Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Stock Rising for Team Takeover Stars; Final Peach Jam Leaderboard
Team Takeover lost in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Peach Jam, but head coach Keith Stevens believes his squad should have won the whole thing.
A year later, his Washington, D.C.-based team went a perfect 8-0 en route to winning the inaugural Elite Youth Basketball League at the Nike Peach Jam with a 70-62 victory over the St. Louis Eagles.
The game was taped Thursday and shown nationally on ESPNU.
“It’s definitely a good experience being that it’s the first time that they ever had this particular league,” Stevens said. “To be able to accomplish something like this in such a short time was definitely a good experience.”
Junior point guard James Robinson went a perfect 10-of-10 from the line and finished with a team-high 24 points. Duke-bound wing Michael Gbinije added 19 points.
Florida commit Bradley Beal, who returned Monday night from Germany after being named MVP of the U17 world championship, scored a game-high 26 points for the Eagles with Gators coach Billy Donovan watching courtside.
The stock of several Team Takeover players is clearly on the rise.
Stevens said Notre Dame, Georgetown, Oklahoma, Virginia and Maryland are involved with the 6-3 Robinson out of DeMatha High.
“This kid has a chance to be special,” Stevens said. “This is his first year ever playing the point guard spot. He has to keep getting better and if he keeps works working hard he can be special.”
The 6-6 Gbinije was remarkably efficient, going 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line, giving Duke fans a glimpse of what he’ll bring to campus in 2011.
“He’s more than just a shooter,” Stevens said. “His jump shot was not working this weekend so he was really driving and finishing through contact.”
Another player to watch on Team Takeover is 6-9, 210-pound forward Mikael Hopkins of DeMatha, who has offers from Syracuse, Texas, Kansas, West Virginia, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Georgetown and Maryland.
Asked who was working the hardest, Stevens said, “Syracuse right now.”
(Syracuse has one scholarship left for 2011 and hopes to land either Hopkins,Rakeem Christmas or Anthony Davis.)
“[Hopkins] has a chance to be a a pro,” Stevens said.
“If he gets stonger and keeps working, he’ll have the opportunity to play at the highest level.”
Stevens said Hopkins will cut his list to five in August and then take official visits.
All 11 players on Team Takeover hold D-1 offers, Stevens said.
They will be the favorite to repeat next week at the Orlando Super Showcase.
And after winning the Peach Jam, that is the next goal for Team Takeover.
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Stevens said. “We were able to win it at the 16s and 17s [last year]. That’s been a goal, to try to win both of them again.”
Tournament Team Leaders
THE STAT CREW SYSTEM
Tournament Team Leaders (as of Jul 15, 2010)
All games
SCORING OFFENSE G Pts Avg/G
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 470 78.3
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 369 73.8
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 512 73.1
Team Takeover................. 8 577 72.1
Team Final.................... 7 502 71.7
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 568 71.0
New York Gauchos.............. 5 353 70.6
Alabama Challenge............. 5 345 69.0
Georgia Stars................. 5 334 66.8
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 333 66.6
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 323 64.6
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 320 64.0
Playground Elite.............. 5 315 63.0
Metro Hawks................... 6 377 62.8
The Family.................... 5 310 62.0
BABC.......................... 6 372 62.0
Boo Williams.................. 6 370 61.7
Athletes First................ 5 299 59.8
Louisiana Select.............. 5 298 59.6
Mean Streets.................. 5 296 59.2
California Supreme............ 5 288 57.6
Albany City Rocks............. 5 285 57.0
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 279 55.8
Team Florida.................. 5 268 53.6
FIELD GOAL PCT FG ATT Pct
St. Louis Eagles.............. 214 427 .501
New Jersey Playaz............. 129 262 .492
Team Final.................... 189 384 .492
Mac Irvin Fire................ 125 256 .488
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 180 375 .480
Oakland Soldiers.............. 164 348 .471
Team Takeover................. 198 430 .460
Mean Streets.................. 108 248 .435
Metro Hawks................... 127 294 .432
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 117 275 .425
Alabama Challenge............. 122 290 .421
Athletes First................ 98 233 .421
Louisiana Select.............. 102 244 .418
Playground Elite.............. 114 285 .400
Boo Williams.................. 141 353 .399
The Family.................... 113 284 .398
Georgia Stars................. 118 297 .397
Each 1 Teach 1................ 116 296 .392
New York Gauchos.............. 130 332 .392
All-Ohio Red.................. 107 274 .391
