The New Heights 17U was shorthanded last weekend. Maybe they should attend events with less than their entire roster more often.
Despite missing forward Jordan Washington and shooting guard Josh James, New Heights claimed the Memorial Day Super 16 Showcase in New London, Conn., its first tournament crown of the young AAU season.
New Heights topped Rivals Basketball Club (Mass.) in the championship game on Cardinal Hayes’ Jalen Jenkins’ game-winning shot off a high-low with highly recruited senior Chris Obekpa of Our Savior New American. New Heights won five games in all.
“The chemistry is building, guys are getting more confident in their roles, guys are more familiar with one another,” coach Kimani Young said. “We defended. We talked about holding teams under 40 points – that’s our goal. When we do that, we give ourselves a chance to win.”
They received major contributions from Jenkins and Obekpa, the shot-blocking specialist; Curtis forward Hassan Martin; Christ the King point guard Malik Harmon; and Seton Hall Prep shooting guard Mike Bourke.
Cardinal Hayes junior point guard Tyler Wilson was pivotal, scoring and distributing.
“Tyler’s playing with more offensive confidence and I told him, when he’s scoring the ball, it just makes us a better team,” Young said. “He’s such a good passer and a general and a floor leader, but he has to score for those things to be able to happen. He’s the key for us to reach our potential.”
It was a big performance for the group, which is different from last year’s collection of players. That team made a habit out of winning titles, and Young thinks this edition is similarly capable, if not more so.
“The team is very comparable to the team we had last year,” Young said. “It’s a different team. I think that obviously what Chris brings to the table changes us a little bit. We can trap, press, we can gamble because he’s such a protector of the basket. It’s definitely a group I’m having fun coaching.”
He hopes it will carry over into the heart of the AAU season. His team has enjoyed solid turnouts, reaching the semifinals of national tournaments such as the Adidas VIP Exclusive Run in Las Vegas and Real Deal in the Rock in Arkansas.
Up next is Rumble in the Bronx the weekend after next followed by a series of trips in June and during the July live recruiting period capped by the Adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas at the end of the month.