{"id":147761,"date":"2017-08-01T13:49:19","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T20:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilcomprd.wpengine.com\/?p=147761"},"modified":"2023-11-18T13:51:19","modified_gmt":"2023-11-18T21:51:19","slug":"team-thad-fab-48-cal-supreme-bigfoot-team-loaded-adidas-win-vegas-tourneys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ballislife.com\/team-thad-fab-48-cal-supreme-bigfoot-team-loaded-adidas-win-vegas-tourneys\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Thad, Cal Supreme, Team Loaded win Vegas Tourneys!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Team Thad (Tenn.) relied on its relentless attack of the basket and the stellar play of guard Tyler Harris to capture the Las Vegas Fab 48 17U Invitational title over New York Renaissance. Cal Supreme (Bigfoot Hoops Las Vegas Classic) and Team Loaded of Virginia (adidas Summer Championships) also win major 17U grassroots titles in Las Vegas during the final July NCAA recruiting period.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Team Thad<\/strong> had plenty of motivation entering the Las Vegas Fab 48.<\/em> The Tennessee-based club, particularly its head coach Norton Hurd<\/strong>, felt it should have won the Under Armour Association (UAA) Circuit <\/em>title during July's second live NCAA evaluation period. Team Thad was a top seed, but finished in third place after a semifinal loss to Team Charlotte (N.C.).<\/p>\n

Team Thad atoned for the upset loss by capturing the 17U Invitational title with a 77-61 victory over the New York Rens to win the Fab 48's 32-team bracket. Team Thad not only won the event's top division, it went unbeaten in pool play to finish the third evaluation period with a perfect 8-0 record.<\/p>\n

The catalyst for Team Thad was uncommitted 2018 point guard Tyler Harris<\/strong>, a 5-foot-10 speed demon from Cordova (Memphis, Tenn.), who is one of the nation's fast-rising players this summer. He wasn't a household name on the grassroots circuit before July, but this tournament changed that. There wasn't a faster (under control) player with the ball in his hands at the three major Las Vegas tournaments than Harris, who went for 18 points and three assists in the title game victory over the NY Rens. He averaged 22.8 points per game over his final four games in the bracket and shoots the 3-pointer just well enough to set himself up to blow by defenders, set up teammates for athletic finishes or simply finish at the rim himself. Harris' unselfish style also rubbed off on his teammates, as he racked up many hockey assists, while his teammates got him the ball in transition, where he raced past the defense for easy lay-ins.<\/p>\n

\"I wanted to come here and play well, said Harris, who reported that Cincinnati, Virginia and St. Louis had become involved in his recruitment as of late. \"I wanted to end my final AAU season the right way. After UAA finals, my recruitment has picked up a lot.\"<\/p>\n

\"Tyler stepped up his game in July,\" Hurd said. \"He deserves all the attention he's getting...he's one of the top 10 point guards in the country.\"<\/p>\n

Team Thad's title run was bolstered by the powerful inside play of 6-foot-6 2018 forward Robert Woodard<\/strong> (Columbus, Miss.), who joined the team for the Fab 48 after playing earlier in the summer for Mebo Elite Team Hood on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. He went for 13 points and eight rebounds in the title game, but had plenty of larger offensive outputs earlier in the bracket. Woodard, who is looking to cut his list of colleges by the end of summer, went off in the 72-63 first round win over Meanstreets EYBL (the only game in which Harris didn't score at least 18 points) with 23 points. He also had 15 points in the 62-58 semifinal win over defending Fab 48 champion Earl Watson Elite UAA, while Harris added 19.<\/p>\n

Plenty of credit must also be given to 6-foot-4, 2018 shooting guard Tavin Lovan<\/strong> of Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.), who netted a game-high 25 points in the title game. Lovan is excellent in transition and does plenty of work on the offensive glass.<\/p>\n

By knocking off the NY Rens (who failed to qualify for the Peach Jam on the EYBL circuit) in the final, Team Thad becomes the sixth consecutive Under Armour-sponsored grassroots club to win the Las Vegas Fab 48. The only independent winner was the Kansas City 76ers in 2011, while the Nike-sponsored Oakland Soldiers won the inaugural tournament in 2010.<\/p>\n

Coming Out Party for Josh Christopher at Las Vegas Classic<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a majority of the spring and summer, 6-foot-4 2020 wing Josh Christopher<\/strong><\/a> was the leading player on Cal Supreme's 16U EYBL unit, but the coaching staff of the Los Angeles-based, Nike-sponsored outfit decided to move him up to its main club. The move paid dividends as Cal Supreme won the 32-team 17U Platinum Elite Division at the Las Vegas Classic with Christopher not just contributing, but actually leading the way.<\/p>\n