BABC.......................... 124 353 .351
California Supreme............ 107 305 .351
Team Florida.................. 93 269 .346
Albany City Rocks............. 98 288 .340
3-POINT FIELD GOAL PCT 3FG ATT Pct
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 52 131 .397
New Jersey Playaz............. 32 84 .381
Mac Irvin Fire................ 33 88 .375
All-Ohio Red.................. 35 103 .340
Team Takeover................. 20 60 .333
Team Final.................... 33 100 .330
Mean Streets.................. 16 49 .327
Team Florida.................. 32 98 .327
Georgia Stars................. 30 93 .323
Athletes First................ 27 85 .318
Each 1 Teach 1................ 37 118 .314
St. Louis Eagles.............. 31 100 .310
Playground Elite.............. 21 68 .309
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 25 81 .309
Metro Hawks................... 21 71 .296
BABC.......................... 28 95 .295
New York Gauchos.............. 23 86 .267
Boo Williams.................. 24 90 .267
Alabama Challenge............. 20 75 .267
The Family.................... 16 61 .262
Oakland Soldiers.............. 21 82 .256
Louisiana Select.............. 14 57 .246
California Supreme............ 18 76 .237
Albany City Rocks............. 19 92 .207
FREE THROW PCT FT ATT Pct
Oakland Soldiers.............. 121 163 .742
Louisiana Select.............. 80 112 .714
BABC.......................... 96 136 .706
Georgia Stars................. 68 97 .701
Alabama Challenge............. 81 116 .698
Athletes First................ 76 109 .697
Team Takeover................. 161 232 .694
New Jersey Playaz............. 79 114 .693
California Supreme............ 56 81 .691
New York Gauchos.............. 70 103 .680
Each 1 Teach 1................ 64 95 .674
Albany City Rocks............. 70 104 .673
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 64 96 .667
The Family.................... 68 103 .660
Boo Williams.................. 64 98 .653
St. Louis Eagles.............. 109 169 .645
Team Florida.................. 50 78 .641
Mean Streets.................. 64 100 .640
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 100 160 .625
Team Final.................... 91 148 .615
Metro Hawks................... 102 167 .611
All-Ohio Red.................. 30 52 .577
Playground Elite.............. 66 117 .564
Mac Irvin Fire................ 37 85 .435
REBOUND AVERAGE G Reb Avg/G
Georgia Stars................. 5 233 46.6
The Family.................... 5 223 44.6
BABC.......................... 6 261 43.5
Playground Elite.............. 5 207 41.4
Albany City Rocks............. 5 205 41.0
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 322 40.2
Boo Williams.................. 6 239 39.8
Team Takeover................. 8 318 39.8
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 197 39.4
Metro Hawks................... 6 228 38.0
Alabama Challenge............. 5 188 37.6
California Supreme............ 5 186 37.2
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 222 37.0
Louisiana Select.............. 5 178 35.6
Mean Streets.................. 5 177 35.4
New York Gauchos.............. 5 177 35.4
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 246 35.1
Team Final.................... 7 241 34.4
Athletes First................ 5 171 34.2
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 167 33.4
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 166 33.2
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 159 31.8
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 152 30.4
Team Florida.................. 5 147 29.4
STEALS G No. S/G
Team Takeover................. 8 54 6.8
BABC.......................... 6 46 7.7
Team Final.................... 7 45 6.4
Boo Williams.................. 6 43 7.2
Metro Hawks................... 6 42 7.0
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 39 4.9
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 38 7.6
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 35 5.8
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 33 6.6
Georgia Stars................. 5 32 6.4
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 31 4.4
New York Gauchos.............. 5 30 6.0
Playground Elite.............. 5 29 5.8
Albany City Rocks............. 5 28 5.6
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 28 5.6
Mean Streets.................. 5 27 5.4
California Supreme............ 5 27 5.4
Athletes First................ 5 26 5.2
Louisiana Select.............. 5 26 5.2
Alabama Challenge............. 5 26 5.2
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 25 5.0
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 24 4.8
Team Florida.................. 5 23 4.6
The Family.................... 5 21 4.2
ASSISTS G No. A/G
Team Final.................... 7 98 14.0
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 86 12.3
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 77 9.6
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 72 14.4
Boo Williams.................. 6 64 10.7
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 64 10.7
Team Takeover................. 8 64 8.0
Georgia Stars................. 5 58 11.6
