Hoop Dreams NYC

TBT: Hoops Showdown Raises The Bar in Year Three

May 2, 2019

Photo Credit: Johnnie Photography

Article Originally published on May 12th, 2018

One of the most anticipated events in the city this is what Hoops Showdown founder and CEO Johnny “Swoosh” Rodriguez envisioned when he debuted Hoops Showdown high school in 2016. What separates this year’s Hoops Showdown from the past events is the level of competition. Each team had elite talent from top to bottom and most importantly there were no blowouts. Each game was highly competitive and well coached, in the end, FKB Online/Road To Riches took home the hardware by defeating Johnnie Photography/Road To Riches 74-67 here are a few takeaways from this event

1. An unsung Hero Joins the MVP list

Last year’s MVP was Jellyfam’s own Jordan Walker who hit a game-winner to lead FKB Online to the victory in the championship game. This year’s MVP was James Monroe guard Stephen Tayki. Stephen Takyi is a 6-5 senior guard who led Monroe in scoring with 21 points per game this past season. Tayki came up huge in the championship game vs Johnnie Photography/Northeast basketball club with some timely buckets down the stretch. The senior guard was ecstatic when he received his award. “ I feel great, I feel like I accomplished something great in life by winning this award”. Takyi is still uncommitted at this point so if any college coaches are looking Takyi should be on your radar.

2. One more time for the Hometeam

Not only this was the second championship for FKB Online but it was also the second championship for coach Christopher Salgado Aka “Glasses” who won the inaugural Hoops Showdown High school showcase in 2016. Salgado definitely had the home crowd behind him as well as some of his home players who stepped up big such as Stephen Tayki and Gardner Webb bound wing Jose Perez.

3. Impressive Debuts all around

There were a plethora of new players who suited up last weekend for Hoops Showdown and many of them showed didn’t disappoint. Seton Hall-bound guard Anthony Nelson and Rhode Island-bound Forward Dana Tate showed out for Team NJ HoopRecruit while Ja’Quaye James and George Mason Commit Jason Douglas-Stanley were tough to cover for Team Johnnie Photography. FKB online’s backcourt duo of Cardinal Hayes PG Jaylen Murray and Our Savior Lutheran’s Dashawn Davis didn’t back down from anyone. It’s also worth noting that nationally ranked 8th grader

Dior Johnson who may be the youngest player who has ever played in the event introduced himself to the crowd at Bronx River gym with his one on one battle with Murray.

4. Chaching Never disappoints

You know hoops Showdown is not complete with the host Dave “Chaching” Teele who kept the crowd energized throughout the event. Chaching also introduced his newest “friend” the Hitman Bret Chaching as he dressed up as world renown wrestler Bret Hart. It’s no doubt that with the summer hoops season coming soon, Chaching will be introducing us to more new friends.

Dave “ChaChing” Teele Introduces Bret “ChaChing” Hart to the crowd. Photo Credit: Johnnie The Shooter

5. Hoops Showdown continues to Prove that High School is the new unlimited

There’s something about the excitement and energy that High school players have brought to streetball in the past two years, and this year’s Hoops Showdown High school proved just that. More fans have become more interested in seeing the future college basketball and pro players of tomorrow.

Year four of Hoops Showdown will be even bigger as they have expanded by adding another event. On Saturday May 4th, Hoops Showdown underclassmen showcase will feature some of the top ninth and tenth graders in the area and will also feature an 8th grade all-star game showcasing the future high school players of tomorrow.

High School Hoops Showdown will go down on May 18th and that event will feature the top upperclassmen in the tri-state area.
Riverside Hawks Rising to New Levels

April 24, 2019

AAU season is underway and for the Riverside Hawks, a new year means a new level for the program. After being a part of Adidas silver gauntlet league last season, the Hawks are new members of the Gold circuit for the 2019 season. They Join the NY Jayhawks as the second NY area team on the gold circuit.

