Player Profile: Qadir Burgess (Team Flight)

January 3, 2013, 6:17 am

≫ Next: Is Damon Harge The Next Sebastian Telfair?

≪ Previous: Super Skillcase Profile: MJ Wright (Freehold, NJ)

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Name: Qadir Burgess 

AAU Team: Team Flight 

Position: Shooting Guard 

Class: 2017 

Breakdown: Burgess has been a powerful scorer for the last few years on the Spotlight circuit. During the Tip Off Classic he put his squad on his back and carried them to the Blue Division Championship Game. I like his pull up in the lane and his ability to get past opponents. We will get an up close and personal look at him during the MLK Classic.

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Is Damon Harge The Next Sebastian Telfair?

January 3, 2013, 8:02 am

≫ Next: Spotlight Alum Mclean Still Flying High

≪ Previous: Player Profile: Qadir Burgess (Team Flight)

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Damon Harge Jr.

Damon Harge Jr. has been a national name for several years. His You Tube videos and success are national camps have many websites ranking him as a Top 10 player in the country. Recently, a few people have compared him to former New York legend and current NBA player Sebastian Telfair. Bassy as he was known was a phenomenal grammar and high school player before becoming a NBA lottery pick. 

James “Shangy” Black, Director of Showtime All Stars who has had the pleasure of coaching both players agrees with the comparison. “I coached and was around Bassy at the same age. Damon reminds me of Bassy because of his work ethic, basketball IQ, court vision, skill level and change of direction” said Black. 

Harge also decided to follow in Telfair footsteps in terms of videoing his path to greatness. Bassy had a documentary entitled “Through The Fire” while Harge has begun his own reality webtube called #ToBeContinued. Hopefully, Harge can reach the heights of the Coney Island great and with hard work it is possible. 

 

Spotlight Alum Mclean Still Flying High

January 4, 2013, 6:01 am

≫ Next: Clash For The Cup Deadline January 15th

≪ Previous: Is Damon Harge The Next Sebastian Telfair?

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Basketball Spotlight Class of 2016 Alum Unique Mclean recently won MVP BBN Holiday Tournament. The guard starred with Team Scan on the Spotlight circuit while helping them win the Grand Finale crown. He also took home MVP honors at the 3rd Annual J.E.M. All Star Classic. Mclean has to be regarded as the best dunker to ever come through Basketball Spotlight.

Clash For The Cup Deadline January 15th

January 5, 2013, 6:38 am

≫ Next: Diary Of A Baller: Nate "The Great" Pierre Louis (Plainfield, NJ) Entry #3

≪ Previous: Spotlight Alum Mclean Still Flying High

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The Basketball Spotlight Clash For The Cup is February 2nd and 3rd. The deadline to fully register for this tournament is January 15th. This will be a premiere event with limited space. Any team not fully registered at that time will have a great chance of losing their spot in this event. We currently have a waiting list which will be opened up after the deadline. Thank you in advance.

Click Here To Register

Diary Of A Baller: Nate "The Great" Pierre Louis (Plainfield, NJ) Entry #3

January 7, 2013, 6:08 am

≫ Next: Gauchos Tournament 6th Grade Recap: #1 Team IZOD Wins Crown

≪ Previous: Clash For The Cup Deadline January 15th

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Nate and Family During New Years  

Hey basketball world. I hope y'all enjoyed your New Years. This week was a good week. I am going to start with Monday. 

Monday was New Year's Eve. I went to New York to see my family. It was fun seeing all of my family members. We were playing Call of Duty Black Ops 2 the entire time and a bunch of other video games. Then as soon as 20 minutes before midnight came we had to shut it off. I was so angry. I was winning! We counted down. Then it was 2013! We were so happy. It was a really joyful night. 


Tuesday was the first day of 2013. My father made a great New Year’s breakfast. We made our 2013 goals. We all said our goals to each other. We stayed in the house and cleaned our rooms and the house. Then we watched movies the entire day. Tuesday was just a chill day. 

