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| NIKE/JORDAN BRAND TEAM MELO NATIONAL CHAMPION RUNNER UP - #2 IN NATION 13U |
Greensboro, NC played host to possibly one of the best
basketball stories of the year and it starred a cast of characters from the DMV
who earned the respect of the nation in the progress. The Team Melo 13U National Championship run
began not in the state of North Carolina, but right here in the area – a group of
8 players were initially put together exactly six weeks prior to the start of the
2015 AAU Tournament.
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| Coach William Paige & Coach Tony Koverman View Pregame Prep |
Holding practices once per week on Friday nights the group
installed piece by piece a system that they would ultimately have to rely on in
the game’s most crucial moments and times; the 3-hour grind sessions consisted
of installations, continuity drills, chalk talk, and mental preparation – there
we no breaks, time outs, or otherwise.
Everyone involved in the endeavor understood the road ahead of them
would be one of the most daunting and challenging they had faced in the basketball
lives.
To ensure translation to the court in a very short period of
time; the team played in events in 4 out of the 6 weeks leading up to nationals
– pulling out of a 5th citing injury concerns days before their
departure. Team Melo’s 13U team impressed
immediately out the gate claiming 3 tournament championships in just as many
events. Looking to be tested the squad
play-up 8th grade for their last event falling late in a nip and
tuck semi-final game.
With a solid resume the team was confident and poised prior
to their departure ~ but before the journey could begin the team had to sustain
a set of scenarios that would cripple even the strongest teams. Two coaches and three players advised less
than seven days before the start of the tournament that they would not be
participating; thus taking the team roster to 5 players and jeopardizing the
chances of the kids and players who had given their all to prepare for this
event. A quick quality pick-up was thwarted
due to injury that could not be cleared by medical personnel in time – so with
less than 72-hours and very few options two players who never practiced with
the team and who had never met or worked with the coaching staff were added
taking the final roster to 7-players, along with two new coaches as well.
Before stepping on the floor for the first time as an entire
group the team came together and shared with each other what they were going to
sacrifice as individuals and what they were going to bring to the table that no
one had ever seen before, these commitments were written on “individual” pieces
of paper and then burnt in a can so all the goals became singular – as one – just
as the ashes in the can.
Those who
looked closely throughout the tournament recognized that the “Can of Commitments”
which was the responsibility of a different player each day and individually
signed by each player and coach – sat in the 2
nd seat as a reminder
of the oneness the team desired to play with each time they hit the court.
When that first ball was tipped-off and the very first play
off the tip resulted in a lay-up in less than 5-seconds, no one but the group
knew that this was the start of something special. The 76-27 victory that ensured featured a
26-point and a 25-point performance from Jeremy Roach and Ryan Conway, a double-double
from Montez McNeil, 10 assist and no turnovers from Will Paige and Jake
Koverman’s 8, 5, 5 coupled with the best defensive of showing of the first
round by any team set the standard for Melo and the rest of the field.
Day two, the match-up was set between Team Melo and the
reigning/defending National Champion Oakland Soldiers. In what proved to be one
of the most anticipated games of this and any AAU Tournament; the sheer capacity
of the crowd forced the game to be stopped at the end of the first quarter, as
well as other games in the venue to move the game to another court so that
everyone who desired to see the contest could be in attendance.
After a very calculated first quarter which
saw Melo’s bigman McNeil pick-up two fouls the second quarter started with
Oakland ahead 8-7.
After play resumed,
Melo lost one of its starters early in the 2
nd quarter due to a
fractured ankle which would have him finished for the week and leave the team
with 6 players at their disposal; the Soldiers preceded to knock down 6
3-pointers in the quarter and pushed their leaded to as much as 22-points heading
to the break.
In what may have been deemed to be one of the best comebacks
of the year, Melo clawed its way back into the game possession by possession
playing with grit, determination, and the will to win that few in this age
group could ever know or understanding.
