When the T3TV Battle Royale Classic tips off tonight in Cincinnati, Ohio, twelve 2032 teams will compete for a championship. Headlining the division will be 4 nationally ranked teams including the #9 Buckeye Prep Hoopsters, #18 Team Charging, #20 Hoosier Phenoms and #23 Memphis War Eagles. The 2nd grade division will include 3 pools of 4 teams, but teams will only play 2 of the teams in their respective pools.
Pool A is headlined by the #9 Buckeye Prep Hoopsters, who will open the tournament against the Tennessee-based Team Tooki3, followed by the Michigan-based Flint Flames in the second game. Buckeye Prep enters the event with a 28-10 overall record, which includes 6 consecutive championship game appearances and 2 titles. The Hoopsters enjoy a stable roster of young players and balanced scoring among the starting five (David Johnson III, Tony Jones Jr., Jordan Taylor, Jase Owens and Carter Watson). In terms of Flint Flames, this weekend’s event will be their first tournament outside of Michigan. The 4th team in Pool A is CTA, and unfortunately, we have limited information about the rest of the teams in the pool.
The most competitive pool appears to be Pool B, which features #18 Team Charging (OH) and #23 Memphis War Eagles (TN). Depending on who suits up for Team Charging, first place in this pool may be a toss up with the storied Memphis War Eagles. Although we’ve seen Team Charging play on a number of occasions, we have not seen the War Eagles this season. With that being said, the program has a rich history of attracting Memphis-area talent. According to the coach Hassan Yocub, although the War Eagles have not traveled out of state much this season, they boast an overall record of 60-5.
The team recently added Moe Miller (5’0”/WF/2032/Memphis) who reclassified this year. The addition of Miller plus Samir Yocub (4’5”/PG/2023/Memphis) has Coach Yocub expecting to win a title this weekend. Team Charging is led by Jedi Haynes-Lee, who because of his size and strength, can put up big numbers in any given game. Kason Argret is the primary ball handler and can score if left unguarded. If BNU’s David Perry is running with Team Charging this weekend they have a chance to go all the way. Team Culture and Road 2 Greatness round out Pool B. Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about those 2 teams. Based on the schedule, the War Eagles and Team Charging will not play each other; consequently, first place in this pool may come down to point differential and/or points allowed.
The top team in Pool C are the Hoosier Phenoms. Depending on their roster this weekend, the Phenoms have a legitimate chance to win the event. The question, is Aydin Garth and/or Chris Downing Jr. running with them this weekend. With those 2 guys plus Camden Day and Tristan Graham, the Phenoms are one of the best teams in the country. The pool is rounded out by Nati Elite (OH), J Anthony Elite (KY) and the Kentucky Defenders. Although those 3 teams can be scrappy, the Phenoms should roll though that pool.
If the seeding holds, the Final 4 should include the Buckeye Prep Hoopsters, Team Charging, Memphis War Eagles and Hoosier Phenoms. Stay tuned for our post event recap where we will discuss the results and highlight standout performers. Good luck to all of the 2032 teams participating in the tournament this weekend!
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