Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Bobbito Garcia Live @ Water Club This Saturday
Bobbito aka Kool Bob Love aka Cool Cucumber Slice is spinning Saturday night at the Water Club. I'm not one to promote parties and club events but if you are in San Juan this weekend make your way over to Water Club.
ANGEL GARCIA CLEARED TO PRACTICE
More good news for all ya'll haters out there! Angel Garcia is back! He has been cleared to practice and could be suited as soon as this weekend. We saw Angel last year while visiting Memphis practice and this guy looked like a beast!
He has worked hard to get his knee back in shape and we are excited for him.
He has worked hard to get his knee back in shape and we are excited for him.
TORRIMAR AND JARDINES START ELITE TRAVEL TEAMS
Miami Tropics had it on lock and then Pump and Run held the title. Now PR Playmakers seems poised to make some serious moves. The fact of the matter is that travel basketball is the future of basketball in PR. Torrimar has started a travel team which competes in the Main Event in Las Vegas and word on the street is Jardines has start two teams as well.
Competition is the name of the game and exposure is what both players and their families are looking for. Parents are tired of driving to obscure places around the island only to see their son play against a team that has not talent.
They want competition and they want it now. PR Playmakers changed the youth game by starting as young as 8U and now has two of the top teams in the USA and clearly the top teams in both the 10U and 12U age group.
Said an AAU insider who also coaches locally in Puerto Rico," Everyone is watching the success that PRP is having and they recognize this is what parents and players want. Parents are seeing the level of talent and competition at the AAU level and they want that here."
Jardines has supposedly started a 12U team with super star PG Jhivvan Jackson leaving PRP and a 10U with several member of the PRP Team that went to the AAU Final Four in 2008.
Competition is the name of the game and exposure is what both players and their families are looking for. Parents are tired of driving to obscure places around the island only to see their son play against a team that has not talent.
They want competition and they want it now. PR Playmakers changed the youth game by starting as young as 8U and now has two of the top teams in the USA and clearly the top teams in both the 10U and 12U age group.
Said an AAU insider who also coaches locally in Puerto Rico," Everyone is watching the success that PRP is having and they recognize this is what parents and players want. Parents are seeing the level of talent and competition at the AAU level and they want that here."
Jardines has supposedly started a 12U team with super star PG Jhivvan Jackson leaving PRP and a 10U with several member of the PRP Team that went to the AAU Final Four in 2008.
PR Playmakers Bring Two Heavy Hitters To Coach 10U Travel Team
PR Playamkers just keeps making moves. First, they sign a deal with Nike and recently announced that two of PR's best youth coaches have agreed to come on board.
IPRB spoke with PRP Founder Todd Washington about this earlier today. "We are excited about having Gamaliel Suarez and Freddie Thomas join the PRP Family. Both of these guys understand the game at a very high level, are fantastic communicators and have a track record of getting it done. We are excited to have them."
Gama and Freddie will share the role of Head Coach for the 10U team which finished in 4th Place at the AAU Nationals in 2008.
IPRB spoke with PRP Founder Todd Washington about this earlier today. "We are excited about having Gamaliel Suarez and Freddie Thomas join the PRP Family. Both of these guys understand the game at a very high level, are fantastic communicators and have a track record of getting it done. We are excited to have them."
Gama and Freddie will share the role of Head Coach for the 10U team which finished in 4th Place at the AAU Nationals in 2008.
AAU TO OPERATE ELITE YOUTH LEAGUE THIS FALL
You know how we do it! We are breaking this story first. Word out of Orlando is that the AAU is working with Chino Torres to start an elite league in August or early September. This is long over due as Little Lads is a great league but it is not deisgned for elite players. Players and their parents want to see the best play against the best and not just for one quarter. The more players that get a chance to play elite travel team basketball are coming back to PR and disgusted with some of the rules in the leagues. Substitution requirements, a ban on black socks, compession shirts and shorts and other rules which simply do not make sense have players and coaches upset.
On top of that, coaches want to coach in a real game situation and not be forced to have teams which are required to play kids who are not ready to compete.
The new league will allow the best players to play on a team and the clubs can still have a team in Little Lads. IPRB spoke to several of the club heads last week and they expressed excited about the new league.
Said one coach who spoke to IPRB last night, "The time has come for a new elite league in PR. One that can help us expose our kids to prep schools and colleges in the USA. A league that allows us to compete against the best teams in the USA. Players want it, coaches want it and parents want it."