Consistent defensive pressure and timely shooting from Paige, Roach, and
Conway combined with McNeil’s battling in the interior as well as playing
eraser for any mistakes put Melo within 3-points at 52-49 with 2:06 to
play. Roach lined up a trey ball to tie,
but it rimmed out, fouls and free-throws by the Soldiers sealed it putting Melo
in a must win situation on day 3. Melo
responded with businesslike approach in the final game of pool; winning 58-49
over the Boston Bobcats advancing the team to the championship bracket where
the nations #4 team Bmac Bounce/St. Louis Wildcats were waiting.
The Melo v Wildcat game was an all-out war, with teams trading
blows in some cases literally from the onset.
With some of the best shooters in the country surrounding all-world
Rashad McDaniel the Cats kept coming as Melo worked a specialized game plan utilizing
a triangle set which schematically consisted of no weak side ball
reversals. Basically running the same
play each and every possession, Melo found itself down again by double digits
52-40 at the start of the 4th quarter. Roach took over and owned this quarter as he
dropped 40-points on the night and went on a 10-0 run by himself to cut the
lead to 6-points 56-50, drawing the last foul on McDaniel at the same
time. When their star went to the bench
you could feel the air come out the Wildcats – with a few chances to seal the
game away from the strip after taking a 3-point and 1-point lead the Wildcats
still had one last shot to win it missing a jumper and having a rebounded
lay-up waved off as time expired moving the Baltimore based Melo squad to the
Sweet 16 65-64.
The Team Melo train cruised in its next two victories with
commanding performances beating Chicago Team Manimal the surprising #1 seed out
of pool O 57-38 and Adidas Team Loaded 61-47, who later beat the Oakland
Soldiers who feel to eventual champs George Hill by 25-points in the Elite 8 –
Melo now was sitting one game away from the National Championship game; the
only thing standing in their way was the #5 team in country who had been here
before with the same group in years past.
Who had played together all year long – needless to say the NY Gauchos were
immensely confident coming into the match-up.
In a game that featured 14 lead changes with no team ever
leading by more than 6-points and Melo’s big McNeil battling massive foul trouble
which held him to less than 8 minutes in the contest there were - as had become
the norm still there at the end. McNeil
returned to grab some crucial rebounds, while Conway and Paige hit bigshots
from all over the floor – but it was the heroics of Roach again that stole the
show. Grabbing a missed shot with
5-seconds on the clock Roach maneuvered 94-feet though traffic and finished
with a euro-left-handed lay-up for the win 69-67 as time expired.
In the Championship Melo never found its rhythm and
the emotion of the week made it challenging to shift into the gear that had
propelled them previously - when shots that had fallen now slipped off the rim
and loose balls that they claimed previously just landed out of reach – the run
ended, yet the players prior to taking the floor had already won something
bigger than any single game could ever provide – they won the respect of their
peers, the respect of the nation, and proved to the world that nothing is
impossible if you believe and work hard enough to obtain it.
Team Melo is #2 in the country at the 13U level – but #1
forever in the heart of the DMV and DMV Preps – thank you to each of these
young men for captivating the nation’s capital for a few days in July – you couldn’t
have done it any better than you did.
PG Will Paige – Paige played 32 minutes of every game and
never stepped off the floor until the final seconds in the in the championship
game where he succumbed to foul trouble.
He was the consummate floor general who could be seen constantly directing
traffic both on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. His assist to turnover ratio was impeccable,
he shot a high percentage from both the field and the 3-point line and proved unequivocally
that he must be mentioned and considered as one of the top TRUE PG prospects in
the country. From a skill set perspective
he lacks nothing, from a leadership standpoint he could arguable be the
standard bearer, from a heart perspective the kid has the biggest one in the
country bare none.
WG Ryan Conway – Already known as one of the best scorers
and pure shooters in the class Conway is Mr. Big Shot and does so without a
thought or conscience. The Baby Faced Assassin constantly hit buckets from
distance that from an impact and value perspective could have been worth
5-points. Yet it was his ability to get in
the paint, finish, and defend that really became apparent and visible during the
course of the week. His work in the
mid-range portion of the game kept defenders honest and allowed for him to
achieve some robust point totals on very high percentage shooting. Tough and rugged he battled on the boards and
still produced with defenses geared to stop him. With a reclass year ahead of him he proved he
can flat out do it in 2020, so in 2021 he must be considered as one of the nation’s
best before he even officially steps foot into a classroom this coming fall.
