.

Four squads made waves in the oceanic climate of Orlando and came away with a solid foundation for future success.

The YOMCA Memphis Bulldogs advanced to the final eight of the championship beacket before falling to the Kentucky Patriots. Ronald Brown (Raleigh-Egypt) came to this event with something to prove and made this happen. The rising junior gave max effort and showed some perimeter skills which will elevate him into the next level. Keep up the hard work Tank.

Scoring and defense were not a problem for the Bulldogs behind the shooting of Darrian Gray (Southwind) and Robert Schaeffer (Sheffield). These two put their names on the map with their summer exploits and are posied for a very solid high school campaign down the road.

Julian Burton (White Station), Marterrence Brock (Ridgeway), Nicholas Mason (Fairley) and big guys Antwan Cathey (Trezevant) and Travai Pryor (Austin East) were instrumental in the success of the Bulldogs in July.

The Tennessee Tigers made some noise with their efforts in Orlando. Solid pool play resulted in an advancement in the classic bracket before falling in a tough bracket contest. Michael Bradley (Tyner Academy) was the recipient of alot of attention for his solid board work and shot blocking mechanics. At 6'9 the Chattanooga prospect turned a few heads and with strength and gym work could become a staple on the recruiting list of coaches in the area.

From the guard position David "Xman" Sanders (MLK), Blake Bell (Lipscomb) and Carter Sanderson (Lipscomb) all had fine tourneys. While on the wing and the interior special mention for Deshaun Kizer (Lexington) and Dezmond Johnson (Overton).

Team Nashville had some hard luck in pool play but made up for that with advancement to the classic bracket final four. Teraes Clemmons (Mt. Juliet) was outstanding scoring at will and using his lefty moves to score from mid-range or off the dribble. The backcourt of Hollis Edwards (McGavock) and Fred Lee (McGavock) once again had outstanding toureys and are more than ready to prove they can become one of the top duos in the metro Nashville high school ranks.

Tarius Johnson (Liberty Tech) made the 16 and under nationals his own with efforts that can be described only as beastlike and dominating. The rising junior helped the Mid-State Ballerz advance deep in the consolation bracket. The Ballerz had a tough overtime win playing with only four players led by Demarius Smith (Kenwood) for one of their victories. Smith continues to shine this summer and will be a force on the high school level. Cordero Williams (Liberty Tech) was lights out from deep and Thomas Greer (West Carroll), Julian Reese (Brentwood Academy) and Quinten Lee (Ripley) provided scoring and steady effort throughout.

Orlando marked the last stop on the whirlwind summer tour for the Mid-State Ballerz.

The Mid-State Ballerz South finished pool play at 2-1 and managed a win in the championship bracket before being matched up with All Ohio. Depth and size took its toll and the Ballerz moved to the second round of consolation play where they were simply out of gas.

Davell Lloyd (Westview) was the sparkplug for the Ballerz with his havoc creating defense and sparkplug like intensity. With the squad a little down, Lloyd was a huge bright spot from a leadership role. Fatigue played a huge role as the usually active Ballerz simply could not muster the energy and the lack of depth came into play.

Deonte Alexander (Glencliff) had some good moments and the standard bearers Skylar McBee (Grainger) and Nathan Parker (Bearden) played well but not consistent enough to overcome the level of competition in this event.

This squad ended up with a gaudy 42-13 record which is marvelous for a team without a high major recruit.

Bad scheduling came into play for the Ballerz North squad as they were unlucky enough to face two of the top teams in the nation, Finishing 2-1 in pool play the Ballerz were sky high till the championship bracket read Team Breakdown. The same Team Breakdown with top 10 recruits Kenny Boynton and Brandin Knight.

The North battled till the end behind excellent play from Josh Odom (Science Hill) and Derek Walker (Covington) before finally coming up short. For their effort the North moved over to the consolation bracket for a date with the Georgia Stars.

Another tough game but in the end the size and depth of the Stars reared its ugly head and the Ballerz, playing with only 7 players, came up slightly short. Jamarius Alderson (Clarksville Northeast) played well for the North as did Collin Crane (Karns) and Patrick Shaughnessy (Grace Baptist), who joined the North for the nationals only.

The Ballerz East found the going a bit tougher finishing the event 1-4 despite some great effort from Trey Carruthers (Harpeth), Aaron Wilson (Kentucky), Tyler Edwards (Oakland) and Ben Mixer (Farragut).