Wednesday was the first day back to school. I was excited because I had practice at 6:00. Another reason I was excited because I haven't seen any of my friends in like 14 days. I had to give in my take home test (you would know what kind of take home test it was if you read last week’s journal). I was so nervous. Practice was fun. I feel like I'm in slow motion a lot now. I don't know what that means I hope it's a great sign of something. After practice I went to the St. Peter's Prep and Montverde game. Now I know how and why Kasey Hill is the #2 point guard in the nation. It was so easy for him. Trevis Wyche was going at him. If you guys don't know who Trevis is, Google him. Anyways SPP lost. I was so angry! 

Thursday was a tiring day. I went to school and got my test back. I got a 97. I was surprised. I was so tired the entire day. After school I had to get my workout in. By the way it was 27 degrees outside. I was only up to 475 shots made when my hands felt they had frost bite. I was crying like a baby. My mom told me to stop complaining. If you are trying to reach your goal you have to keep going. It took my hands like 30 minutes to get reheated. By the way I had gloves on. Try making over 400 makes with gloves on is not a pretty scene. I ended up taking a nap for like 2 1/2 hours. 

Friday was a hard and tough day. I had a test for science. I hope that I got a hundred. Then I had practice. Again slow motion. I don't know what's going on. Anyways after practice my little brother Christian had a game. He won. He had 6 points and 6 assists and about 4 rebounds. We ended up going home and I had to watch my little brother for about an hour. We were just chilling. Watching movies and playing video games. Joshua and my dad were at a game and my mom was at school. 

Saturday we got up extra early to go workout. My body was hurting. My knees hurt all the time. Then after our workout we went to Joshua's game. They won. Joshua played solid. I couldn't wait to go to sleep. I was so tired. 

Sunday was fun. I had a game at 6:45. I played 2k for like 3 hours on my career mode. Then I had to go see my big brother Karl Towns play against my future high school St. Peter's Prep. We hung in there in the first half then Marques Town went in. Then I went to my game and we blew the team out by 35. After the game I found out that Joshua won the MOP award at the Gauchos round ball. They only lost to Izod by 4. Joshua had 28 points and was 6 for 6 from the corner 3 point line. He has gotten so much better. Watch out basketball world Metro Flyers is the upcoming program to beat. Hmmmm. So basketball world y'all read about my week I have to get ready for school tomorrow. 

Peace,
Nate is out!  Enjoy your week.

Gauchos Tournament 6th Grade Recap: #1 Team IZOD Wins Crown

January 7, 2013, 7:48 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight Player Of The Week: Jordan McKoy (Team IZOD)

≪ Previous: Diary Of A Baller: Nate "The Great" Pierre Louis (Plainfield, NJ) Entry #3

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Team IZOD 6th Grade Wins Crown  

#1 Team IZOD defeated Metro Flyers 61-55 to win the Gauchos Tournament this past weekend in the Bronx. Tournament MVP Jordan “The Real” McKoy finished with 17 points for the winners. Joshua Pierre Louis took home the MOP award for the Metro Flyer squad. 

Team IZOD Roster 
Marc Bruce 
Jordan McKoy 
AJ Hoggard 
Jalen Gaffney 
Jagger Zrada 
Darrian Dalcourt 
Xavier Wilson 
Dashan Critenden 
Tracy Bowers 
Barry Evans

Basketball Spotlight Player Of The Week: Jordan McKoy (Team IZOD)

January 7, 2013, 8:22 am

≫ Next: Atlantic City Showcase 2013 Coming Soon (Register Early)

≪ Previous: Gauchos Tournament 6th Grade Recap: #1 Team IZOD Wins Crown

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Jordan McKoy (Team IZOD)  

The Basketball Spotlight Player Of The Week goes to 6th Grader Jordan "The Real" McKoy of the Team IZOD. McKoy scored 17 points in the championship to help Team IZOD defeat the Metro Flyers 61-55 and win the Gauchos Tournament. McKoy averaged 15 points for the entire tournament. Congrats to Jordan and keep up the hard work.

Atlantic City Showcase 2013 Coming Soon (Register Early)

January 7, 2013, 10:44 am

≫ Next: Spotlight Alum Battle Makes Splash At National HS Event

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight Player Of The Week: Jordan McKoy (Team IZOD)

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The Basketball Spotlight AC Showcase will return March 29th and 30th in Atlantic City, NJ. This event has turned into one of the best times of the season on and off the floor. Some of the top teams in the country will head to America’s Playground for a joyful time. Please make sure your reserve your spot early because space is limited. Once again the Atlantic City Sheraton is the host hotel and we have room blocks already set up for your convenience. 

Event: AC Showcase 
Date: March 29th and 31th 
Place: Atlantic City, NJ 
Cost: $375 (Per Team) $325 (Multi-Team)  

Click Here To Register For Tournament 

Click Here To Register For Hotel

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Spotlight Alum Battle Makes Splash At National HS Event

January 8, 2013, 8:01 am

≫ Next: Perry Dozier vs. Rysheed Jordan It Went Down!

≪ Previous: Atlantic City Showcase 2013 Coming Soon (Register Early)

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"Kid Mamba" Attracts Kentucky  

Basketball Spotlight Class 2016 Alum Tyus Battle traveled to the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament in West Virginia with Gil St. Bernards and received rave reviews for several national media outlets. Battle received “The Stamp” before his 8th Grade year and now is considered one of the best frosh in America. 

Here’s what they are saying: 

Dave Telep (ESPN): There’s a big difference between scoring and knowing how to score. Freshman wing Tyus Battle (Edison, N.J./Gill St. Bernard’s) is skilled in the discipline of shooting. 

Rarely do you see a senior, much less a freshman, effortlessly knock down skilled jump shots. I’m talking about one-dribble pull-ups where he uses the glass, deep catch-and-shoots and sly midrange shots. For lack of a more appropriate term, he was beautiful to watch. 

Battle was the best player and prospect on the floor in a game with a teammate going to Northwestern and a talented DeMatha (Md.) opponent. He finished with a crisp 17 points (7-of-12 FG, 3-of-3 on 3s). SMU and Xavier were here to see him. Good luck, fellas. This guy smells every bit like an elite high-major prospect. 

Given all the talent in the gym over two days, Battle’s game was the prettiest to watch and laced with more pure perimeter skill than any other player in the gym. And the kid is a freshman! 

Corey Albertson (Rivals.com): The 2016 guard from southern New Jersey proved that he is one of the most gifted and polished perimeter players in the nation with a breakout performance on Saturday. With Antigua having watched in the stands, look for Battle to be one of the first guys that Kentucky targets when it begins to more heavily recruit the class of 2016. 

Eric Snow (Scout.com): This is a bad, bad man. He is about 6-foot-5 now and clearly still growing. Battle has an incredible first step, a dynamic floater, and a nice looking stroke on the perimeter jumper. Add in that he can handle the ball well and he has an excellent feel, and it is easy to see why people were so impressed. Battle finished with 17 points and was just unstoppable when he got the ball. As time goes on he will be one of the incredibly elite players in this class.

Perry Dozier vs. Rysheed Jordan It Went Down!

January 8, 2013, 11:05 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic Is Closed

≪ Previous: Spotlight Alum Battle Makes Splash At National HS Event

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There’s nothing better than watching two top guards go at it. Here’s a video of two Spotlight Alums banging out. Perry Dozier versus Rysheed Jordan. Doesn’t get any better than this. There needs to be one high school website that keeps all this heat in one place. Someone out there please create this fire.

Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic Is Closed

January 9, 2013, 6:11 am

≫ Next: On The Rise: Jarrod Stukes (Philadelphia, PA)

≪ Previous: Perry Dozier vs. Rysheed Jordan It Went Down!

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The Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic is scheduled January 19th and 20th in Pennsylvania. The event has been officially closed and the schedule will be posted on Monday. Thank you once again for supporting Basketball Spotlight.