F Jake Koverman – Koverman’s week was cut short due to
injury but he was productive during his healthy time in the game. As the only 6th grader on the team
Jake could be counted on to be in the right place at the right time and
displayed a basketball IQ well beyond his years.
A statistic regarding Koverman that many are unaware of is that he has
played in the last 3 Final Fours and two National Championships games as a
starting player. His ability to
contribute in so many areas especially the intangibles makes the future bright
for a guy who is growing in a lot of ways in the last couple months least of which
is height as the youngster approaches 6-foot tall. The work ethic and heart cant be questioned especially
after taking the floor for 2-min on a broken ankle just to get his teammates to
half-time without picking up anymore fouls.
SG Jeremy Roach – From a superlative standing point, what
can be said about Jeremy Roach that has not already been said? Clearly and without argument from anyone Roach
was the best player in the gym – averaging over 30-points per game, and pushing
30+ minutes per night, the kid never missed a beat, hit every big shot, and put
on a show that will be talked about, remembered, and become legend as time
passes on. The expansion of his game
while being showcased has to be giving credit, everyone in the gym knew who was
getting the ball, who the play was being run for or through and ultimately no
one was ever able to stop it. Roach found
and in some cases invented ways to score – all 94-feet of the court was his
playground. He has understood the
difference between shooter and scorer and has begun to master it on the highest
level. His in the gym range, with a
mature Steph-Curry-Wit-The-Shoot mid-range package will likely propel him to
the top of most if not all boards and have him considered as the most COMPLETE SG
in the country. The kid is guaranteed
varsity ready NOW and will command minutes the day he steps on campus; due to a
multitude of things other than basketball but as a player there are not many
that can do what he does the way he does it.
IQ- Check, Heart – Check, Vision – Check, Unselfishness –Check CHAMPION-Check
Center Montez McNeil – The man was physically accosted all
week long and took a pounding while making sure to dish out some himself. He was a double-double machine all week long
making life miserable for anyone daring to venture into the lane to challenge
him and his squad. We are talking blocks
into stands, blocks into the lobby, he flat out played angry. The great footwork, finishing ability,
agility, and touch has folks salivating for the young big who plays like the
old Hoya bigs in the 80’s & 90’s – old school tough. Throughout the game McNeil faced double and
triple teams and his ability to pass out of it to hit cutters and shooters is
an aspect that some bigs never master, using the finesses in some cases and the
power in other displayed a viable versatility that is going to be hard to deal
with and he isn’t even close to maximizing his ability – at 6’4 he has yet to
have his first true growth spurt.
Already a top 5 player at his position as the only interior big on the
#2 team in the country he is and must remain in the conversation for the top centers
in the country. He earned that right on the floor.
WF Marquise Thompson – Anyone Remember Scottie Thurmon? Marquise moves in a similar way, floating to the
open spots where he has a silky smooth release and solid mechanics. His big hands bode-well for the future and it
was clear that as he became more comfortable with plays, sets, and intensity of
the game that he can play on the highest level.
Knocked down some big trey balls in some crucial situations as well as free-throws
he proved his worth and championship pedigree contributing in a big way to the team’s
success. Even with scoring being his strength defense became contagious and he
too made an impact on both ends. New to
the national scene he is primed and ready to never step back and will be a face
and name you will see moving forward doing big things.
F Caleb Coombs – Built Ford Tough Coombs brought the
toughness that the team couldn’t have lived without. He fought for every rebound and grabbed more
than his fair share; he guarded all five positions on the floor and made plays
in the most opportune times. He had
knack for making plays at the most important times, if it was a tough shot,
penetration, or stop he was that guy. A
player who played within himself and made high energy high efficiency plays
that made all his activity valuable. No
one got more lose or 50/50 balls and his momentum swinging plays were easily
attributable to the team’s success throughout the week. With many statistical outbursts throughout the
week it was Caleb consist contributions that were just as valuable as any basket
or shot.
See Many of the Players from the #2 Team in the Country - How do you Stack Up?