Riverside Church has been back on the rise to prominence over the past few years. So many countless alums that have played for this program from NBA and college players such as Lamar Odom, Elton Brand, and Ron Artest, Donovan Mitchell and many more. NCAA champions such as Eric Paschall (Villanova) and Ty Jerome (Virginia) have started or played with their program during their AAU career.

The 17U squad features some of the best rising seniors from the tri-state area. The team features many notable prospects such as the duo of Cardinal Hayes guard Julien Soumaoro and Forward Shemani Fuller, CHSAA All-City second-team selection Louis Kortright and PSAL champions Dwight Davis Jr, Anthony Latty and Philip Joseph of South Shore High School. The Riverside Hawks also feature 6-7 guard Daniel Braster and 6-3 guard Miles Brewster.

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Transitioning from the silver circuit to the Gold circuit will be very beneficial to the Hawks which will have the chance to play against some of the top prospects and the nation as well as potentially be seen by numerous Division 1 coaches. When it comes to goals for the upcoming season, having a strong season enough to make the playoffs as a goal.

“ Going from silver to Gold is a big transition, so we wanted to make sure we got enough adequate pieces necessary, and we have been working hard just to make sure we can be successful on this level”. says assistant coach and director of player development John Hawthorne”. From the looks of the workouts and drills, this riverside team plays an uptempo style and have versatility at all positions. With their style they have the tools to compete with many teams on the circuit.

L-R Miles Brewster, Daniel Braster, Louis Kortright, Julien Soumaoro, Shemani Fuller

The goal of winning a championship is always on the minds of many but for the Riverside Hawks 17U team they want to focus on getting to the playoffs first. “ Well, the goal is one by one is win and get a good record so we can qualify for the playoffs. We have to win as many games as possible” Hawthorne added.

The Riverside Hawks are off to a solid start. During their first session in Massachusetts, the Hawks went 2-2 with wins against KLow Elite and New World. Davis Jr averaged 17 points, three rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 60% from the field. Soumaoro proved to be the team’s top three point shooter in the first Session. The junior guard averaged nine points and three assists per game while shooting 56% from three-point range. As the Hawks head to Dallas this upcoming weekend, they will look to build on what they did Boston and finish with a winning record.

The slow rise of the Riverside Hawks is some encouraging news when it comes to NY area teams in the AAU landscape.
#LostFiles Dre Got Next: LuHi’s Andre Curbelo is on the Rise

April 18, 2019

Photo Credit: Ben Berry/ Ben Shot it

This Article was originally published on July 25th, 2018

The Class of 2020 have some special guards that have made a lot of noise from the jump. One thing that separates these guards from others is their ability to flourish while playing above their level. It’s an arduous task that not many could attempt but for LuHi rising junior guard Andre Curbelo, he has handled the task of playing up with ease.

During the adidas gauntlet finale in NYC during first live period, Curbelo was called up from the NY Jayhawks 16U team to play up on the 17U team. The Jayhawks were currently 1-1 on Saturday and in a heated game vs Mass Rivals (2016 adidas gauntlet champions). Down five points with four minutes remaining Andre Curbelo fakes a defender from the right corner and drives to the rim for an easy finish. By the look of that move ,you would think that Andre is a senior, but he just finished his sophomore year at Long Island Lutheran.

Playing with older players is something he is used to and as he explained back in July 14th, the high school basketball season has prepared for him for it.

“I’ve been playing varsity since I arrived at this school and even though the players are bigger than stronger than me I have been able to adapt because I play very hard and the coaches believe in me”. Curbelo plays with unshakable confidence and high basketball IQ which makes him one of the best Point guards in the nation. Curbelo finished the Adidas Gantlet finale with a 25 point, 9 rebound and 5 assists performance in the championship game vs Brookwood Elite.

One major highlight for Curbelo this summer is playing for his native island Puerto Rico in the FIBA U17 World championships. During the tournament Curbelo averaged 14 points 6 rebounds and six assists per game, leading Puerto Rico to the Bronze Medal. Curbelo also made the FIBA all-star five which included top prospects Jalen Green and Vernon Carey. Playing for his native island is something he prides himself on and making it far in the tournament was a major accomplishment. “I love my island and I love playing for it I don’t think anyone expected us to get the bronze medal. It was tough knowing that we were the second smallest team in the tournament.

