To Round 2 of the early period

With the 1st set of tournaments done, Minnesota converges on the Chicago area for the 2nd round of tournaments.  43 Hoops is at the NWI tournament on the Indiana side of the border.  Their pool includes the loaded Mac Irvin Fire squad that features 3 top 30 kids in 2011 and a ton of other talent.

Everybody else is at the King James Summer Showcase in Waukegan, IL.  This event is run by Dru Joyce, who was Lebron James' head coach in high school.  He also runs the big King James event at the end of April.

There are 6 super pools.  Pump N Run gets tested with hometown Rising Stars, a loaded Ohio Basketball Club led by #24 ranked Chane Behanan who has blown up as much as anyone in the nation this summer.  And just for fun, there's the rematch with the Iowa Barnstormers.  The Barnstormers won the PNR spring tourney over PNR in a double OT classic at the end of April (read about it here).  The 16s also meet each other in super pool play.  Fury Blue 17s also get super pooled and they have the loaded Hurricane Rebels out of Milwaukee (was DTA last year) that beat 43 Hoops twice last year.

As to the regular pools, almost every pool has a Minnesota team in it.  Out of 16 pools, 10 of them include a Minnesota squad.  4 Heat teams in the pools with the other 2 Fury teams.  Magic Culp, Magic Garvis and Magic Westside join Wear Out The Net as the other Minnesota teams.

In 16U, there are 15 regular pools.  Heat Red, MN Ballers, Heat Gold, Fury, Suns, Heat Black, EOTO Elite, EOTO Black, Heat Elite and EOTO Orange are in the pools.

In 15U, Comets Elite, Fury Blue, Fury Gold, Heat Black and Heat Red, PNR Maroon, Magic Royal represent Minnesota.

Exceptions to Chicago include Select and Glory who are at the Kentucky Hoopfest.

Locally, Minnehaha Academy hosts the FILA showcase Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday.  4 groups of teams in this tourney.  College, 17U, 16U and 15/16U.  17U group will play a bracket, other groups are 6 teams and round robin play.  A large St. Paul flavor to the event as its hosted by Grassroots.  ECI has both 16s and 17s attending.  Don't know if star Joe Hanstad will play or not.  River City 15s had a nice run in the state AAU series and they are playing in the 15U/16U group.

Some of the Grassroots kids playing range from Jordan Hughes, Louis Cox and Alonzo Traylor (JUCO kids) to Stillwater's 6'8 junior forward Josh Johnson (arguably their best player next year) to Washburn soph point guard Nick Anderson just to name a few.