Midwest Melee: Teddy’s Friday Takeaways
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Beloit-Based Tarheels Run Past GPA 15U I’ve been living in Beloit, Wisconsin for the past three years and this is the first time I’ve seen an AAU team based from there compete. They began the game looking dominant on both…
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Continue ReadingBeloit-Based Tarheels Run Past GPA 15U
I’ve been living in Beloit, Wisconsin for the past three years and this is the first time I’ve seen an AAU team based from there compete. They began the game looking dominant on both ends of the floor. Inside, forward Nathan Alexander (Belvedere North) collected everything on the glass and created a handful of second-chance opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Jamar Jenkins Jr
Jamar
Jenkins Jr
6'1" | SG
Janesville Craig | 2026
WI
(Janesville Craig) had six quick points and hit two contested shots to open the game. You also saw terrific defensive awareness and quick reads in the opening half. At least three first-half steals for Jenkins to go along with that.
Brock Hodges
Brock
Hodges
5'10" | PG
Beloit Memorial | 2026
WI
(Beloit Memorial) flashed terrific ball-handling abilities and showcased a solid ability to break past defenders for easy layups. The Tar Heels opened up to an 11-0 spurt and wouldn’t stop from there. They led 39-19 at the break and won 56-42. Nate Alexander was all over the boards and had at least 20. He deserved the nickname “Baby Rodman” after that performance. You also saw
Amare Hereford
Amare
Hereford
6'1" | PG
Beloit Memorial | 2026
State
WI
(Beloit Memorial) hit shots from all levels of the floor. His long arms made him a defensive factor too.
Look out for Full Package 2025 Gold
I got to see their black team in action up in Minnesota a couple weeks ago. This time, I saw the gold team play the Memphis Knights.
Samuel Hirsch
Samuel
Hirsch
6'3" | SG
Fremd | 2025
State
IL
hit a midrange jumper and a three to begin the game. From looking at him, his physical tools are very strong, providing plenty of upside
Gavin Escobedo
Gavin
Escobedo
6'2" | SG
Rolling Meadows | 2025
IL
hit two tough 3’s to begin the game too, and Full Package started hot.
Samuel Hirsch
Samuel
Hirsch
6'3" | SG
Fremd | 2025
State
IL
continued to impress as the opening half went on. His footwork, decision-making, and ball handling abilities created more scoring chances for his team. Inside,
Colin Stack
Colin
Stack
6'9" | C
Benet | 2026
State
IL
and
Daniel Pauliukonis
Daniel
Pauliukonis
6'9" | SF
Benet | 2025
State
IL
outsized their opponents and made difficult buckets look easy in the paint. But what impressed me most was stack’s ability to make finds in transition. He had a pair of transition assists to close out an impressive first half with Full Package leading 30-15.
Escobedo, Hirsh, and Stack all kept the momentum going in the second half. Escobedo flashed tons of speed with the ball and had a put-back layup early in the half. He had no problem adding to his scoring total. Hirsh continued to stay consistent from deep and converted a four-point play midway through the second half. Full Package rolled to a 52-32 win.
Exciting Game Between Two Chicagoland Programs to End the Night
M14 2025 Adidas Gold faced Powerhouse Sports to end the night. This was undoubtedly the best game of the evening. The game was back and forward with lots of contributors early on. What really stood out was the high volume of three’s made by both teams. In the early stages, the teams were exchanging 3’s, and it was different players every time. Gunnar Worth of Powerhouse was likely the first player who hit more than one three. He shows decent size at 6’4″ with solid athletic abilities. Another player, 6’2″ CG Kaidan Chatham, found scoring opportunities from several areas of the floor in the opening frame.
On the other side,
Niko Quaranta
Niko
Quaranta
6'1" | PG
St Francis | 2025
IL
displayed outstanding guard skills. Despite a smaller build, he excelled at changing direction and finding open opportunities for himself and his teammates early on. He also knocked down a corner three late in the opening half. In addition, Josh Tinny showed blazing speed up the floor and scored quite a few buckets driving to the hoop. He also knocked down an open look from deep early on. Incredible play from the two of them eventually gave M14 a double-digit lead by the beginning of the second half. But an and-one conversion by
Kaiden Chatham
Kaiden
Chatham
6'2" | SG
Niles North | 2025
IL
instituted a run to get powerhouse back in it. A baseline drive from him made it a two point game with 10 minutes left. You also saw Chatham come alive with a big block inside with five minutes to go while also boxing out at a consistent rate. Also on Powerhouse,
Hunter Gawron
Hunter
Gawron
6'7" | PF
Niles North | 2025
State
IL
was beginning to make his presence felt with several inside finished thorough contact. Had at least four inside finished in the second half and a driving dunk in the first. A transition layup by Chatham gave Powerhouse a lead in the final two minutes, and Powerhouse would hold on for the win.