 

YOMCA is the place to be.

The YOMCA Memphis and Tennessee YOMCA Tigers have both made the decision they are not done in Orlando just yet.

The Memphis YOMCA made a mockery of pool play finishing 3-0 then over to the championship bracket with an opening round victory before falling in the next. The move to the consolation bracket produced another win and the Y currently stands at 5-1 for the event.

The Tennessee YOMCA Tigers went a slightly different route, finishing pool play 2-1 dropping to the classic bracket. This did not deter them as they have reeled off three straight victories and remain alive in the final eight of the bracket.

John Jenkins (Station Camp) has been virtually unstoppable with his scoring antics. The Vanderbilt bound rising senior had scoring outputs of 29 (twice) 28 and 26, while his teammates namely Zaccheus Mason (CPA), Miles Asafo-Adjei (Ensworth), Blake Jenkins (Bearden) and Gary Pope (Ensworth) have played well during the run to the final eight. Hunter Miller (CPA) announced his presence with authority knocking down a 40 footer to give the Tigers a huge win in pool play.

Things are looking bright in the Music City with the July success of the Nashville Gators, Franklin Rage and Team Nashville.

The Rage had a tough time in the nationals but had a good summer led by Michael Young (Franklin), James Haddix (Franklin) and Kevin Kegarise (Franklin).

The Nashville Gators finished the nationals at 2-1 in pool play and managed a victory in the classic bracket before falling. Brennan Connolly (Father Ryan) has draw a great deal of praise for his consistent effort and improving skills. He is certainly a player to be watched this season.

Team Nashville finished 2-1 in their pool and advanced to the championship bracket before falling, then lost in the first round of the consolation bracket. Jonathan Williams (Rossview) was instrumental in the Team Nashville success including a huge 22 point, 13 rebound showcase in one of the pool victories.

Marquis Rudolph (Clarksville Northwest) came to play in Orlando along with Adam Barnes (Clarksville) and Adrian Williamson (Hume Fogg).

Teraes Clemmons (Mt. Juliet) played both in the 16 and 17 nationals and showed why is one of the top players in the state in the class of 2010. His ability to score is next level and he's working hard to become a better player off the dribble and play harder on each and every possession.

Thats why they play the game.

Heard that a million times but for the Memphis Hoopers this was especially true as they made their rounds in July.

High profile Ole Miss commitment Reginald Buckner (Manassas) was lost to an injury so who figured the Hoopers would make any noise.

Now the cliche....Thats why they play the game.

Out in Sin City the Hoopers finished 3-2 losing to the eventual champion and proving that a squad of less than high profile recruits can do some damage in the desert.

Tony Smith (Progressive Christian) , by way of Treadwell, was the scoring phenom for the Hoopers. Mr. Smith dropped 40, including 30 in the first half, in the opening bracket play victory.

Each game it seemed someone stood out for the Hoopers with youngster Tevin Cox (Melrose), Jeremy Holmes (Raleigh-Egypt), Montrel Crawford (Sheffield), Reggie Fondren (Raleigh-Egypt) and Tyler Stone (Memphis Central) all taking turns as the scoring leader.

Stone continues to impress and is poised for a very successful senior campaign.

Great consistent hard work and effort is what made the summer for the Hoopers, a big congrats to their success.

The land of sun and excitement and the aptly named Memphis Magic right in the thick of things at the Main Event in blistering Las Vegas.

The final event of the summer for the Magic and what a nice way to go out.

Running through pool play at 3-0 the Magic were ready for a strong run into the bracket action behind the excellent play of Joe "The Real Thing" Jackson (White Station) and Tarik Black (Ridgeway).

Jackson did most of the scoring with help from his Class of 2010 bretheran Mardracus Wade (Mitchell) and Tim Peete (Memphis Central).

Black made his presence felt in a mighty way. The Class of 2010 big man established himself as a force to be reckoned with not only in Memphis but all along the Southeast. Big thing poppin' for this young man, believe that.

Not always showing up in the scoring column but valuable indeed, Kris Brewer (Ridgeway), Mario Bass (Kirby) and Appericio Peggins (Lausanne) all made contributions while on the floor.

Class of 2011 top dog Adonis Thomas (Melrose) did absolutely nothing to tarnish his reputation as one of the top players in this class nationwide. Zach Jones (Craigmont) must have thought he was the old man of the group,Class of 2009 go figure, but his effort and scoring prowess helped lead the Magic to their 5-1 finish.