Mean Streets.................. 5 51 10.2
The Family.................... 5 49 9.8
BABC.......................... 6 48 8.0
Team Florida.................. 5 48 9.6
Albany City Rocks............. 5 47 9.4
California Supreme............ 5 46 9.2
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 46 9.2
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 43 8.6
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 41 8.2
Metro Hawks................... 6 41 6.8
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 39 7.8
Playground Elite.............. 5 37 7.4
Athletes First................ 5 37 7.4
Louisiana Select.............. 5 36 7.2
Alabama Challenge............. 5 33 6.6
New York Gauchos.............. 5 20 4.0
SCORING DEFENSE G Pts Avg/G
Mean Streets.................. 5 266 53.2
Team Takeover................. 8 464 58.0
The Family.................... 5 296 59.2
Georgia Stars................. 5 298 59.6
BABC.......................... 6 359 59.8
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 301 60.2
Louisiana Select.............. 5 302 60.4
Metro Hawks................... 6 366 61.0
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 312 62.4
Boo Williams.................. 6 375 62.5
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 516 64.5
Athletes First................ 5 327 65.4
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 327 65.4
Team Florida.................. 5 331 66.2
Playground Elite.............. 5 338 67.6
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 339 67.8
Team Final.................... 7 479 68.4
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 346 69.2
Albany City Rocks............. 5 348 69.6
Alabama Challenge............. 5 355 71.0
California Supreme............ 5 359 71.8
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 506 72.3
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 452 75.3
New York Gauchos.............. 5 401 80.2
FIELD GOAL PCT DEFENSE FG ATT Pct
The Family.................... 104 297 .350
Team Takeover................. 156 444 .351
Georgia Stars................. 105 297 .354
Mean Streets.................. 79 218 .362
BABC.......................... 135 343 .394
New Jersey Playaz............. 116 292 .397
Team Final.................... 173 433 .400
Each 1 Teach 1................ 119 293 .406
Boo Williams.................. 129 317 .407
Albany City Rocks............. 123 298 .413
Alabama Challenge............. 125 297 .421
Metro Hawks................... 126 294 .429
St. Louis Eagles.............. 181 422 .429
Mac Irvin Fire................ 105 242 .434
Oakland Soldiers.............. 172 390 .441
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 182 412 .442
Playground Elite.............. 121 270 .448
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 126 279 .452
Louisiana Select.............. 114 244 .467
Athletes First................ 119 250 .476
All-Ohio Red.................. 125 262 .477
California Supreme............ 131 271 .483
Team Florida.................. 126 253 .498
New York Gauchos.............. 142 284 .500
3-PT FLD GOAL PCT DEFENSE FG ATT Pct
Alabama Challenge............. 15 78 .192
The Family.................... 18 79 .228
BABC.......................... 19 82 .232
Boo Williams.................. 22 89 .247
Georgia Stars................. 28 107 .262
New Jersey Playaz............. 20 76 .263
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 15 56 .268
Oakland Soldiers.............. 24 86 .279
Playground Elite.............. 18 64 .281
Team Takeover................. 45 159 .283
Louisiana Select.............. 16 56 .286
Mac Irvin Fire................ 24 81 .296
California Supreme............ 21 70 .300
Athletes First................ 19 63 .302
St. Louis Eagles.............. 38 126 .302
Mean Streets.................. 19 62 .306
Each 1 Teach 1................ 31 93 .333
Team Florida.................. 28 82 .341
Metro Hawks................... 26 74 .351
Albany City Rocks............. 32 87 .368
Team Final.................... 48 130 .369
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 48 120 .400
New York Gauchos.............. 22 51 .431
All-Ohio Red.................. 32 72 .444
FREE THROW PCT DEFENSE FG ATT Pct
New Jersey Playaz............. 49 85 .576
All-Ohio Red.................. 45 77 .584
Louisiana Select.............. 58 98 .592
Metro Hawks................... 88 147 .599
BABC.......................... 70 113 .619
Team Florida.................. 51 82 .622
Oakland Soldiers.............. 84 135 .622
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 94 148 .635
Georgia Stars................. 60 94 .638
Athletes First................ 70 108 .648
California Supreme............ 76 117 .650
St. Louis Eagles.............. 116 178 .652
Team Final.................... 85 130 .654
Each 1 Teach 1................ 70 107 .654
Team Takeover................. 107 162 .660
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 79 116 .681
Playground Elite.............. 78 113 .690
New York Gauchos.............. 95 137 .693
Mac Irvin Fire................ 78 111 .703
Mean Streets.................. 89 126 .706
Albany City Rocks............. 70 99 .707
