Representation of Canadian AAU Teams Holding Strong In Orlando…Brookwood Elite, CIA Bounce Left

ORLANDO, FL–It’s been a busy week at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, jumping from gym to gym to catch as much Canadian teams as possible. The final two teams that are in contention of a championship are CIA Bounce’s U14s and the only team from outside of Ontario, Quebec’s Brookwood Elite who is competing at the u17 level. The U14s are set to play in the gold medal game, while Brookwood Elite will play in a quarter final against the VA Squires. Both teams have size for their respective positions and a whole lot of speed and athleticism to match. Ontario and Quebec’s team have most of their roster already present in the NPH National Rankings; tomorrow will be a day to show what they’ve been working on since their last evaluation.

While these two teams are advancing, another CIA Bounce group with a promising future exits earlier than they would have liked, losing to the King James Rising Stars in the semi-final game of the 15U Super Showcase 79-66. They had come back from being down before but this opponent was relentless and had a size advantage that would allow them to capitalize on second chance opportunities as well as in the rebounding category.

Despite a valiant effort from Malik Tyne, who was guarding someone who had five inches on him, there was nothing they could do to defend that size.

The King James Rising Stars came out gunning and playing a similar style to that of CIA Bounce. The young Canadians responded on many occasions with Trystan Pratapas making a run for the outlet pass from Kimbal Mackenzie.

Pratapas and Montaque Caesar Gill went on a scoring frenzy in spurts of their own, each having four threes in the game. Pratapas led this team in scoring throughout the tournament shooting efficiently with his superior accuracy from beyond the arc.

His hot shooting wasn’t enough in this game as turnovers from various positions proved to be the downfall. The ball was most safe in the hands of Nevell Provo. His composure in pressure situations sets him apart from many guards in his age group since this is something that can not be taught.

By adding a legitimate power forward or center this team can be transformed in a major way and fill a void that is much needed to compete with bigger teams. Overall, the players on this roster were thoroughly evaluated and some will have their stock rise in NPH National Rankings.