8th Grade 
1. Team Nelson 
2. Quincy Douby All Stars 
3. Team Flight
4. ESYC
5. Playtime Panthers
6. Black Mambas
7. MCB Elite
8. PYO

7th Grade 
1. Team Rebels 
2. Qunicy Douby All Stars 
3. NJ Shore Shots 
4. Play hard 
5. Wall 2 Wall
6. NWK
7. Alexandria Titans
8. Playtime Panthers

6th Grade 
1. Team Nelson 
2. Wall 2 Wall
3. NWK
4. Mid Jersey Mavericks
5. Philly Pride
6. RJS

On The Rise: Jarrod Stukes (Philadelphia, PA)

January 10, 2013, 5:37 am

≫ Next: Clash Of The Titans Results: Mayweather Wins Close Decision

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic Is Closed

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Jarrod Stukes (Philadelphia, PA) 

Jarrod Stukes of St Athanasius School in Philadelphia, PA lit of the scoreboard with 43 points in a recent middle school game. Stukes is fresh on the scene and seems to be taking the same path as his older brother Amar. Amar was under the radar until 8th Grade and then burst on the scene through high school before landing at LaSalle University. Jarrod currently rocks with Team Philly and we will be keeping an eye out for this high scoring guard.

 

Clash Of The Titans Results: Mayweather Wins Close Decision

January 10, 2013, 7:33 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight Feature: New Jersey's Best Kept Secret

≪ Previous: On The Rise: Jarrod Stukes (Philadelphia, PA)

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Jaecee "Mayweather" Martin  

The fans have spoken and Jaecee “Mayweather” Martin has one of the Clash Of The Titans battle with Tremont “The Natural” Waters. Martin edged Waters by 12 votes (131-119). Remember this is all in fun and we can’t wait to see these youngsters battle it out on the hardwood. Stay tuned as Basketball Spotlight brings you another Clash Of The Titans Battle coming soon.

 

Basketball Spotlight Feature: New Jersey's Best Kept Secret

January 11, 2013, 5:41 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight Feature: Watkins Emerges!

≪ Previous: Clash Of The Titans Results: Mayweather Wins Close Decision

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Khalief Crawford (Team IZOD)  

The Garden State has had their share of big time guards through the years. Some have gone on to college and even NBA fame. Now the Garden State has a diamond in the rough, his name is Khalief Crawford from Linden, NJ. Crawford is a point guard for Team IZOD and we believe has potential to be a special guard down the road. 

Crawford’s coach Luis Delgado also feels he has a serious guard in Khalief. “Khalief is very aggressive on offense and setting up teammates. He uses his dribble to get into the lane and he’s a good finisher. He’s one of a few players in his class that can create for himself” said Delgado. 

Crawford’s coach did praise his guard but also knows he needs to work on a few things to make his game complete. “He needs to work his jump shot and getting it off quicker. He’s a good on the ball defender but needs to concentrate playing good defense off the ball” he finished. 

Basketball Spotlight will get a firsthand look at the Garden State best kept secret at the Clash For The Cup.

Basketball Spotlight Feature: Watkins Emerges!

January 12, 2013, 8:15 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight Feature: Mikey Esquillin AKA "The Engine"

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight Feature: New Jersey's Best Kept Secret

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Mikey Watkins (Playtime Panthers)  

The Playtime Panthers made a final four run at the Tip Off Classic and a lot of their success had to do with the play of guard Mikey Watkins. Last season Mikey quarterbacked Team IZOD 6th Grade to a very successful season now he has moved over to Playtime and added some dimensions to his game. His scoring prowess has picked and his coach Zegary Scott has also taken notice;“I just told Mikey to settle down and look to score the ball. I believe he can score on this level. He reminds me of a young Joe Jackson. He can play so many positions and is a great player to coach.” said Scott. 

Coach Scott also believes that the future looks very bright for the Union County youngster.“If Mikey continues to do the right thing in terms of development the sky is the limit for this kid. I believe he will be able to a high level player at any high school hi wishes to attend. Any high school coach will be happy to coach a player like Mikey” Scott finished. 

