Forget Team SCAN’s titles, the top rankings and the skyrocketing recruitment of its players, Terrence (Munch) Williams has been most impressed by the continued focus of players in his program. SCAN entered the AAU season in April with a bull’s-eye on its back and it has handled its heightened profile with aplomb.
“We came in with a lot of publicity, a lot of media [attention] and the kids have learned to play with the pressure, knowing you can’t lose any games,” said Williams, the burgeoning AAU’s program’s director and 16U coach. “They never succumb to that pressure. They do a great job of channeling their focus to that one game, at that moment. They take it game by game, which is really hard for those kids.”
That was evident over the weekend, as the 16U and 15U squads, both ranked No. 1 by FiveStarBasketball.com, won Hall of Fame National Invitational titles, winning each of their five contests in the Springfield, Mass. Tournament.
The 16U squad topped the Rhode Island Hawks, 64-44, in the championship to win its ninth crown of the year. SCAN also beat the BC Eagles (N.Y.) in the semifinals and knocked off New Jersey Elite (N.J.), Vermont United (Vt.) and Basketbull (Mass.) in pool play.
It received production from virtual its entire roster, from national junior prospect Chris McCullough — who “played like a top 10 kid,” Williams said — to dynamic guards Shavar Newkirk (Cardinal Hayes), Quincy McKnight (St. Joseph’s) and Conrad Chambers (Chester) to forwards Cheick Diallo (Our Savior New American) and Terry Larrier (Our Savior Lutheran).
Archbishop Stepinac’s Naim Thomas, Cheshire Academy’s Eric Long, Mike Silverthorn and Kevin Seymour of Blair Academy and Michael Jurzwski of St. Joseph’s were also integral to the title.
“These guys played as a unit,” Williams said. “They played with one heartbeat; they all had the same focus, which was to win the tournament.”
The 15’s, meanwhile, prevailed in the 35-team tournament despite being shorthanded with just seven players. They knocked off the Riverside Hawks, 52-50, in the finals. Sharpshooter Chance Ellis of the Rectory School (Conn.) shined in the finals and was potent from the perimeter the entire weekend, while Dondre Rhoden posted a double-double in the finals and Unique McLean was a factor in transition and in the paint. Chris Atkinson, Devonte Green, Austrian Robinson, and Tremont Waters were also pivotal in the victory.
“This weekend’s championship was a great example of teammates picking one another up,” 15U coach Oz Cross said. “If one guy was struggling in a particular aspect of the game, another guy was eagerly stepping up and able to produce. This group knows how to win and is battle-tested; even though we found ourselves down at points this weekend they remained poised and did what they had to do to get the win.”
SCAN has a chance to truly make its mark nationally over the next few weeks. The 16’s and 15’s will be in Augusta, Ga. this week for the Nike Peach Jam followed by Fab 48 in Las Vegas next week while the 14s, ranked third by FiveStar, will be in the AAU Nationals in Orlando, Fla. All three could end up No. 1 with a big finish.
“It would be pretty hard to find another program that has done that in a long time,” Williams said.