PH Arch Madness: Matchups To Start Day 1 (16U)
The morning of Day 1 at Arch Madness for the 16U age level started off with a bang. When I walked into the gym the energy was high, fans were loud, and players were excited to step onto the floor.…
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Continue ReadingThe morning of Day 1 at Arch Madness for the 16U age level started off with a bang. When I walked into the gym the energy was high, fans were loud, and players were excited to step onto the floor. With all of the 16U contests being played at one time to start the day, I could only be at so much at once. Below I am going to highlight the best games of this morning that I had the chance to catch. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!
Arkansas Ducks 2025 Camarata – VS – GABL Future 16U
This game was impressive to say the least, for a starting game in this tournament. The Arkansas Ducks 2025 Camarata team is one that is stacked, 1 – 11, with high-level talent on their roster. They have quick stepping point guards, fundamental shooters from all over the floor, big bodies that play the combo forward position, and a lot of size in the middle to protect the paint. This game was not a blowout though as GABL Future 16U would not go away. Every time that I looked away for a moment and came back, GABL would go from down 10 to down 5, or from down 12 to down 7, keeping them in it the entire contest. I’ll be honest, if GABL didn’t pull this matchup in game 1 today, I think that they beat most other teams at the 16U level with how well they played. In the end the Ducks were too much for the GABL team but with how things could pan out, these two groups could match up again once more before it’s all said and done tomorrow. We will have to wait and see.
Royalty Hoops Etc 2025 (1) – VS – Arkansas Wave 2025
Royalty Hoops Etc 2025 – 1 put on a good showing this morning in their contest against the Arkansas Wave 2025. Royalty played fundamental basketball and did the small things in this one, helping them pull out a big victory by the end of the game. They had two main guards do most of their work, while their big man in the paint controlled the boards and kept smaller opponents out of the way. As for the Wave, they have some good pieces. They have 2 or 3 players that stand over 6 FT, who can handle, shoot and defend. They just ended up playing 2 VS 5 on a lot of their possessions. Something that is very fixable moving forward throughout the rest today and tomorrow. In the end, both sides in this game showed that they have some playmakers and players who could compete at the college level, they just have to stick with it moving forward and stay locked in on the correct things.
Hardwood Elite 2025 – VS – BTB XXV
This game was the one of the morning for myself. Two teams who had an absolute battle in this one. To be completely honest I didn’t have a chance to watch the first half of this game, but the end of the second half and the two overtimes made up for it. BTB XXV was leading most of the game but because of Hardwood Elite’s press, they ended up getting back into this one and actually winning it in the end. There were some pivotal players on both sides of this one but I want to give the MVP to the coach of Hardwood Elite for a moment. His game strategy, plays he drew up to get a last second look or stop, and how he handles his team in general was the most impressive part of this victory. All his players understood their assignment, executed, and because of it they ended up on top. If your BTB XXV, keep your head up. That was a hell of a game. There are some players on this side that have real talent. As a team, they are all fundamental hoopers, who have been taught the game right. They will look to bounce back for game two and moving forward, no doubt about it.