Summer Challenge: Teddy’s Saturday Notebook (Part 2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mac Irvin Fire 17U Destroys Wisconsin Playground</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After dropping their first game of the morning to Greater Purpose, the 17U Mac Irvin Fire faced UAA's Wisconsin Playground. It was nothing but dominance for the Fire early. [player_tooltip player_id='1157346' first='Jaden' last='Smith'] was a big interior presence down low. Forcing nothing but misses defensively while using his 6'10“ size to make tough inside buckets look easy. I was also very impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='1284852' first='Chris' last='Riddle']. He did bits of everything in the Fiery start for Mac Irvin. He moved his feet well defensively to create stops, while making plays up the floor at a high pace. This made it tough for Wisconsin Playground to keep up with them. After that, Jaden Calloway pushed the lead to over 25 with a pair of three's and a baseline floater. Amier Carson also stepped up from deep and hit four threes in the opening frame. The Fire were dominant in the opening half and held a 50-16 lead. [player_tooltip player_id='1284852' first='Chris' last='Riddle'] showed off the bounce to begin the second half with an alley-oop in transition while also winning the rebound battle over taller defenders. Tauvarian Williams displayed plenty of athleticism too with a pair of finishes at the rim and outstanding speed down the lane. Defensively, he got up and swatted a shot back into the opposing bench. I also saw get involved heavily in the passing game as the contest went on. The Fire won big 87-50.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16U Mac Irvin Wins Tight Against Wisconsin Playground</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was undoubtedly the game of the weekend. Both teams feature numerous top prospected ranked top 10 in their stated and amongst the top players nationally. To start, [player_tooltip player_id='1157224' first='Mike' last='Jones'] and Tristan Ford continued to be the difference makers for Mac Irvin. Ford displayed excellent ball-handling abilities and awareness on the floor to create plenty of scoring opportunities. Jones took a charge defensively and hit a pull-up three just before that. He continued to make a huge impact on both ends, while working well off the pick and roll to hit another three too. [player_tooltip player_id='1390443' first='Davion' last='Hannah'] also hit two contested three's in the opening half. The first was from top of key and the second was a fadeaway in the corner. On the other end, Wisconsin Playground was using the long ball to their advantage. Amare Allen stepped up and drained two three's in the opening few minutes and buried a pair of free throws at the line. Six of&nbsp; their first seven field goals were from beyond the arc and it kept them in the contest in the first half. To open the 2nd half, [player_tooltip player_id='1240335' first='Kai' last='Rogers'] finally came alive. The 6'10” Big Man used exceptional strength inside to separate himself and finish at the rim. He also created big stops defensively. Forcing and blocking shots while blocking off holes in the paint. Guard AJ Bender also stepped up late. The Wisconsin Playground Guard hit a deep three and followed it up with a smooth drive to the lane. In a tight contest late, Rogers and [player_tooltip player_id='1157224' first='Mike' last='Jones'] were stealing the show. Jones had a big time put back slam while rogers was continuing to impress the paint. Tristan Ford also made big plays late. Scoring over defenders and coming out of nowhere to block an open three with two minutes left. In the final minute, [player_tooltip player_id='1157224' first='Mike' last='Jones'] found [player_tooltip player_id='1385283' first='Aleks' last='Alston'] down low to secure a 59-57 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Late Surge Puts Playground Past Chi Hoops 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I caught Wisconsin Playground again in the afternoon facing Chi Hoops, who lost to Mac Irvin Fire earlier in the day. The first player to stand out for Chi Hoops was [player_tooltip player_id='1545122' first='Caleb' last='Lindsey']. He supplied plenty of energy on the floor and was impactful on both ends early on. His lengthy wingspan allowed him to make a big impact defensively, picking up two early blocks in the process. Offensively, he converted a short jumper on the opening possession and separated himself for a dunk in the lane shortly after. Jacob. Rice also started hot. On the other side, it was Amari Allen making the big plays. He showed bounce with a fast-break slam and was hitting contested shots all over the floor. He even got his teammates involved with a pair of assists. As the game went on, other players stepped up. [player_tooltip player_id='1550741' first='Jacob' last='Rice'] had 13 points for Chicago Hoops in the opening half. He hit a three and went 6/6 from the line in that frame. [player_tooltip player_id='1240335' first='Kai' last='Rogers'] became a big factor in the second half. The Wisconsin Playground product showed why he's a top 60 player nationally. He utilized terrific footwork and body position on both ends to pick up a couple blocks and convert buckets from close range. [player_tooltip player_id='1240337' first='Jake' last='Hansen'] and TJ Stuttly helped extend the lead to double digits, each contributing to a pair of buckets. Down the stretch, [player_tooltip player_id='1545122' first='Caleb' last='Lindsey'] and Amare Allen got hot again. Lindsey did a great job finding open spots and had another open dunk. He also had another pair of blocks. Amari Allen forced turnovers defensively and turned it into offense. He played a big role in preventing a comeback and Wisconsin Playground secured the win.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hoops4Health Downs DTM 17U</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These Chicago-based teams went neck and neck Saturday afternoon. Things were very tight in the first half with Hoops4Health clinging to a 27-26 lead at the break. 6'8” F Tolu Samuels was a big presence down low for Hoops4Health and had 10 first half points. He also hit two triples in that half, showing plenty of shooting capabilities. Chris Tacher made his presence felt too. He's another prospect who used his length to continuously frustrate opponents on both ends. He buried his second triple of the game early in the second half to help catapult Hoops4Health to a double-digit lead. Tolu Samuels was also very active in the second half. He made some great finds down low and hit a contested midrange shot to stay consistent. Hoops4Health wouldn't look back and hold on for a 60-50 win. Samuels scored 19 and Tacher added 10 to lead the way. On the other side, Kaiden Faber and Matrrell Britten scored 13 and 12 points respectively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Smith Propels All-In Figueroa Gold Past 24:Up</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I ended the day catching 24:Up UA Rise and All-In Figueroa Gold. It was 24:Up who had the hot start. [player_tooltip player_id='1943307' first='Isaiah' last='Robinson'] showed tremendous consistency from downtown and hit three triples in the opening few minutes. Defensively, he was very impactful. Showing terrific footwork against opposing ball handlers and preventing drivable lanes to score. But it took no time for All-in to bounce back. 6'0” PG [player_tooltip player_id='1372556' first='Luke' last='Smith'] continues to have a dominant AAU year and he showed it early on with two triples and some great ball-handling abilities. The 3's were going in at a high rate for both teams as they combined for 10 long balls total in the opening half. The two sides went back and forth to begin the second half with numerous players stepping up and converting inside. [player_tooltip player_id='1372556' first='Luke' last='Smith'] started to make plays inside, showing off excellent footwork and a smooth touch around the rim. On the other end, Jack Serkowski lit up the floor. He showed a nice feel for the game around him and the ability to score from all three levels. [player_tooltip player_id='1372556' first='Luke' last='Smith'] broke a tie with a breakaway layup in the final 30 seconds. He finished with 18 points as All-In secured a 57-55 victory. On the other side, Jack Serkowski finished with 20 points for 24:Up. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->