The 6-0 guard currently holds offers from tons of schools such as Florida, Wichita State, VCU, UMass and St. John’s just to name a few. As curbelo’s career progresses it’s a sure thing that the offers will grow. As Curbelo enters his junior season, his strength remains one of the main things he needs to improve on going forward. “ I think that one thing I need to improve on is my strength, a lot of the players I play against are more stronger and faster and I need to be prepared to compete against them every single night”.

Fast forward to now, Andre Curbelo had a big junior season. The 6-0 guard help led the Crusaders to a 25-2 overall record which included a 18-0 record in New York State and a State federation title. The Crusaders finished the season as the No. 9 ranked team in the nation. Curbelo’s accomplishments throughout the season earned him a spot on the World team at the Nike Hoop Summit where he represented Puerto Rico.
Life Coming in Full Circle for Matt Coleman III

April 14, 2019

Photo Credit: Texas Basketball

Texas was one of many bubble teams that missed the Big Dance, but this has influenced them to go on a deep run in the Postseason NIT. For sophomore guard Matt Coleman III a deep postseason NIT run meant a trip back to the place where he led his his high school to a national championship three years ago.

In 2016, Coleman led Oak Hill Academy to the Dicks nationals(now called Geico Nationals) championship at Madison Square Garden. Being back at Madison Square Garden brought back memories for him. “It was my junior year when we won Dick’s nationals championship it was a great experience. As a matter of fact, we were in this same locker. Like you said it’s crazy how life comes in full circle”.

Even though It’s not the NCAA tournament, Coleman seen winning the NIT championship as something to build on for next season.

“It feels great, playing for the championship you get to play for something, we get to live another day. So it’s great to hopefully end our season with a win”. On Thursday April 4th, Coleman did just that, Coleman was one of four players in double figures as Texas blew past Lipscomb 81-66 to win the 2019 Postseason NIT championship. It was the perfect ending to a season that had many ups and downs.

“ With this imperfect season we had, its great to get something good out of it. The seniors , they can end their last game of their career with a win, for coach after everything he’s been through and everything he has been taking the fault for just to win a championship will be great, a championship is a championship and even though its not March Madness the NIT is just as big. For us winning this championship will be a stepping stone for our program especially with the freshman class we have coming in” Coleman Added

With his sophomore season behind him the next step is improving for a pivotal junior year. Coleman already has some things in mind. “One thing I can improve on for next season is to just be consistent, on the offensive end. Making better shots, making the right plays, improving my decision making just being a better point guard”. Next season Texas could possibly be one of the top teams in the nation and Matt Coleman will be one of the players leading them.
NYC Unsigned: Jordan Agyemang

March 30, 2019

Photo Credit: PSAL Stories

Its no question that the PSAL B division has some hidden gems when it comes to talented basketball players in NYC. One of these hidden gems played a key role in helping South Bronx Prep win their first ever city championship in the schools’ history. His name is Jordan Agyemang, a 6-6 200-pound Forward who may be one of the most versatile and athletic players in the city. His ability to play inside and outside gives him an advantage over many players at his size.

Agyemang has embraced the role of being an underdog his whole career at SBP. He started his career at the school on the Junior Varsity team as a freshman, and joined the varsity team his sophomore year. Despite the size he brought to the team, he didn’t start right away. Agyemang had to learn from the upperclassmen on his team as well as go through the development process under head coach Paul Campbell.

In his first year of varsity, he averaged eight points and 11 rebounds per game. Those numbers grew to 19 points and 17 rebounds per game last season. This season Agyemang has career-high averages of 28 points, 15 rebounds and four assists per game. On March 5th, Agyemang reached 1000 career points at the school.

Jordan is not only putting up big numbers on the court on a nightly basis, he is also the ideal student athlete at South Bronx Prep. With a 1000 SAT score and an 85 average he has the grades to qualify academically. Jordan hopes to Major in computer technology when he goes to college.

