Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The 2013 AAU season wrapped up on Sunday, with college coaches getting a final chance to see high school prospects in a live game setting until the 2013-14 high school season begins. CoBL went to check out the Elevate Hoops Summer Final event down at Cabrini College, with three courts playing side-by-side all morning and into the afternoon:
Pair of Saints leads Team Final to 15U title
Neumann-Goretti has had more than its fair share of great guards in the last few seasons. If the way that Team Final’s 15Us season ended on Sunday is any indication, the next class is ready to step up and make its mark.
Zane Martin had a coming out party, scoring 21 points to lead Team Final to a 68-53 win over Philly Pride. His year-round teammate, Vaughn Covington, chipped in 11 as the two often found each other on the court.
Zane Martin, here during the Big Shots Team Final event in May, had 21 points on Sunday. (Photo: Josh Verlin)
“It really started last year with them playing AAU, but they’ve got a good chemistry going all year and it got better as the year went on,” said Vaughn Covington, Sr., who coaches the Team Final 15U squad. “They understand each other, they both like to play defense and I think Neumann-Goretti will have two great prospects for the next three years.”
Neither got much playing time last year in a crowded Neumann-Goretti backcourt that had then-senior Hanif Sutton, juniors Troy Harper and Ja’Quan Newton and sophomore Lamarr Kimble. Though Harper, Newton and Kimble–all future Division I players–are still sure to eat up a lot of minutes, there’s still room for Covington, Martin and incoming freshman Quade Green to earn time.
It’ll likely be 2014-15, when Harper and Newton have moved on, that the next crop will finally have its chance to shine. Covington, a 5-foot-11 point guard, has been recognized as one of the better young players in the area, even though he hasn’t been able to show much in the Catholic League just yet. If this game was any indication, he’s not the only one to keep an eye on over the next few years.
“Zane’s gotten really confident,” Covington, Sr. said about the 6-1, 180-pound shooting guard. “I’ve gotten the most out of Zane…before today I don’t know if many people knew about Zane Martin but after today I think some people will take notice because he’s got a Division I body.”
Also playing well for Team Final was Lamar Stevens (2016/Abington Friends), who finished with 18 points, while Marquis Collins (2016/Chester) added 11.
Philly Pride was led by Jabri McCall (2016/Martin Luther King) with 13 points, while DeAndre Hunter (2016/Friends Central) had 12 as the only other player in double figures.
The game served as the rubber match between the teams, as each had beaten the other in a tournament final earlier in the year.
“These guys knew it was a possibility of meeting Philly Pride, it was tied up 1-1 with the series,” Covington, Sr. said. “They came out hungry, I’m happy for them.”
Stephens, Jones finish off strong week for Roadrunners
When two teams from a similar geographic region with equal amounts of talent meet often, rivalries can form quickly. Even though the N.J. Roadrunners aren’t quite from Philadelphia, the fourth meeting with Team Final Blue–and second this tournament–certainly had some extra buzz on both benches in a game then Roadrunners ultimately took 51-37.
St. Andrew’s junior Myles Stephens (left) and the N.J. Roadrunners took home the Summer Final 16U title. (Photo: Josh Verlin)
“It was big, we’ve played them four times this year, we really wanted this win,” Roadrunners guard Myles Stephens (2015/St. Andrew’s) said. “We beat them three out of four times, it’s a little rivalry going on, we just wanted to come out here, play hard and get the win.”
Stephens capped off an impressive week with 14 points–he had 30 in a semifinal win over Team Final Black–but it was actually a Pennsylvania native, Cameron Jones (2015/Pennsbury), who led the team in scoring with 16 points in the final.
A 6-2 guard, Jones is a quality 3-point shooter but also got to the rim on a number of occasions, benefitting from Stephens drawing multiple defenders and finding a way to get himself open. The win was especially nice for Jones, whose teammate Derrick Brooks (2015/Pennsbury), a 6-8 forward, plays for Team Final Blue.
“I talked a little junk to him, before the game,” Jones said. “Obviously he was going to play a hard game, and it’s going to be a little different playing against your own teammate.”
Also finishing in double figures for the Roadrunners was Pierre Sarr (2015/Roselle Catholic), who added 11 points and some solid defense as well.
Levan Alston, Jr. (2015/The Haverford School) finished with 14 points after scoring 30 of his own in Team Final’s semifinal win; the 6-3 combo guard has also had a very impressive July. Point guards Nick Jones (2015/Archbishop Carroll) and Lamarr Kimble (2015/Neumann-Goretti) followed him up with eight points apiece; Team Final was without Tyus Battle (2016/Gill St. Bernard), one of the country’s top rising sophomores.