The Last Dance: Teddy’s Sunday Notebook

Chapman North Beats B&B   I began the morning with Colorado's B&B Academy facing Chapman North in the 15U level. B&B was led by SG Caiden Braketa early on. He set the pace offensively with a breakaway finish and two three's in the opening minutes. On the other end, PG Cade Dirske and F Jameson Zavatchin gave Chapman the early advantage. Zavatchin used the pick-and-roll to his advantage to create space down low for easy consistent buckets. While Cade Dirske got it done on both ends. He shoots at a high volume and hit a pair of threes in the opening minutes, while using excellent defensive awareness to create turnovers and transition points from that end. Dirske was also consistently crashing the boards and picking up rebounds in the first half. He propelled Chapman to a 40-29 lead going into the break. But B&B crawled back in it to start as Caiden Braketa showed off a nice midrange game. He was also got his teammates involved a ton and was consistent with this throughout the contest. As the second half went on, Cade Dirske was able to keep Chapman in front. He excelled at breaking out of the half-court trap and made B&B pay for that. Showing off some midrange with a pull-up jumper, while getting it done at the free throw line. Jameson Zavatchin also showed off a new range of skills. He showed excellent vision with a big assist from the top of the key. Before that, he showed good speed in transition to give Chapman a couple more points. They won 67-58. Zavatchin scored 26 for chapman and Dirske scored 20 to lead the way. Braketa scored 16 for B&B.   [program_tooltip program_id='2070093' first='Team' last='Illinois'] 15U Impresses Me   From the central part of the state, [program_tooltip program_id='2070093' first='Team' last='Illinois'] had quite the showing Sunday Morning against ECI, one of North Dakota's top teams. The biggest name to catch my attention here was [program_tooltip program_id='2070093' first='Team' last='Illinois'] PG [player_tooltip player_id='2890389' first='Khymir' last='Carson']. He showed terrific ball-handling abilities throughout the contest and created countless scoring opportunities. His slick ball-handling skills allowed him to create separation to take shots from all over the floor. He also picked up a string of assists in the early part of the game. Displaying excellent vision with the ball and allowing the guys around him to get involved and make plays. One of those guys is Trey Birdtt, the 6'0” Guard has a smooth release and knocked down a few long ball's in this game. Finishing the contest with 12 points. I was also a fan of [player_tooltip player_id='2105417' first='Joshua' last='Humbles']. He showed plenty of confidence attacking the rim with a nice first step. He also displayed nice ball-handling abilities and has great positioning and footwork as an on-ball defender. The night before, Josh Humbles scored 26 points to beat Gateway Knights. Midway through the second half. [player_tooltip player_id='2890389' first='Khymir' last='Carson'] made his best play of the game. He out dribbled two defenders in the corner and made a contested reverse layup look so easy. He continued to push their lead with a turnaround jumper and a pair of free throws shortly after that. With 7 mins to go, Carson found Humbles in transition to give [program_tooltip program_id='2070093' first='Team' last='Illinois'] their largest lead of the game. One ECI wouldn't come back from. [program_tooltip program_id='2070093' first='Team' last='Illinois'] cruised to a 59-42 win. Josh Humbles scored 22 and [player_tooltip player_id='2890389' first='Khymir' last='Carson'] scored 18.   Indiana Game Comes Back To Beat Vikings   This was such a fast-pace game to start with plenty of action. But it was the Vikings who held the advantage to start. They were outsized by Indiana Game, but their speed and gritty style of play allowed the Vikings to take control for much of the opening half. PG Myles Ellis was making plays all over the floor. Despite his size, he showed so much confidence in transition to push off a defender for a layup. What I saw from him today was no different than yesterday. I also was impressed with Caden Dixon. The 6'3” Guard is a terrific on-ball defender who creates turnovers, leading to buckets on the other end. The Vikings were continuously drawing contact in the first half and knocked down almost all their free throws. After leading 33-28 at halftime, they Pushed out to a 41-30 advantage. Everyone on the floor continuously shared the rock and were so hard to keep pace with in transition. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id='2105369' first='Jacob' last='Thompson'] made his presence felt inside. He picked up numerous blocks and constantly cut off driving lanes. But Indiana Game made it a contest with 5 mins to go. Jarvis Tolbert stepped up and hit a handful of shots, including two from beyond the arc. After that, he showed power driving inside and finishing through contact by converting an and-one to make it a 1-point deficit. In the final seconds, he scores a driving layup to give Indiana Game a 60-59 win. Jarvis Tolbert ended with 24 points while Myles Ellis scored 23 for the Vikings.   Daniel Loftus a Difference Maker For [program_tooltip program_id='2060388' first='Chicago' last='Lockdown'] 2025   I've watched the 2024 Lockdown team quite a few times. So getting a chance to see their 2025 squad was exciting. Facing MN Chill, this was my first time watching their 2025 squad in a while. 6'2” Guard Daniel Loftus hit three quick shots to help put Lockdown ahead 10-3. He showed lots of craft with the ball and was a big factor in the open floor. He also drew several fouls and converted from the line. Defensively, he showed excellent awareness. He oftentimes came out of nowhere to strip the ball away and then create fast break points on the other end. He had 14 in the first half and began the second half with another driving finish. He also stepped up with his passing and dished put a pair of assists early in the second half. Lockdown was absolutely rolling thanks to Loftus, and took a 20 point lead midway through the second half. Lockdown held on for a 57-33 win. Loftus led the way with 20 points.

Chapman North Beats B&B