PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. – Indiana’s Spiece Gym Rats collected a piece of history at USJN’s 10th annual Battle of the Programs on Saturday, but it seems obvious to even an unseasoned basketball observer that bigger things might be in their future.
The Gym Rats became the first two-time champion of the event, capturing the top eight-team bracket with a tour de force that included three wins by an average of 29 points. Given that the tournament features players who are 2016 graduates and younger, the Gym Rats’ top team next summer will offer opponents a stern challenge.
“It does mean a lot in the sense (that we have) respect for the other groups that play in it,” said Gym Rats coach Danny Riego, whose team cruised past Midwest Elite 66-57 in the final. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Ralph (Gesualdo) and Midwest Elite and what they do. We’re really excited to have that honor. We also feel things like that can become habitual. This group came together to accomplish some goals later in the summer and we feel that’s going to be more of a possibility as we continue to win these tournaments.”
Saturday’s group had not played together until this weekend. Guard Lindsey Corsaro and forward Darby Foresman (who was unavailable Saturday) played for Spiece’s top team during the summer. They combined Saturday with players who came from other Gym Rats squads or other programs.
In any event, the roster was stacked with 2016 talent. Corsaro is a Kentucky recruit, along with Sydney Shelton. Ae’rianna Harris is headed to Purdue. Foresman has committed to Indiana. Jayla Scaife and Jackie Young – like Corsaro, Foresman and Shelton – have been ranked among Blue Star’s top 50 in the 2016 class at some point in their careers.
“I thought it was awesome because it’s our first weekend together as a team,” Corsaro said. “Outside of a small practice scrimmage we’ve never played together, and I thought we clicked instantly and shared the ball.”
“It’s always a scary thing when you try to piece together a team,” Riego said. “This early in the season, no one knows what we have. We knew the individual pieces were really great and really talented. We knew they were willing to make some sacrifices. But what we saw could be the makings of something special. What I was really pleased about was, we assisted on most of our threes. We shared the basketball. There were kids passing up good shots for better shots and there were kids passing up better shots for the best shot. We took a lot of shots that, when you put a collection of talent like this together, we can be a tough team to beat if we hit shots.”
The Gym Rats also won the title in 2013. Midwest Elite was bidding to be a two-time champ, having emerged victorious in 2009.
OTHER INDIANA CLUBS EARN TITLES AS WELL
Two programs based in Indiana captured Battle of the Program bracket titles as well.
Indiana Elite won the second bracket with a 76-63 victory against the Indiana Flight.
The Elite used a notable sense of teamwork to earn an impressive victory in the final.
“They work hard, they enjoy playing together and when teams do that, you can do a lot with them,” coach Brian Rosario said.
“The one thing we do really well, which we don’t even stress, is making the extra pass. That tells me they really enjoy playing with each other.”
Sky Diggs Elite also represented the Hoosier state well, captured the third Battle of the Programs bracket with a hard-fought 56-52 victory against Chicago Hoops Express.
A pair of free throws from Katelyn O’Reilly with 1:41 to play snapped a tie, and O’Reilly sank two more with 8.3 seconds left to maintain the margin.
“They’re all high-IQ kids, very skilled kids,” Sky Diggs Elite coach Don Grennes said. “They all have their flaws, they’re not as athletic, but they know how to play against athletic teams and they find a way. I don’t have to coach effort. Five minutes left in that game, I’ll take those kids every time. They’ll grind out a win. They’ll do whatever they have to do.”
This group went 50-5 during the summer before Jayla Scaife left to join the Spiece Gym Rats. Still, Grennes said a core of four players – wing Haliegh Reinoehl, guard O’Reilly, and shooters Emily Kmec and Maddy Grennes – have propelled the Elite throughout their tenure.
“Every one of these kids can go to a program and be a contributor,” Don Grennes said. “Whatever they’re asked to do, they’ll be great teammates. They’re all mid-to-low Division I (prospects). That’s where they’ll have success. If they went to a high D1 – and some of them are getting some calls – my response is, ‘You’ll be battling your junior year to get on the court. If you go to a low to mid D1, you’re going to be a player.’”
The fourth Battle of the Programs bracket went to Blue Star St. Louis, which held off Hoosier Premiere 56-52 in the final. Abbey Hoff’s driving layup with 24 seconds left clinched the victory.
NO REST FOR SHORTHANDED MICHIGAN CROSSOVER
Coach Monique Brown’s Michigan Crossover played Saturday’s early games with six available players.
And that was a luxury.
“One of our kids will play the first half of the next game and then catch a plane out of here,” Brown said midday. “It’s really tough.”
That left five players from an original roster of nine. The most critical loss was that of guard Micaela Kelly, a Detroit product with a scholarship offer from DePaul who tore her ACL in July.
Still, the Crossover hung in with a shorthanded roster. They nearly knocked off MoKan Eclipse, falling 52-50, in the first game of the top bracket in the Battle of the Programs.
“We just don’t have the legs, the stamina,” Brown said. “It’s really tough. We’re a pressing team.”
They have talent. “Just no rest,” Brown said.
Guard Alexis Sevillian (2016) has committed to Iowa. Guard Alicia Norman (2017) is a quick, pestering defender. Forward Destiny Pitts (2017) can play several spots on the floor. Post Keasja Peace (2016) is a lefty with some range and moves well.
“When all of our pieces come together it is a team that can be very competitive in July,” Brown said. “Some kids are getting big-time looks above the mid-major level.”
IOWA VENOM SPORTS CHALLENGES ITS YOUNGSTERS
Venom Sports from Iowa dropped its opening game in the Battle of the Programs, a 50-48 decision against Wisconsin WBA Prestige, but just the participation in the even created benefits for coach Acie Earl’s squad.
Earl, the former Iowa standout and NBA first round draft pick, is in his seventh year leading Venom Sports. The current team includes his daughter, Kenya, who has a scholarship offer from Western Illinois, and a host of 2017, 2018 and 2019 players. The roster does not contain any 2016 kids.
“They’re all doing more things than they did in the summer, which is good,” Earl said of his players. “The thing that hurts us is when we play older kids. We don’t have enough of the older kids (to compete) at this level.”
But that challenge is precisely why he sought to compete in the Battle of the Programs.
“That’s why we come,” he said. “We don’t try to balk at the competition. We don’t try to play down. We’ll put them in that division, tell the parents what’s going on and see what happens.”
His players aren’t unaccustomed to the stiffer competition. Kenya Earl will start on her high school varsity team as a sophomore. Chrisslyn Carr will start on her team as a freshman. Sydney Mayes will start on hers as a sophomore. Several other kids – mostly eighth graders – have routinely competed against varsity players in open gyms, Earl said.
“These are the best kids of eastern Iowa,” Earl said.
The Saturday action, which included USJN’s 10th Annual Elite Oktoberfest, attracted recruiters representing nearly 200 colleges and saw over 225 total coaches in attendance.To see complete post event page information (colleges in attendance, teams, results, pool-all stars, etc) you can follow the link below.