You can see Mikey and his Playtime teammates in action at the Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic next weekend in Chichester, PA.

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Basketball Spotlight Feature: Mikey Esquillin AKA "The Engine"

January 13, 2013, 1:11 pm

≫ Next: Diary Of A Baller: Nate "The Great" Pierre Louis (Plainfield, NJ) Entry #4

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight Feature: Watkins Emerges!

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Mikey Esquillin (Wall 2 Wall)  

Wall 2 Wall has emerged as one of the top 7th Grade teams in the region and no player exemplifies this success like Mikey Esquillin. Esquillin plays like the heart and soul of this squad and leaves everything on the floor. His play helped W2W reach the finals of the Tip Off Classic. 

Mikey plays with a motor that few young players possess and his coach Chuck Rockmore couldn’t agree more. “Mikey doesn’t back down from any challenge. He’s willing to attack the rim and gives his all on the defensive end. In terms of improvement I think he needs to work on his midrange game to prepare him for the next level” said Rockmore. 

In terms of Mikey’s future on the high school level Rockmore is confident in his young point guard. “I see Mikey playing varsity as a freshman and getting meaningful minutes. He currently plays for the freshman team as a 7th Grader” he finished. Mikey and his W2W will be at the MLK Classic in Pennsylvania. Basketball Spotlight will keep you posted on his progress.

Diary Of A Baller: Nate "The Great" Pierre Louis (Plainfield, NJ) Entry #4

January 14, 2013, 6:38 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 6th Grade Schedule

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight Feature: Mikey Esquillin AKA "The Engine"

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Nate Had The Ball SinceBirth                                                                                                          

Hey basketball world. This was a long week. 

Monday was a nice day. But we had to go back to school. I was not looking forward to that. I hate Monday’s like any other teenage in America. I still went about my day in school before going to work out afterwards. The workout was very physical and skillful. 



Tuesday was pretty much the same except I had Spanish class. I love going to foreign language class. I learned a lot in their on Tuesday. After school I just hit the gym before going home and hitting the sack. 

Wednesday was a tiring day. We had the long Math block which is not a fun thing. Then after school we had to wait about three hours for practice to start. After practice I went home did some homework and got some rest. Thursday was like a carbon copy of Wednesday. 

Friday I woke up very early to workout. I went to school very tired from my early rise and I was anxious to get the day over because of the weekend coming. After school I went to practice and really put a lot of work in. After practice I had to do the books for Christian’s game. He played really well! Then I went home took myself to bed early because I had a long day ahead of me. 

Saturday we had the breakfast club. If you been reading my diaries. You guys would know my dad breakfast club. I wake up every morning and go to the workout. If any of you guys want to train with me your welcomed to. It was a grueling workout. Later that day we went to Joshua's game at Island Gardens. He played well. They lost one game. Then on our way home I was feeling very sick. I had the stomach bug. So you can imagine what that meant. No bueno!!! 

Sunday was a really, really, tough day. I felt so weak. My dad pulled me out of bed. I had a game at IS8. My body felt horrible. We drove to Brooklyn. I slept the entire ride down. I felt better but still really weak. I played well and we won. I had 18 points 6 assist and 5 rebounds. Good game for a dude who was sick the night before. After that we went to my other game at my school. I felt horrible. I took a nap. I was getting really focused for this game. We were playing St. Joseph School. That's a rivalry game. We lost the last game and I did not play. I was really pumped and focused to beat them. By the way my stomach was hurting like very bad. I ended up having a monster triple double. I usually don't do this but I'm going to give you guys the entire stat line. 55 points 20 rebounds and 10 assists. I went in. I will like to also congratulate my brother and Metro Flyers. Another Championship game and this time they took home the championship rings. 

Ok, basketball world you guys read about my week hope you enjoyed it. Have a great week yourself. Nate is out Peace It is okay to have faith. Take risks sometimes. Only way to grow:)

Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 6th Grade Schedule

January 14, 2013, 8:56 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight MLK 7th Grade Schedule

≪ Previous: Diary Of A Baller: Nate "The Great" Pierre Louis (Plainfield, NJ) Entry #4

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The Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 6TH Grade Schedule schedule is listed below. Please arrive early for your games. Keep in mind that traffic can get crowded in this area. 

