HIGHLAND: Baylor Ballers Find Offensive Touch To Win Title
BY JOHN BURBRIDGE
jburbridge@nwitimes.com
HIGHLAND | Defense wins championships.
No denying that.
And though many "Old Schoolers" bemoan the perceived lack of fundamentals among today's young cagers, topnotch AAU teams today definitely play aggressive defense ... perhaps more so than generations before.
Case in point was the fueled demeanors of the 50-plus teams participating at the Northwest Indiana Baylor Youth Foundation Basketball Tournament, held June 9-11 at the Lincoln Center. With all the frenetic scrambling, relentless full-court trapping and weak-side help converging out of nowhere, the term "There's no such thing as an easy two" never rang more true.
The Baylor Ballers don't give up too many easy twos -- or threes for that matter. But defense has never been a problem for them.
"It's offense where we were struggling," said Ballers assistant coach Raymond Davis. "But today, we've finally jelled. We were making that extra pass ... keeping our heads up to view the court and see opportunities, and finally scoring some more."
The Ballers won their second tournament of the spring after beating the Problem Child Lookouts 71-58 in the 16-and-under championship game. Post player Gerald Campbell led the team with 14 points. Brillon Pritchett and Cedric Ridle each had 12 points with a pair of treys for the Gary-based Ballers.
Other members of the team included David Bradley, Daniel Hill, Alfred Davis, Amos Littles, Brandon Wesby, Demark Jenkins and head coach Toi Baylor, who was the tournament director.
Baylor's foundation will also host the an NCAA college exposure tournament July 4-9. As for her team, which improved to 19-3 over the weekend, it will play at the United Center in Chicago as well as in Las Vegas this summer.
"We're getting better -- especially on the offensive end," Baylor said. "But we still got a way to go."
John Burbridge | The Times
The Baylor Ballers 16-and-under team, top photo, defeated the Problem Child Lookouts 71-58 in the championship game of the NWI AAU Baylor Youth Foundation Basketball Tournament. The Gary Falcons, lower photo, took second in the 13-and-under division.
NWI AAU Baylor Youth Foundation Basketball Tournament
June 9-11
AT LINCOLN CENTER
Division Finals
11-U -- Ferrari 46, Illinois Central Elite 45
12-U -- Indy Stars 38, Indy Elite 28
13-U -- Indy Fast Break d. Gary Falcons
14-U -- Illinois Wolves 54, Rockford Ambassadors 32
15-U -- Chicago Heights Hawks 52, Rockford Ambassadors 40
16-U -- Baylor Ballers 71, Problem Child Lookouts 58
1/28/2009 12:00:00 AM
|
|