When it comes to what he can bring to college program, aside from his athletic talents Agyemang is a player who brings a high level of intensity and he’s proved to be very coachable. “I know how it feels to be an underdog so it inspires me to bring a high level of intensity to the game and I’m also willing to learn”. Agyemang told us in a recent interview

At the moment, Agyemang is one of the top unsigned seniors in the city. If any coaches are looking for a wing around this time, Agyemang should be at the top of the list.

Video Highlights

Jordan Agyemang Positive Influence league mix Courtesy of Ceasy the Shooter
TBT: The Weekend Emmitt Williams took over Brooklyn

March 21, 2019

This article was written and published on April 15th, 2018

photo Credit: Nicole Sweet

Coming into last weekend’s Jordan Brand Classic there wasn’t any player more motivated than LSU-bound Forward Emmitt Williams. The 6-7 Forward from Fort Myers, FL, came to NYC as himself, a highly energetic and passionate player with the motor that goes unmatched. During practice, he was communicating on defense, hitting outside shots, cheering on teammates. He showed that same passion when he reflected on playing with his teammates after winning MVP Honors by breaking LeBron James record with 44 points.

Williams is part of a top-ranked recruiting class that includes Javonte Smart, and Nazi Reid. When I asked about how excited he was to be teammates with Reid and others he replied “Not just Nazi Reid I’m excited to play with, it’s a lot of other great players in our recruiting class and to see Nazi come out and support me that’s love”.

Willams was very appreciative of his teammates on the court helping him surpass LeBron James to become the leader in points scored in Jordan Brand Classic history. “I really got love for the guys in my class those boys supported me, they saw that I needed four more points and they helped me reach that goal. I always tell them, don’t let social media break us apart because I got love for those guys and they got love for me.

This is the 2nd time Williams played in A high school basketball event here in NYC. Back in August 2018, Emmitt teamed up with Duke Bound Forward Cam Reddish and Wings Academy senior Forward Mohammed Fofana as Team USA in the inaugural NYC Jam. Playing in NYC is one thing that brings the best out in Williams. “I love coming out here to the city because I had a lot of fans out there and I love them and I never thought that as a little kid I would have had someone look up to me other than my family members so it’s a blessing at the same time so if I can give back I’m always going to give back.

With his competitiveness, toughness, and passion for the game. There was no doubt back then that Emmitt would be an impact player. This year at LSU, Emmitt is averaging seven points and five rebounds per game for an LSU team that went 26-6 in the regular season won the SEC regular season title with a conference record of 16-2. The tigers got a three seed in the NCAA tournament and will play 14 seeded Yale in the east region 1st round in Jacksonville,FL on Thursday afternoon.

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2019 Big East Tournament: Eric Paschall and Phil Booth’s Impact on The Villanova Wildcats

March 17, 2019

Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray/USA Today Sports

From February 17th to March 9th, The Villanova Wildcats went 3-3 to finish the regular season. Given how dominant they have been in the conference since the league’s reconfiguration in 2014, most people would have thought that the Wildcats were not capable of repeating as tournament champs. This week they proved other wise. Through four days of this tournament, each opponent pushed them to the brink of defeat but they always answered back. The Wildcats senior duo of Dobbs Ferry, NY native Eric Paschall, and Phil Booth were instrumental in the Wildcats run.

Seniors Eric Paschall and Phil Booth address the press after yesterday’s championship game.

Not to long ago both players were under the wings of seniors such as Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and others this year they have become the leaders that have led a young group. As head coach Jay Wright explained in the press conference, the impact Paschall and Booth had on the team is what made this years run special compared to the past. “There’s more to this one, just watching these two what they did we lost our two top assistants. We had young coaches who did a great job, and these two were like coaches”.

