Seattle Rotary 15u EYBL Team Preview

We have been rolling out team previews for the last couple weeks and Seattle Rotary's 15u EYBL squad is up next. Seattle Rotary has the most renowned name on the national scene out of any program from the Evergreen State. This is due to the fact that they have been competitive on a national level for so long and they have helped literally hundreds of kids receive college scholarships.

Director: Daryll Hennings

Coaches: Ryan Blassingame, Cartiea French-Toney, Fred Wilson 

Program Background:

In the 1980's and early 1990's there were very limited options for players in Western Washington to play AAU, travel and play basketball. Coaching legend Ed Pepple, of Mercer Island High School, controlled the scene. Mercer Island is located just east of Seattle and players from that area and the entire eastside community were the majority of players that had opportunities to get out and play in front of the college coaches. Some of the very best inner city players did not have an AAU program to play on in the 80's and 90's. The Central Area Youth Association (CAYA) was the league where the top youth played, with a heavy influence from eventual Seattle Rotary co-founder, Dan Finkley. The CAYA groomed so many Washington greats from the Central District and South Seattle neighborhoods. Names like Alvin Snow (EWU Fall of Famer and 10 year Overseas pro), Jason Terry (Arizona and NBA Champion) and Jamal Crawford (Michigan and long-time NBA star) all grew up playing in the CAYA. The CD and South End players wanted more opportunities to get recognized on a national level and this helped lead to the creation of Seattle Style. Current Seattle Rotary Director Daryll Hennings and Dan Finkley co-founded the program together in the mid 1990's with just a single team. A partnership with the Rotary Boys and Girls Club located on the corner of 19th Ave and E Spruce Street was later formed, therefore creating the Seattle Rotary Style name. Since its creation, Rotary has become a go to program for colleges to recruit top level players. They now have players from far outside of the original 5 mile radius players came from. Players have traveled from Portland and cities far from Seattle to be apart of the program in the last 10 years. The full alumni list cannot even be found online, but Daryll Hennings does have an ongoing list he keeps. One thing that stands out about this program is Daryll will tell you, "We are just as happy for the player that comes through our program that goes on to be the manager at Safeway as we are the kid who is fortunate enough to play in the NBA." The positive influence this program has had on so many kids for the last 25 years is why so many alumni now have their kids coming up through the program. Aaron Brooks, Marvin Williams, Peyton Siva, Tony Wroten, Rodney Stuckey, Brandon Roy and many more have worn the Rotary jersey. Jalen and Jaden McDaniels are two Rotary alumni you will likely see in the NBA very soon, as well as Matisse Thybulle, Kevin porter Jr and Jaylen Nowell. I have been fortunate enough to watch each one of these players come up through the program and have countless stories and memories to share, but that will have to be saved for another time. For now, let's see who is up next up coming out of the 19th and Spruce legacy. 

Roster: Seattle Rotary 15u EYBL

2022 6'5 PF Connor Chalich (Sumner HS) - Connor will bring a physical and toughness element to the team.

2022 6'3 SG Bradley Swillie (Life Christian HS) - Bradley will bring scoring from the wing. Has an adept ability to put the ball in the hoop.

2022 5'8 PG Elijah Johnson (Shorecrest HS) - Elijah will make the guys around him, he's a PG that can score and make others better.

2022 5'10 PG Tremaine Guidry (Garfield HS) - Tremaine is a lockdown defender. He's arguably one of the best on ball defenders in the area. 

2022 6'0 PG Takeo Staten-Sylvester (O’Dea HS) - Takeo is a solid 2-way player with a slick handle. 

2022 6'4 SF Mo Jackson (Eastside Catholic HS) - Mo will bring an inside-out presence to the team. He has the versatility to play multiple positions.

2022 5'10 SG Daishun Nichols (Life Christian HS) - Daishun has the strong ability to slash to the rim and attack the basket.

2022 6'4 SF Tre Blassingame (Auburn HS) - Tre is a versatile wing with ability to stretch the floor or post up smaller defenders. 

2022 6'5 PF Newton Pepple (Shorecrest HS) - Newton will bring athleticism and rebounding to the team. One of the better athletes in the area has ability to affect the game in multiple areas without being primarily involved.

2022 6'7 Chae Haynes (Life Christian HS) - Chae is an inside force with a solid skillset. Chae has soft hands and good feet. He's an underrated passer and shooter. 

Coach's Outlook:

"Throughout the spring and summer, the goal is to compete at a high level and dominate locally in our area. We're expected to go out nationally and compete on the toughest circuit in the EYBL. We will be focusing a lot on player development and improving our player's skills and basketball IQ's. We will be emphasizing defense, rebounding, making the extra pass and playing as a team. We strive to play the right way and be a team that everyone enjoys watching play."

Scout's Outlook:

Knowing Cartiea French-Toney, player development will be a major point of emphasis for this group. I expect them to show a lot of growth in their basketball IQ by the end of July, when they will be playing their best basketball. This team has a lot of toughness and scrappy defenders that should suit them well this season. Understanding time, score and valuing possessions will be huge for them when they play against the best on the EYBL circuit. A handful of these kids have a legitimate shot to play Division 1 basketball, so this group will be one to watch this spring and summer. They won the Rotary NETS 15u division and already have a signature win over Portland's Rose City Rebels. 

Schedule: 

April 12-13 Nike Hoop Summit (Portland) 

April 20 Premier Spring Slam (Bellevue)

April 26-28 EYBL Session 1 (Atlanta, GA)

May 3-5 Great Seattle Shootout

May 17-19 Premier Shootout (Bellevue)

May 26-28 EYBL Session 3 (Dallas, TX)

July 5-7 Battle in Seattle 

July 10-14 Peach Jam or Peach Invitational (Augusta, GA)