By Dr.Peter Toth
Not only in football, golf or rowing but also in basketball. This is what Hoopsfix Foundation has set out to prove by organizing a tournament, for the second time this year, to showcase the best of British youth basketball.
Two boys’ teams are competing in each category, one U17 and another U19 playing two games and a dunking contest. The tournament is to collect the best players of each age group, as many of the stars at the first tournament in 2014 are already playing overseas. Samuel Japhet-Matthias, best British center of 1998 from Peckham(London) is already with Vermont Academy in the US, Carl Wheatle, a small forward from Brixton (London) plays in Angelico Biella (Italy) and both have been invited to NBA Basketball Without Borders this summer. So no doubt many of this year’s heroes will soon follow their tracks....
This year’s U17 team comprised quite a few players returning from last year but also some interesting new faces that are well worth of attention. One of the best players of the squad is Gedi Juozapaitis (1998 6’3”), a Lithuanian from Peckham (London), the best scorer of the game who won the MVP of the tournament. Juozapaitis is a powerful guard, scoring, rebounding and running the court with an exceptional speed and energy; he is everywhere and does everything, committed and devoted, comprising the best traditions of the Lithuanian basketball as an excellent basis to build on.
Other important U17 players include Jacob Iwowo (1999 6’5’) from Lewisham (London), another powerful guard with some great moves and nice actions. Thai Segwai-Lodge (1998 6’0”) from Peckham with some nice three pointers, Dom Scott-Robinson (1998 6’5”) from Oakland again with threes are both returning form previous year’s all star, together with the big man of the U17 tournament, Henri Langton (1998 6’10”) from Loughborough, who did a decent, but bit slow center game having many great rebounds and blocks, but less points.
The U19 game brought much less in terms of score (71:85 for the Black team in contrast to the U17s resulting at 100:89 for the White) but much more in terms of tension and spectacle. The second half was intense, rich in action and great personal achievements, the best part doubtlessly being the monster poster dunk by Kyle Carey (1997 6’6”). Carey is a power forward from Preston College, having a nice 23 point-achievement with three threes and getting the MVP. Another guy to watch out for is Myles Laurent-Smart (1996 5’10’) a small but extremely energetic and fast player who was really everywhere, scoring, stealing, rebounding even blocking and – also – obtaining the best-dunker prize at the dunking contest. On center post, Nathan Smith (1996 7’1”) of Barking Abbey, had a decent game with nice, calm but well-scoring moves, along with Karolis Kundrotas (1996 6’11”), another Lithuanian center with a large body and a powerful game. Liam Carpenter (1996 6’ 1”) and Sam Newman (1996 6’3”) are on the smaller front with some nice steals, and good-handed three-pointers.
The All Star, this year in Brixton, is a real feast of British basketball to mark not only its existence, but –much more importantly – the youngsters’ commitment, devotion and love for this game that is the best proof of Britain’s talent in basketball. Let’s hope it stays, grows and spreads further.
Photo by: Hoopsfix
Not only in football, golf or rowing but also in basketball. This is what Hoopsfix Foundation has set out to prove by organizing a tournament, for the second time this year, to showcase the best of British youth basketball.
Two boys’ teams are competing in each category, one U17 and another U19 playing two games and a dunking contest. The tournament is to collect the best players of each age group, as many of the stars at the first tournament in 2014 are already playing overseas. Samuel Japhet-Matthias, best British center of 1998 from Peckham(London) is already with Vermont Academy in the US, Carl Wheatle, a small forward from Brixton (London) plays in Angelico Biella (Italy) and both have been invited to NBA Basketball Without Borders this summer. So no doubt many of this year’s heroes will soon follow their tracks....
This year’s U17 team comprised quite a few players returning from last year but also some interesting new faces that are well worth of attention. One of the best players of the squad is Gedi Juozapaitis (1998 6’3”), a Lithuanian from Peckham (London), the best scorer of the game who won the MVP of the tournament. Juozapaitis is a powerful guard, scoring, rebounding and running the court with an exceptional speed and energy; he is everywhere and does everything, committed and devoted, comprising the best traditions of the Lithuanian basketball as an excellent basis to build on.
Other important U17 players include Jacob Iwowo (1999 6’5’) from Lewisham (London), another powerful guard with some great moves and nice actions. Thai Segwai-Lodge (1998 6’0”) from Peckham with some nice three pointers, Dom Scott-Robinson (1998 6’5”) from Oakland again with threes are both returning form previous year’s all star, together with the big man of the U17 tournament, Henri Langton (1998 6’10”) from Loughborough, who did a decent, but bit slow center game having many great rebounds and blocks, but less points.
The U19 game brought much less in terms of score (71:85 for the Black team in contrast to the U17s resulting at 100:89 for the White) but much more in terms of tension and spectacle. The second half was intense, rich in action and great personal achievements, the best part doubtlessly being the monster poster dunk by Kyle Carey (1997 6’6”). Carey is a power forward from Preston College, having a nice 23 point-achievement with three threes and getting the MVP. Another guy to watch out for is Myles Laurent-Smart (1996 5’10’) a small but extremely energetic and fast player who was really everywhere, scoring, stealing, rebounding even blocking and – also – obtaining the best-dunker prize at the dunking contest. On center post, Nathan Smith (1996 7’1”) of Barking Abbey, had a decent game with nice, calm but well-scoring moves, along with Karolis Kundrotas (1996 6’11”), another Lithuanian center with a large body and a powerful game. Liam Carpenter (1996 6’ 1”) and Sam Newman (1996 6’3”) are on the smaller front with some nice steals, and good-handed three-pointers.
The All Star, this year in Brixton, is a real feast of British basketball to mark not only its existence, but –much more importantly – the youngsters’ commitment, devotion and love for this game that is the best proof of Britain’s talent in basketball. Let’s hope it stays, grows and spreads further.
Photo by: Hoopsfix
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