The Weekly Top Five – WCU Goes for Gold

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Huge weekend from [program_tooltip program_id='2076003' first='West' last='Central United'] winning the Upper Midwest Finals. They lead the Weekly Top Five</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Weekly Top Five</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(1) [program_tooltip program_id='2076003' first='West' last='Central United']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(2) [program_tooltip program_id='2075310' first='Northstar' last='Titans'] Maternoski </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(3) Elevate Skills - 2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(4) Minnesota Rise</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(5) Hoop Troop</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Undefeateds</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2076003' first='West' last='Central United'] went 5-0 to win the Upper Midwest Finals. They beat the Titans in the finals, had a close game with Uncheckable they won in the semis and also beat Heat Dedina in the event as well. Tough road and they won all five games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Minnesota Lace Up Black was one of only two local teams in the Minneapolis Showcase and they won their four games by a combined 61 points. Secondary program teams from Kansas City, Missouri Phenom, Wisconsin Academy, and Pack (ND) that traveled to the metro to get whooped by Lace Up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very good weekend for the second Elevate Skills - 2 team who beat Real Phenom Joe, defeated WOTN Laufenberger who has only lost three games all season, and then knocked off CV Select from Wisconsin in a 42-41 championship game battle. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quality 4-1 or 3-1 Runs</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoop Troop did something that teams used to do a lot and that is take a weekend and play in an official AAU event in Orlando. The games are at ESPN Disney and Hoop Troop won their three games but had to get on a plane so they missed their final contest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2075310' first='Northstar' last='Titans'] Maternoski had a really nice showing boosting their winning percentage to 60 percent on the season with four wins and making the title game. They beat a couple of Wisconsin teams, beat the Rise in the semis avenging an earlier season loss, and then lost in the title game to WCU.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Minnesota Rise went 3-1 and made it to the event semi-finals. They beat an Elevate Skills team that gave a lot of other teams issues plus they beat the top SSA North Dakota team and they defeated [program_tooltip program_id='2078859' first='Starks' last='Elite']. The loss came in the semis but a good weekend with a short bench. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2075674' first='Minnesota' last='Heat'] Gunderman and [program_tooltip program_id='2075681' first='Minnesota' last='Magic'] Cornell are both teams that lost their first game but they bounced back nicely to win three games on the consolation side for a good weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Next Weekend</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NHR State is having it's biggest weekend ever and this event has been played since 2012. The vast majority of the good teams in the state are playing plus the best teams from North Dakota! And..... if a top team isn't playing, their players are jumping on another team to play. Keep an eye on the Falcons (lots of [program_tooltip program_id='2075431' first='D1' last='Minnesota'] and Sizzle guys it sounds like) and 204 Elite which is Team Manitoba (best players from Manitoba including a few that play on Canadian EYBL teams). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->