Pool A 
1. Team Nelson 
2. NWK 
3. RJS 

Pool B 
1. MJ Mavericks 
2. W2W 
3. Philly Pride 

Saturday January 19th 
1:40 PM A1-A2 (CCR 1) 
1:40 PM B1-B2(CCR 2) 
5:10 PM A1-A3 (CCR 1) 
5:10 PM B1-B3 (CCR 2) 
7:30 PM A2-A3 (CCR 1) 
7:30 PM B2-B3 (CCR 2) 

Sunday January 20th 
10:10 AM 1ST B-2ND A (CCR 1) 
10:10 AM 1ST A-2ND A (CCR 2) 
5:10 PM 3rd A-3RD B (CCR 1) 
5:10 PM 6TH Grade Championship (CCR 1) 

Games Played at
Chichester  Recreation Center
8500 Furey Road
Aston, PA 19014 

Basketball Spotlight MLK 7th Grade Schedule

January 14, 2013, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 8th Grade Schedule

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 6th Grade Schedule

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The Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 7TH Grade Schedule is listed below. Please arrive early for your games. Keep in mind that traffic can get crowded in this area. 

 Pool C 
1. Team Rebels 
2. Play Hard 
3. Quincy Douby All Stars 
4. Wall 2 Wall 

Pool D 
1. Playtime 
2. Chester Biddy 
3. NJ Shore Shots 
4. NWK 

Saturday January 19th 
10:10 AM C1-C2 (CCR 1) 
10:10 AM C3-C4 (CCR 2) 
12:30 PM C1-C3 (CCR 1) 
12:30 PM C2-C4 (CCR 2) 
2:50 PM D1-D2 (CCR 1) 
2:50 PM D3-D4 (CCR 2) 
6:20 PM D1-D3 (CCR 1) 
6:20 PM D2-D4 (CCR 2) 

Sunday January 20th 
9:00 AM D1-D4 (CCR 1) 
9:00 AM D2-D3 (CCR 2) 
11:20 AM C1-C4 (CCR 1) 
11:20 AM C2-C3 (CCR 2) 
2:50 PM 1ST C-2ND D (CCR 1) 
2:50 PM 1ST D-2ND C (CCR 2) 
6:20 7TH Grade Championship (CCR 1)

Games Played at
Chichester  Recreation Center
8500 Furey Road
Aston, PA 19014 

 

Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 8th Grade Schedule

January 14, 2013, 10:47 am

≫ Next: Beware Of The Black Mamba's!

≪ Previous: Basketball Spotlight MLK 7th Grade Schedule

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The Basketball Spotlight MLK Classic 8TH Grade Schedule is listed below. Please arrive early for your games. Keep in mind that traffic can get crowded in this area. 

Pool E 
1. Team Nelson 
2. MCB Elite 
3. Quincy Douby All Stars 
4. Team Flight 

Pool F 
1. Black Mambas 
2. EYSC 
3. PYO 
4. Playtime 

Saturday January 19th 
9:00 AM E1-E2 (CCR 1) 
9:00 AM E3-E4 (CCR 2) 
11:20 AM E1-E3 (CCR 1) 
11:20 AM E2-E4 (CCR 2) 
4:00 PM F1-F2 (CCR 1) 
4:00 PM F3-F4 (CCR 2) 
8:40 PM F1-F3 (CCR 1) 
8:40 PM F2-F4 (CCR 2) 

Sunday January 20th 
12:30 PM E1-E4 (CCR 1) 
12:30 PM E2-E3 (CCR 2) 
1:40 PM F1-F4 (CCR 1) 
1:40 PM F2-F3 (CCR 2) 
4:00 PM 1ST E-2ND F (CCR 1) 
4:00 PM 1ST F-2ND E (CCR 2) 
6:20 PM 8TH Grade Championship (CCR 2)