This tournament run was special for the Wildcats because it came at a time where the conference was wide open and more than one team was the favorite by many to possibly win the whole thing. To Eric Paschall, winning their third Big East championship wasn’t the only goal it was to be the best team they can be. “ I mean it’s pretty cool to know that even though we never really talked about it. We just talked about each year, I mean coming from the first one of this streak , we just talked about being the greatest team we could be, greatest Villanova Basketball team we could be. There’s nothing like in our plan. We just tried to become the best Villanova basketball team and see where that takes us.”

In a couple of years when we look back at the 2018-19 Villanova team, one thing we know for sure is that they were a young but resilient team led by two dedicated seniors In Booth and Paschall who brought out the best in all of the players. For now the defending national champions will get prepared for another run as they will be the 6th seed in the NCAA tournament and they will play 11th Seeded Saint Mary’s on Thursday night in the First round of the NCAA tournament. Based on what we experienced last week at the Garden Phil Booth and Eric Paschall will have the Wildcats ready.
Big East Press: Pirates fall in Championship but Still Has the Juice

March 17, 2019

Photo Credit: Associated Press/ Julio Cortez

The Seton Hall Pirates May have over exceeded many expectations with their performance throughout the regular season and during the Big East Tournament. despite losing in the championship game last night to Villanova, you can’t deny how this impacts the team going into the NCAA tournament and beyond

The Pirates were down 68-59 with 3:00 to go in the game and rallied all the way to the final possession where the Pirates had the chance to win on a game winning shot. It wasn’t the result that the Pirates wanted, but you gotta respect the way they fought throughout the whole week.

From Myles Powell’s 78 points in three days to Quincy McKnight’s ability to defend the opposing teams best scorer on a nightly basis, there’s absolutely no way you can deny their ability to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

“ We made it here, everybody didn’t expect us to be here but we believed in ourselves and our coaches believed in us we can play with anyone in the country. We just beat Marquette twice and we beat Nova last week and gave them a hard fight tonight”. So we are playing great Basketball and we are going to be ready for the tournament. Says Myles Powell. The junior from Trenton, NJ never let the loss to the Wildcats get to him it only made him more confident in his team. ” We had a good opportunity to make history. We are definitely hurting from it, but we have a lot to be proud of.” Powell added.

It’s no question that the loss in the championship game has fueled this team, but Coach Kevin Willard believes they will be ready to bounce back in a big way. “I know they will be back Monday ready to work, and if they do come back ready as they did after the loss to Georgetown earlier in the season. I am confident in this team and I know we’ll bounce back. I’m looking forward to the NCAA tournament and I have more confidence in my team than I ever have” coach Kevin Willard said in the postgame press conference.

For all we know is that the Pirates have proved a lot during the regular season and the Big East Tournament. Most bracketologists have the Pirates ranging from an 8 to 10 seed the NCAA tournament. One thing we do know for sure is beware of the Pirates.

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Big East Opening Night Recap: Johnnies Surge into Quarterfinals

March 14, 2019

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA Today Sports

The St. John’s Red Storm came into MSG Last night with a sense of urgency after losing their last three games to finish out the regular season. The team’s urgency showed when they used a second-half surge to beat DePaul 82-74 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament tonight. The Johnnies had a balanced scoring attack with Justin Simon, Shamorie Ponds, and Mustapha Heron scoring 18 points apiece while Marvin Clark III added 10 and LJ Figueroa scored 14.

The three-game skid put them in this position to be the seventh seed and face a team that has beaten them twice. Not the place where the Johnnies wanted to start the tournament but they took it and handled their business anyway. One of the best things about facing a team for the third time is that you find out a way to shut down your opponents’ top scorer. The Red Storm did just that when they limited Max Strus to 14 points on 4/12 shooting. In the previous meeting, the Johnnies struggled to keep Strus in check as he exploded for 43 points. As Chris Mullin stared in the postgame press conference, the key was Big East Defensive player of the year, Justin Simon. “From my standpoint, it was to get Justin in the game” I just told him last game he had seven at halftime. Justin picked up a few fouls. When he came out, the guy got going. He’s that type of player it only takes a little bit for him to catch fire, and that’s what happened”.

