AAU Recap: FCF Ballers 17U

<p>The FCF Ballers, based out of Petersburg, VA, were one of the most consistent 17U teams in the state this summer. Much like the kids that make up their roster, FCF was criminally underrated, but if you got a chance to see them you witnessed a team that was undersized but played hard, unselfish, two-way basketball. They didn’t play the toughest schedule, playing in mostly Big Shots Tournaments, however they made it to the semifinals in every tournament that they entered. They were one of the most complete teams we saw all summer, and you’ll surely hear from some of their kids during the high school year as well.</p> <p>All quotes and pictures are courtesy of Head Coach Ray Broughton.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Overall Record:</strong> 40-9</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Top Tournament Finishes:</strong> Zero Gravity Richmond April champions; April Beach Explosion champions; RVA Select Tourney champions; Big Shots Winston Salem Gold champions; Big Shots Charlotte runner up; Big Shots DC Certified runner up; Big Shots Richmond Certified runner up</p> <p><strong>Notable Wins:</strong> Team Loaded 757, Team Loaded 434, Garner Road, Pro Look Gold (2X), Cecil Kirk</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>MVP:</strong> Deonte Jones. “Deonte was Mr. Everything for us. He scored from all over the floor and he was our second best rebounder. He was Mr. Clutch for us!”</p> <p><strong>Defensive MVP:</strong> Daniel Saunders. “He was our silent leader. Not only was he a scoring machine, but we always depended on him to guard the opposing team’s best offensive perimeter player.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Biggest Surprises:</strong> Antoine Ford. “Antoine has really turned a corner for us this season. His ability to apply ball pressure was key for us throughout the season. He also made clutch baskets at critical moments and is definitely a player whom I felt I could trust.”</p> <p>Christian Chappell. “Christian was definitely a surprise coming into the season. One thing we lacked was true size and that’s what he gave us at 6’8 and 265 lbs. and coming off a freshman year playing JV at Prince George we really didn’t know what we would get out of him. He turned out to be a pleasant surprise, stealing some minutes from big brother Savonte and eventually earning the chance to play alongside of him.”</p> <h2>Coach's Take</h2><p><span style="font-family:calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">“It was a great run over the last two seasons! Like most of my players we flew under the radar for the most part, but my guys understand what competing is. Our motto is ‘No Excuses’ so it didn’t matter who we faced or how big the opponent was, we went out and executed our game plan. One of the best group of young men I have ever coached.”</span></span></p>