Alabama Challenge............. 90 127 .709
Boo Williams.................. 95 130 .731
The Family.................... 70 95 .737
REBOUND DEFENSE G Reb Avg/G
Mean Streets.................. 5 133 26.6
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 248 31.0
Louisiana Select.............. 5 160 32.0
Athletes First................ 5 167 33.4
Playground Elite.............. 5 168 33.6
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 175 35.0
Team Takeover................. 8 281 35.1
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 246 35.1
Metro Hawks................... 6 214 35.7
Team Florida.................. 5 182 36.4
California Supreme............ 5 186 37.2
Boo Williams.................. 6 224 37.3
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 187 37.4
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 190 38.0
Alabama Challenge............. 5 193 38.6
Team Final.................... 7 273 39.0
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 238 39.7
Georgia Stars................. 5 202 40.4
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 203 40.6
The Family.................... 5 207 41.4
New York Gauchos.............. 5 218 43.6
BABC.......................... 6 263 43.8
Albany City Rocks............. 5 224 44.8
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 228 45.6
BLOCKED SHOTS G No. Blk/G
Team Final.................... 7 40 5.7
BABC.......................... 6 38 6.3
Spiece Indy Heat.............. 7 37 5.3
Oakland Soldiers.............. 6 36 6.0
Team Takeover................. 8 35 4.4
The Family.................... 5 34 6.8
St. Louis Eagles.............. 8 30 3.8
Metro Hawks................... 6 28 4.7
Albany City Rocks............. 5 24 4.8
New Jersey Playaz............. 5 22 4.4
Boo Williams.................. 6 21 3.5
Alabama Challenge............. 5 21 4.2
Howard Pulley Panthe.......... 5 17 3.4
New York Gauchos.............. 5 16 3.2
Each 1 Teach 1................ 5 16 3.2
Mean Streets.................. 5 16 3.2
Playground Elite.............. 5 14 2.8
Georgia Stars................. 5 14 2.8
Louisiana Select.............. 5 13 2.6
All-Ohio Red.................. 5 12 2.4
California Supreme............ 5 12 2.4
Athletes First................ 5 11 2.2
Mac Irvin Fire................ 5 4 0.8
Team Florida.................. 5 2 0.4
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Team Takeover lost in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Peach Jam, but head coach Keith Stevens believes his squad should have won the whole thing.
A year later, his Washington, D.C.-based team went a perfect 8-0 en route to winning the inaugural Elite Youth Basketball League at the Nike Peach Jam with a 70-62 victory over the St. Louis Eagles.
The game was taped Thursday and shown nationally on ESPNU.
“It’s definitely a good experience being that it’s the first time that they ever had this particular league,” Stevens said. “To be able to accomplish something like this in such a short time was definitely a good experience.”
Junior point guard James Robinson went a perfect 10-of-10 from the line and finished with a team-high 24 points. Duke-bound wing Michael Gbinije added 19 points.
Florida commit Bradley Beal, who returned Monday night from Germany after being named MVP of the U17 world championship, scored a game-high 26 points for the Eagles with Gators coach Billy Donovan watching courtside.
The stock of several Team Takeover players is clearly on the rise.
Stevens said Notre Dame, Georgetown, Oklahoma, Virginia and Maryland are involved with the 6-3 Robinson out of DeMatha High.
“This kid has a chance to be special,” Stevens said. “This is his first year ever playing the point guard spot. He has to keep getting better and if he keeps works working hard he can be special.”
The 6-6 Gbinije was remarkably efficient, going 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line, giving Duke fans a glimpse of what he’ll bring to campus in 2011.
“He’s more than just a shooter,” Stevens said. “His jump shot was not working this weekend so he was really driving and finishing through contact.”
Another player to watch on Team Takeover is 6-9, 210-pound forward Mikael Hopkins of DeMatha, who has offers from Syracuse, Texas, Kansas, West Virginia, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Georgetown and Maryland.
Asked who was working the hardest, Stevens said, “Syracuse right now.”
(Syracuse has one scholarship left for 2011 and hopes to land either Hopkins, Rakeem Christmas or Anthony Davis.)
“[Hopkins] has a chance to be a a pro,” Stevens said.
“If he gets stonger and keeps working, he’ll have the opportunity to play at the highest level.”
Stevens said Hopkins will cut his list to five in August and then take official visits.
All 11 players on Team Takeover hold D-1 offers, Stevens said.
They will be the favorite to repeat next week at the Orlando Super Showcase.
And after winning the Peach Jam, that is the next goal for Team Takeover.
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Stevens said. “We were able to win it at the 16s and 17s [last year]. That’s been a goal, to try to win both of them again.”