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Simon’s presence in this game made a huge impact for the Johnnies on both ends but as Coach Mullin added it was a team effort.”I just thought again tonight that Justin was instrumental in setting the tone, and then Shamorie and the rest of our team did a good job. When he did catch he was looking at two, three, four bodies”.

The Johnnies have accomplished beating DePaul but their newest challenge awaits as they will face Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard tonight at 7 pm. The Red Storm was successful against Marquette during the regular season when they swept the Golden Eagles 2-0 in the season series. In both games, they defended Howard very well.

The Red Storm are well aware that beating Marquette for the third time will be an uphill battle, but at the same time, they remain confident. “It’s definitely an extra challenge, but I feel there is more confidence. I feel that those guys are going to bring their all, so we can’t lay down”. Says Shamorie Ponds the Brooklyn native has had some of his best games against the conference player of the year.

After avoiding a fourth straight loss, the Johnnies will move forward to face Marquette. It’s safe to say that this team is in the tournament. Now it’s time to make history get their first Big East tournament championship since 2000. “We packed for four days, so I’m looking forward to it,” says Ponds.
TBT: Zion Williamson Is Here To Show and Prove

March 14, 2019

This Article was originally published on April 27th 2018,

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports/ Rob Kinnan

ACC Rookie and Player of the year Zion Williamson has taken the college basketball world by storm. The 6-7 285 pound power forward has dominated in every single game he has played in this season for the Duke Blue Devils prior to his injury on February 20th. His dominance this season may not be a surprise to many, but last year many people had doubts about his game. Here’s a throwback piece from April 2018, when we had the chance to briefly interview Zion Williamson at the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic.

Everyone in the world knows the name Zion Williamson, the high flying 6-6 Forward from South Carolina who has taken the world by storm this past high school basketball season. At Spartanburg Day school Zion averaged 32 points and 11 rebounds per game leading his team to a 21-8 record and a State championship. Fans in South Carolina have been lucky to see Zion packed every gym he has been in this season and he will continue to do that when he suits up for Duke next season.

I recently caught up with Zion at the Jordan Brand Classic media day in Brooklyn earlier this month. Zion couldn’t participate in the event due to a thumb injury he suffered during the McDonald’s All American Game, but he was still happy to be around his peers that weekend and was very welcoming towards the media during the interview.

When Zion arrives at Duke next year one of his goals is to prove to Many that he can do a lot more than just dunk and he made some strong points about it. “I would not be a McDonald’s All American and a Jordan Brand Classic player if all I can do is dunk. I have an extensive skill set and talking with coach K he saw that in me, and he would always tell me you aren’t just a dunker you are an excellent basketball player, and when you come to Duke I want to show the world how great you are”.

Zion Williamson at 2018 JBC Media Day

Zion Williamson is also continuing to show many naysayers that he’s working on slimming down. At the McDonald’s All American game, he showed everyone that he was getting in shape Williamson shared some of the things he did to slim down. “After practices, I would do some extra running on the track and get into the weight room and do some extra reps; I also cut down on my meat intake, stopped drinking soda and drink more water.”

Zion Willaimson has gained a huge fan base here in NYC. So many people across the five boroughs have become so enamored with Zion’s play that there was much speculation that he was planning to make an appearance at Dyckman during the summer of 2017. Unfortunately, Zion wasn’t able to make his appearance, but as he explained to us at that time the rumors of his debut were right, and a future presence remains imminent. “ “Yeah I have been talking to Isaiah Washington, JQ, all the NYC people including the people over at Overtime. Dyckman is the place where the top ballers go and if you are a real dog and you are a real man you can compete out there”. Zion’s high praise of one of NYC’s top summer leagues shows that many people outside of NYC still got respect for NYC Hoop culture.

We start Interviewing Zion at the 4:17 mark

With his high school career already past him, his main focus going forward will be preparing for Duke where he will be teaming up with fellow top recruits Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, and Tre Jones. With his willingness to prove people wrong we can tell that a particular season is ahead in Raleigh-Durham.

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