A slight bump in the road derailed the championship plans but nothing will deter from the effort this group made and how they came together at the end of the summer.

Big things in store for this group, better believe that.

A good start but tough end plagued them at the Peach Jam.

A 3-0 run through pool play and a tough loss to a talented Albany City Rocks squad eneded the 16 and under showcase for them.

What don't kill you makes you stronger.

The Memphis YOMCA Bulldogs made another unblemished trek through pool play and now have two championship bracket victories including a hard fought 70-69 win against the Florida Future and currently are poised to make a serious move in the final eight of the 16 and under narionals here in Orlando.

Julian Burton (White Station) has played very well at this point controlling the tempo from the point guard spot and making the engine go on the defensive side of the floor.

Darrian Gray (Southwind) and Robert Schaeffer (Sheffield)  continue their torrid shooting pace, while Ronald Brown (Raleigh-Egypt) has made this final event his own. Brown has scored over 20 twice and is grabbing double-digit caroms in every game.

Still alive in the consolation bracket the Mid-State Ballerz got a huge 60-48 win against the Philly Patriots to move on into bracket play. Tarius Johnson (Liberty Tech) has been a flat out beast, scoring and using his all out effort to create opportunities. Cordaro Williams (Liberty Tech) has been shooting very well while Quinten Lee (Ripley) is playing very well from the point spot.

Team Nashville behind the scoring prowess of Teraes Clemmons (Mt. Juliet) remains alive and kicking in the classic bracket elite eight. They tangle with the Louisiana Stars tonight for advancement into the final four.

With the 17 and under Super Showcase coming to an end most of the teams just make the hop onover to the nationals without skipping a beat.

The Tennessee YOMCA Tigers finished the showcase 4-2 advancing in the bronze bracket. John Jenkins (Station Camp) was a scoring machine averaging around 21 plus per game. Miles Asafo-Adjei (Ensworth), Blake Jenkins (Bearden) and Zaccheus Mason (CPA) all played well for the Tigers.

The Franklin Rage made up for their 0-3 pool finish to win three games in the Iron bracket before falling in the quarters. Michael Young (Franklin) played well enough to secure a spot in the secure workout with Dee Brown. Kevin Kegarise (Franklin) had scoring outbursts of 16, 21 and 12 in the small run.

Team Nashville also came out 0-3 in pool play but managed a victory in the Iron bracket. Adrian Williamson (Hume Fogg), Teraes Clemmons (Mt. Juliet) and Adam Barnes (Clarksville) all had good weeks for the Music city crew.

Down in the gold bracket the Tennessee Travelers and Memphis YOMCA finished 1-2 each in pool play. James Gallman (Fulton) had a very good week for the Travelers, while Chris Jones (Melrose) continues to bring attention for his excellent play.

Now over to the nationals which got underway today, the state is more than superbly represented.

Mid-State Ballerz North take the hardwood for the final time this summer led by Josh Odom (Science Hill), Collin Crane (Karns) and Demarius Smith (Kenwood).

The Nashville Gators got off to a good start with a 60-53 pool win against the Gold Coast Heat. Brennan Connolly (Father Ryan) is drawing some serious attention for his size and solid basketball IQ.

The Franklin Rage got off to tough start with a close loss in the pool play opener. Kevin Kegarise (Franklin) dropped 22 and Michael Young (Franklin) added 13.

The Mid-State Ballerz East dropped their opening pool play game but will be a tough opponent with Trey Carruthers (Harpeth), Dustin Craig (Bearden) and Tyler Edwards (Oakland).

John "Silk" Jenkins (Station Camp) scored 28 but it wasn't enough as the Tennessee YOMCA Tigers fell to the New Jersey Panthers 83-69.

The Memphis YOMCA also make the hop, skip and a jump to the nationals led by Leslie McDonald (Braircrest Christian), Cadarrio Macklin (Ridgeway), Ian Clark (Germantown), Ferrakohn Hall (White Station) and Chris Jones (Melrose).

Team Nashville and the Mid-State Ballerz South both got of to good starts with opening pool play wins. Team Nashville got a 64-48 win against Shining Stars while the Ballerz South got by the Brandon Bolts 60-46.

Also representing Tennessee at the nationals will be the Nashville Stallions, Memphis Idlewild and Tennessee Future Stars.