We are trying to reach Chino Torres and the people from the AAU. More info to come on this soon but I can tell you that the streets are buzzing with excitment.
On top of that, coaches want to coach in a real game situation and not be forced to have teams which are required to play kids who are not ready to compete.
The new league will allow the best players to play on a team and the clubs can still have a team in Little Lads. IPRB spoke to several of the club heads last week and they expressed excited about the new league.
Said one coach who spoke to IPRB last night, "The time has come for a new elite league in PR. One that can help us expose our kids to prep schools and colleges in the USA. A league that allows us to compete against the best teams in the USA. Players want it, coaches want it and parents want it."
We are trying to reach Chino Torres and the people from the AAU. More info to come on this soon but I can tell you that the streets are buzzing with excitment.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
High School Heavyweights on ESPNU Tomorrow
Findlay Prep, Oak Hill Academy, St. Patrick’s and St. Benedict’s headline event
SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the high school teams for its 9th annual Spalding Hoophall Classic, presented by Big Y World Class Markets, to be held at Springfield College’s Blake Arena from January 15-18 during Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. The top five teams from last year’s final ESPN RISE Fab 50 rankings will headline the participants including No. 1 Findlay College Prep (Hendersonville, NV), No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA), No. 3 St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, NJ), No. 4 Westchester High School (Los Angeles, CA) and No.5 St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, NJ).
Over 45 teams – representing 16 states and the District of Columbia – will be competing this year in the tournament’s largest field. Numerous games from the 2010 Spalding Hoophall Classic will be broadcast live via national television outlets, regional television outlets and online distribution. Information on these broadcasts will be available shortly.
Other legendary programs scheduled to participate include St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, NJ), Bishop O’Connell High School (Arlington, VA), DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, MD), Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA), Neumann-Goretti High School (Philadelphia, PA) and Gonzaga College High School (Washington, DC).
“In the eight years of the Spalding Hoophall Classic, we have been fortunate to have featured many future stars and elite programs in high school basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “This year’s field is no different, as we will once again showcase the top talent in the country with Springfield and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as our platform.”
Recent alumni of the Spalding Hoophall Classic include last year’s top-two rates graduating seniors Xavier Henry (Oklahoma City, OK/Kansas) and Derrick Favors (Atlanta, GA/Georgia Tech), as well as current NBA players Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jerryd Bayless (Portland Trailblazers), Michael Beasley (Miami Heat), JR Smith (Denver Nuggets), Brandon Rush (Indiana Pacers), Donte Greene (Sacramento Kings) and O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies).
The 2010 event will also feature numerous ESPNU Top 100 players including top 10 stars Jared Sullinger (Northland/Columbus, OH), Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick’s/Elizabeth, NJ), Tobias Harris (Half Hallow/Brookville, NY) and Josh Smith (Kentwood/Kentwood, WA) as well as top juniors Michael Gilchrist (St. Patrick’s/Elizabeth, NJ) and Austin Rivers (Winter Park/Orlando, FL).
“Spalding is honored to be a partner with the Basketball Hall of Fame and the title sponsor of the Hoophall Classic, the top high school basketball invitational in the country,” said Spalding representative, Gary Barfield. “We are proud to be associated with the top teams in the country.” In addition to the game, Spalding also sponsors the Spalding Skills Challenge. The Skills Challenge features three events including the Spalding Half-Court Hustle, Spalding 3-Point Shootout and the Spalding Slam Dunk Contest at Blake Arena on Saturday, January 16th. An associated youth tournament, Junior Hoophall Classic, will also debut this year, with details located at www.basketbull.org
SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the high school teams for its 9th annual Spalding Hoophall Classic, presented by Big Y World Class Markets, to be held at Springfield College’s Blake Arena from January 15-18 during Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. The top five teams from last year’s final ESPN RISE Fab 50 rankings will headline the participants including No. 1 Findlay College Prep (Hendersonville, NV), No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA), No. 3 St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, NJ), No. 4 Westchester High School (Los Angeles, CA) and No.5 St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, NJ).
Over 45 teams – representing 16 states and the District of Columbia – will be competing this year in the tournament’s largest field. Numerous games from the 2010 Spalding Hoophall Classic will be broadcast live via national television outlets, regional television outlets and online distribution. Information on these broadcasts will be available shortly.
Other legendary programs scheduled to participate include St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, NJ), Bishop O’Connell High School (Arlington, VA), DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, MD), Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA), Neumann-Goretti High School (Philadelphia, PA) and Gonzaga College High School (Washington, DC).
