Latest, Recruiting

Nationals (U15) Day 1 Recap And Standouts

Published by Ali Ahmed on August 2, 2011

Canada Basketball and Ontario Basketball joined together to host the 2011 Canada Basketball National Championships this week in Toronto, Ontario. The event, which featured provincial teams from all over Canada, begins on August 1st and concludes on August 6th. Day 1 of this spectacular event wrapped up Monday evening with a flurry of U15 basketball being played.

Team Ontario (83) vs. Team Manitoba (49)

This game was the first game of the tournament for Team Ontario and had high expectations for the hometown team. Both teams started out sluggish from the beginning with neither team being able to put together a strong offensive run. Manitoba managed to catch Ontario by surprise in the first as they were up 11-5 on the home team. Ontario began to heat up as their 6’5 forward Devonte Campbell connected on 8 straight points for his team as they went up 27-21 in the second. Devonte did not seem to let up as he constantly tormented the Manitoba defense with hard drives in the lane and strong finishes under the basket. The momentum created from their constant full court pressure and rebounding elevated their offense as they established a 62-38 lead over Manitoba going into the 4th quarter. Team Ontario stood strong as they defeated Team Manitoba 83-49 with their dynamic forward Devonte Campbell being named Player of the Game.

Standouts

Devonte Campbell – Devonte Campbell was the best player on the court for most of Monday’s game doing everything from grabbing rebounds to scoring in masses. From watching Devonte tryout for the team back in May I knew that he would flourish on this team with his athleticism and scoring touch. This is one player that every other provincial team will be paying attention to when scouting opponents.

Russell Baker – Russell exploded during the second half scoring on multiple occasions when it seemed as though Manitoba clamped down on defense. His points were well deserved as he was fighting for rebounds and using his strength and athleticism to fight his way to the rim. This is one player who really impressed and may very well see more minutes from Coach Giovanatti.

Jalen Poyser – Jalen showed the great scoring ability that earned him a second nod to Team Ontario’s U15 squad. It seemed as if it was another day at the office for Jalen as he managed to score often and make several trips to the line with his potent ability to get to the rim. Jalen and Devonte make Team Ontario the one of the best offensive team in this U15 tournament.

Team Quebec (49) vs. Team British Columbia (70)

Team Quebec squared off against Team BC with the winner of this game facing Team Ontario on Tuesday. The game kicked off as both teams were in a deadlock. British Columbia began spreading out the floor and penetrating to the rim for easy baskets. The first quarter concluded with BC taking a 22-11 lead into the second. Turnovers would be downfall for Quebec as BC capitalized on their mistakes time after time. BC started the second half without toning down on offense as they looked to 6’3 forward Denver Sparks-Guest for most of their dirty work under the net. British Columbia blew the game wide open as they increased their lead to 22 with fewer than 5 remaining in the 4th. The final score was 70-49 as BC defeated the turnover prone Team Quebec and will now face Team Ontario on Tuesday.

Standouts

Jalen Jana – Jalen had a superb game while running the point guard position for his team. He ran the fast break often with his team and found the open player on more than one occasion. In addition to that, Jalen connected on several key 3 pointers which sealed Quebec’s effort to come back from the deficit. Jalen’s speed and handling of the ball was really showcased during the game and eventually earned him the Player of the Game award.

Hayden Lejeune – At 6’7, Hayden was probably the most focused and hardworking player in the game. I noticed how he ran up and down the court securing loose balls and fighting for boards, which he mostly won with his tall 6’7 frame. His dunk towards the end of the 3rd quarter capped off a superb game for him. His intensity under the rim and gritty blue collar work on defense was definitely noticed by CROWN.

Denver Sparks-Guest – As part of the BC crew that impressed us, Denver was also a standout in this game as he was all over the score sheet with his performance. His tenacity for cleaning up the boards and constant put backs earned him many trips to the line and good looking stat line aswell. British Columbia looked to Denver in times when they’re offense was not clicking or when Quebec would go on a slight run. He was definitely their go-to man on offense throughout the entire game.

James Tyrell – This 6’0 guard was the offensive powerhouse leading the turnover prone Quebec team. Although his was suffering a huge deficit, it did not take away from the strong performance he was displaying. He carved up the BC defense at times and finished at the rim even with harm. He sometimes does take questionable shots and might dribble into defensive pressure, but Quebec definitely does have a go-to man to build around in James.

Team Nova Scotia (69) vs. Team New Brunswick (54)

If there’s one thing I loved about the matchups in this tournament it’s that it featured a thrilling east coast battle between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. These two teams took the floor and at first glance both teams looked small compared to the other provincial teams who played that day. Both teams were evenly matched and relied on their backcourt to produce most of the offense. Nova Scotia seemed to look to 5’9 guard Johneil Johnson for most of their points in the beginning until we saw more players begin to contribute offensively. With score being 30-28 at halftime we knew that there would be a thrilling second half in store for us. However, that was not the case as Nova Scotia came out of halftime getting all sorts of offense from their backcourt and their gritty 6’5 centre Cole Wood. Nova Scotia never took the gas off the peddle and cruised to a 69-54 win over New Brunswick with the Player of the Game being awarded to Nick DePalma whose late game heroics propelled Scotia to their win.

Standouts

Levi Smith III – Levi was in charge of running the point and he did that to perfection. His ability to bring up the ball and make plays to his teammates had me impressed. He knew when to penetrate, shoot, and feed the ball in the post all at the right times. He’s definitely a gem in the Nova Scotia Basketball program and we should hear more about him soon.

Johneil Johnson – Johneil appeared to be a solid combo guard for Nova Scotia in some situations. His ability to understand the offense and set pick and rolls was evident in the way he created shots for him and other players. Standing at 5’9, Johneil will probably grow some more and with the potential that he has that could be bad news for other teams.

Cole Wood – I guess Cole Wood can say that he loves to play in the second half. I didn’t notice him a lot in the first half but that all changed as soon as Nova Scotia got possession in the 3rd. I could see Cole scrapping for rebounds and cleaning up some missed shots. His effort on both sides of the court impressed me a lot and that is what I think every player should strive to maintain.

Paul Georges – Paul was clearly the leader for Team New Brunswick. He took the offensive load in the second half when Nova Scotia looked to be running away with the game. He has a really good shot from deep and can hit the midrange often. He suffered a lower back injury during the last quarter of Monday’s game and it looked to be serious. Hopefully he’ll be alright in time for their next game or New Brunswick will need a new leader to emerge.

**Note: Final game of the night will updated shortly

By: Ali Ahmed and Gilbert Muako

Readers Rating: