2010 Grassroots Hoops Week 2 Preview

A look at week 2 of the 2010 MN Grassroots hoops season.  A quiet week as teams gear up for the PNR Tourney and Jayhawk Invites coming up the next 2 weeks.  We'll start with this week's road warriors.

Old Skool is in Iowa for the Barnstormers Spring Fling.  The Barnstormers are here next week in the PNR tourney and should be a major factor.  More on that in next week's preview.

MN Comets Gold 17s and 43 Hoops 16s are in Menomonie, WI for the Great Lakes Shootout.  Those teams are in the top Platinum bracket.  Have to think 43 Hoops rolls in that.

Finally the Net Gain 16s and all 4 Pump N Run teams are in Denver (sans me, boo hoo).  Tough draw for the PNR 17s with an extra game and 2 tough pool games.  Could be another 4 game Sunday and hustling for a late night flight.  Competition is stiff with Indiana Elite, KC Pump N Run etc showing.  Tourney is 1 of 3 premier events of the weekend.  Net Gain 16s and PNR could meet as early as the quarterfinals Sunday morning.  Net Gain gets Friday night off with both of their pool games early Saturday.  Both PNR 15s are out there and could in theory meet in the 1st round of playoffs, but somehow I don't see Jerry Robertson top 15s finishing 3rd in their pool.

Now to the Minneapolis Spring Jam at the Colin Powell Center.

17U (schedule here)
Magic Gold and Magic Maroon are here and could be 19U teams as its a combined bracket.  Taking that out of consideration, you have arguably the 3 best 17U teams all in Pool B with Magic Elite, Wear Out The Net and Triple Threat.  I like WOTN in the pool since they have the deepest roster and by far the most firepower (assuming its 1 top team).  But the group of games with those 3 teams are all worth watching.   Magic Elite with a tough draw getting Triple Threat (12:20 PM) and WOTN (2:30 PM) on Sunday before the 5:45 title game.   Saturday at 11:15 AM is WOTN vs Triple Threat.

Heat Red and Fury Blue 2 are in pool A and play Sunday at 3:35 PM.  These are the 3rd teams for each organization.  William McDonough and Chris Jones on the wings for the Fury.  Heat Red with Bryan Blackhawk and Jeff Weber on the wings. 

16U  (Schedule here)
For the 16s, a Magic Elite team graces both pools.  Wear Out The Net and Triple Threat join them again in Pool A.  Each One Teach One has both of their 16s split between the pools as well.  Heat Black with Darius Wilkerson of Hastings is in pool B.

15U (Schedule here)
Pool A-Team Get Shook, MN Triple Threat, Mpls Jaguars
Pool B-WOTN, Central Lakers,Heat East
Pool C-Comets II, Urban Stars, EOTO
Pool D-Magic Gold, SW Slam Green, Midtown Kings

For Magic Gold, they don't have size, but keep an eye on Sibley point guard Julius Johnson.  In that same pool, SW Slam Green has 6'4 Henry Rogotzke and 6'5 Austin Dierks.  Heat East is the 3rd Heat squad.  Comets II is their 2nd elite team.