“In the eight years of the Spalding Hoophall Classic, we have been fortunate to have featured many future stars and elite programs in high school basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “This year’s field is no different, as we will once again showcase the top talent in the country with Springfield and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as our platform.”
Recent alumni of the Spalding Hoophall Classic include last year’s top-two rates graduating seniors Xavier Henry (Oklahoma City, OK/Kansas) and Derrick Favors (Atlanta, GA/Georgia Tech), as well as current NBA players Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jerryd Bayless (Portland Trailblazers), Michael Beasley (Miami Heat), JR Smith (Denver Nuggets), Brandon Rush (Indiana Pacers), Donte Greene (Sacramento Kings) and O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies).
The 2010 event will also feature numerous ESPNU Top 100 players including top 10 stars Jared Sullinger (Northland/Columbus, OH), Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick’s/Elizabeth, NJ), Tobias Harris (Half Hallow/Brookville, NY) and Josh Smith (Kentwood/Kentwood, WA) as well as top juniors Michael Gilchrist (St. Patrick’s/Elizabeth, NJ) and Austin Rivers (Winter Park/Orlando, FL).
“Spalding is honored to be a partner with the Basketball Hall of Fame and the title sponsor of the Hoophall Classic, the top high school basketball invitational in the country,” said Spalding representative, Gary Barfield. “We are proud to be associated with the top teams in the country.” In addition to the game, Spalding also sponsors the Spalding Skills Challenge. The Skills Challenge features three events including the Spalding Half-Court Hustle, Spalding 3-Point Shootout and the Spalding Slam Dunk Contest at Blake Arena on Saturday, January 16th. An associated youth tournament, Junior Hoophall Classic, will also debut this year, with details located at www.basketbull.org
Monday, January 11, 2010
Best 12U Player Update
When we decided to write a piece and conduct a poll on 12U Best Player we expected certain things to happen. In today's media crazed environment where kids are glorified at an early age and parents become jealous of another child and instill jealous and envy into their own child you know it is time to sit down and talk. We've gotten a lot of calls about the article we did. A lot of questions were asked. It is important to highlight several points which we may not have done a great job of communicating. You see we complimented each kid and clearly stated that all four kids have a bright future and each of them is as good as the other yet when you start comparing friends, teammates, classmates and opponents messages can be misconstrued.
I've watched these kids over the last several years and like almost all kids at this age they seem to really like one another and respect each other. A child is not born a racist he/she is taught to be a racist. A child is not born to be jealous, he/she is taught that trait. A child is not born to be envious, he/she is taught that as well.
Parents must better understand that there is no place for jealousy, hatred or envy most especially among 4 kids who really get along.
1. All four of the top players in that age group are friends and get along really well.
2. All four players are really, really talented and each of them has a bright future in their own right.
3. We reached out to all four players via Facebook and text message and told them to get their friends to vote for them. This was suppose to be fun!
4. All four guys play for PR Playmakers and this was an important exercise for them to better understand the media and how a silly poll and article can affect relationships.
5. Jealousy and envy have no place in the game. Parents and coaches have a duty to explain this to kids at an early age or else it will destroy players, teams and their families.
We probably should have discuss this before writing the article but we wanted to stir up a little controversy so to make the point that no matter who finished first, second, third or fourth it should not effect relationships. Relationships with parents, relationships with other teammates and relationships with coaches.
I've watched these kids over the last several years and like almost all kids at this age they seem to really like one another and respect each other. A child is not born a racist he/she is taught to be a racist. A child is not born to be jealous, he/she is taught that trait. A child is not born to be envious, he/she is taught that as well.
Parents must better understand that there is no place for jealousy, hatred or envy most especially among 4 kids who really get along.
1. All four of the top players in that age group are friends and get along really well.
2. All four players are really, really talented and each of them has a bright future in their own right.
3. We reached out to all four players via Facebook and text message and told them to get their friends to vote for them. This was suppose to be fun!
4. All four guys play for PR Playmakers and this was an important exercise for them to better understand the media and how a silly poll and article can affect relationships.
5. Jealousy and envy have no place in the game. Parents and coaches have a duty to explain this to kids at an early age or else it will destroy players, teams and their families.
We probably should have discuss this before writing the article but we wanted to stir up a little controversy so to make the point that no matter who finished first, second, third or fourth it should not effect relationships. Relationships with parents, relationships with other teammates and relationships with coaches.
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