The Adidas Uprising Summer Championships are officially in the books, with Virginia's Team Loaded finishing atop the 17U gold bracket. Meanwhile, UPlay Canada earned top honors in the 17U silver bracket following Sunday's results.
Team Loaded trailed Mass Rivals 47-36 at halftime and by 16 points into the second half before beginning a furious comeback over the final 10 minutes of the game. Nick Sherod's three-pointer, with one minute and 57 seconds remaining, cut the deficit to two points, 74-72. Javin DeLaurier then tied it up 30 seconds later.
Justice Kithcart knocked down two free throws, with 20 seconds left in the game, sealing the win.
Former NBA head coach John Lucas commended Team Loaded for their triumph:
Rivals.com's Clint Jackson believes the group has proven itself to be among the most elite in the country:
Kithcart shot just 3-of-12 from the field but was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, which proved to be pivotal in the final stages. He also dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds. Vantage Hoops' Jack Herron praised Kithcart and Malik Johnson's work, especially on the defensive end:
Sacha Killeya-Jones led the way offensively for Team Loaded. He finished with 17 points and four rebounds en route to an MVP award, per Chris Fisher of CatsPause.com. Killeya-Jones made sure to capture a snapshot of himself holding the 17U gold championship for posterity:
The Lynchburg, Virginia, native is the 2016 recruiting class' 12th-best power forward, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He has yet to commit to a school, and his performance Sunday will likely enliven the race to secure his signature.
Mass Rivals' defeat will overshadow Wenyen Gabriel's double-double. The power forward scored 21 points and recorded 13 rebounds, both of which were game highs. ESPN Basketball Insider Jeff Goodman argued Gabriel was one of the tournament's best players:
The 17U silver bracket featured another close finish, with Shai Alexander putting UPlay ahead, with 37 seconds left in the second half. Ethan Meeker had Quad City Elite's final shot, with five seconds remaining, but his hopeful heave was off the mark.
As NorthPoleHoops.com's Tariq Sbiet noted, UPlay overcame a sluggish start to the tournament to eventually come out on top:
It was appropriate Alexander scored the team's go-ahead bucket. Quad City simply had no answer for him on the offensive end. He went 8-of-9 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from deep, for 20 points. Hoops Hype Canada argued Alexander, with his playmaking ability, might stand alone among his peers:
He added four rebounds and three assists to his strong showing.
Marquell Fraser couldn't match Alexander's scoring, but his seven points, five rebounds and five assists were pivotal in UPlay's win. Shamiel Stevenson added nine points to the effort as well.
Although Quad City had more assists (16) and rebounds (32) than UPlay, its turnovers ultimately proved a decisive factor. UPlay forced 10 turnovers and turned those 10 TOs into 17 points. Quad City, in comparison, forced just six TOs, translating into four points at the other end.
All in all the Adidas Uprising Championships were a fantastic showcase for some of the best prep players in both the United States and Canada.
It's only a matter of time before the biggest names from Las Vegas are starring for some of the biggest programs in college basketball.
from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/1IA3NNz
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