No I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Just a down time in the hoops season. While I haven't seen as much summer ball as I would have liked this summer, I did finally have a chance to take a look at some results from May through now and here's my 17U Top 5
1) Howard Pulley Blue
2a) 43 Hoops
2b) Pump N Run
4) Howard Pulley White
5) Fury Gold/WOTN Gold
Howard Pulley won the Sabes Invitational and went 12-2 in the EYBL. With 2 of the more dominating players in the state (Joe Coleman and Marvin Singleton) plus depth, they're the best 17U team I've seen in Minnesota this season.
2a and 2b is a bail out on my part. Pump N Run has the more impressive season resume while 43 Hoops has played a limited schedule. But 43 Hoops did win the big showdown so that has to mean something. Of course, PNR didn't have half their roster but did have Carlos Emory and plenty of opportunities to win that game. I call this a wash and hope they meet in Vegas and/or Chicago next month.
Howard Pulley White won the AAU State tourney and has had enough success that I think they're the clear front runner for best of the rest. Their dynamic guards make them tough to defend.
Last spot I felt like I had to mention the 2 best other teams out there. Nick Carroll's Fury Gold team has played well and has beaten Howard Pulley White. WOTN Gold has played Pulley Blue and Pump N Run tough. Fury Blue deserves mention for a couple of big upsets in Kansas but 0-3 at the State Tourney knocks them out.
16U
Howard Pulley Blue (Pulley Champion and the best squad I saw at 16U)
Net Gain (tough since I haven't seen them)
43 Hoops (2 wins over PNR puts them here)
Pump N Run
Comets Elite (AAU State Crown puts them here)
15U
Pump N Run Maroon
Fury Blue
tNBA
MN Select-Focke
Howard Pulley Blue
Those 15U 5 can be shaken any way you like as I think they're very close. tNBA goes ahead of MN Select-Focke with 2 head-head wins. Fury Blue def tNBA for the state AAU title so they get that nod and Pump N Run barely beat Fury Blue in Iowa.
If you haven't seen Net Gain play at all this summer why would you rank them ahead of the likes of 43 Hoops, Pump N Run, or Comets at the 16U level? Where has the Net Gain team even played over the Spring? I also have heard from a reliable source that there team has lost a few players since the St Cloud tournament.
ReplyDelete17's seem about right but beyond the first three teams on the list, you could add about 5 different teams to round out the top 5. Can't draw any conclusions on the PnR/43 game.
ReplyDelete16 is a miss with Net Gain. I've seen them play three times and they are just okay. They are behind 43 and perhaps PnR. Not even sure I like them more than the Comets Elite team. Very one dimensional. Net Gain has played a decent schedule but they got worked in Denver.
Hopefully things pick up in July as far as excitement goes. Seems to be a lot of apathy this year when it comes to the AAU season etc.
Major miss on the 16s. I think the Comets can make a great case for moving up and Net Gain is probably overrated.
ReplyDeleteInexplicably I totally forgot about MN Southside (me forget Joey King??? How does that happen). Would you put them in this list. If so, where?
Southside is in the top 5 but not better than 43. Maybe better than PnR. King is good but can't do it alone. Too many times they've played 17's to avoid the top 16 teams IMO so it's hard to make a judgement. (which of course didn't slow me down.)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Southside will exist beyond this year. King will have to find a team he can fit in because this being the "superstar" on an okay team isn't going to get him the looks I believe he should get in the bigger tourneys as I think they'll be out quick in bracket. Their guards aren't quick or physical enough.
For the record people, Net Gain finished in the Final Four in Denver, losing to Indiana Elite and that was after upsetting Dream Vision who is one of the top teams in the country. They also beat 43 Hoops in St Cloud (although that was early in the season, and before the Tyus acquisition), and lost to Comets in the championship (who I think is a better "team" than a lot of these clubs). They had a winning record at the Jayhawk, but they did struggle in the Tournament of Champions in NC, after not playing for a month.
ReplyDeleteI would clearly put HP Blue in 1st at this point, but 2 thru 5 or whatever is totally a mixed bag. Net Gain's frontline is more impressive to me than those other squads, but they don't have the guards like 43, or shooting of PnR, or chemistry of Comets.
Southside........from what I've seen is pretty much a one man show, which is sad because there's actually some good talent on that team. Now thats the squad that has lost multiple players since the start of AAU. I really hope this isn't it for them, because I'd have to admit, u don't see too many teams play as hard as they do! especially during spring ball, now tha has to be appreciated if nothing else.
Keepitreal,
ReplyDeleteCouple things. Net Gain got beat in the Qtrs by Indiana Elite in a game that wasn't very close. They beat DreamVision which is true but the they didn't beat Dreamvisions top 16 team as Shabazz Muhammad was playing 17U for Dreamivison. Also, two of the other top 16U's for Dreamvision were playing up as well.
Pimp, are you sure that was a quarterfinal? Pretty sure that was a semifinal
ReplyDeleteNow it wouldn't be the first time the pimp was wrong but as I recollect; PnR beat Double Pump in the Qtrs. Then lost to KC PnR in the semi's. The game prior to PnR Double Pump I believe was the IE v. NG game. Guess I assumed it was a quarter. Possible it was a semi as then IE beat KC. Can't find any listings to confirm one way or the other NG lost by 25+ to IE in a game that was never close.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, beating Dreamvision sans their best three players doesn't do much for me but again 4 or 5 etc.
(Editorial note; The Pimp has never let facts get in the way of his sometimes outlandish opinion!)