The Storm is Over by Zach Smart To paraphrase Michael Moore, the scruffy-faced, cow-sized huckster, “was it all a dream?” While the thought of George W. Bush winning the election and serving eight chaotic years is Halloween-scary (and the results certainly speak for themselves), this was a new ground-breaking catastrophe. […]

Joe Brown Memorial Tournament – Player Evaluations by Phil Kasiecki TEANECK, N.J. – A number of teams headed about an hour away from the Summer Classic East to the second annual Joe Brown Memorial Tournament, run by the Playaz Basketball Club. The event was re-named last year in honor a […]

Summer Classic East Recap by Phil Kasiecki LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The month of July is a busy one for many, and that includes the Hoop Group. Just last week, they ran their recently re-branded Hoop Group Elite Camp, followed by a team camp. Friday and Saturday was their latest event, […]

The Mount a Surprise Success in 2008 by Zach Smart The road to success is not straight. It’s one of the more popular chestnuts of the King James Bible. In the Northeast Conference, a topsy-turvy, up-for-grabs league that’s about as predictable as the next Britney Spears meltdown, the axiom has […]

A Great Field For Hoop Mountain Super Week II by Phil Kasiecki EASTON, Mass. – The month of July is upon us, and that means camps are in full swing at first. Team tournaments follow, but we start with camps, and that included Hoop Mountain’s Super Week II, held at […]

How They Fared Before July by Phil Kasiecki The spring travel team season has come and gone. One thing that made this year decidedly different for me was that much more time was spent near the home area than in past years. The entire month of May featured events run […]

St. Patrick’s Wins Hoop Group High School Showcase by Ray Floriani NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – In March St. Patrick’s season ended at the hands of eventual Tournament of Champions titlist and nationally top-ranked St. Anthony’s. The Celtics gave no indication of looking back or lamenting as they more recently captured […]

Team Boston Elite Invitational Recap by Phil Kasiecki BOSTON – The Team Boston Elite Invitational was held this weekend at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury. Not many team tournaments are held at this time of the spring, as events like the NBA Players Top 100 and […]

Officiating Helps Former Player See the Game Differently by Ray Floriani BAYONNE, N.J. – The assignment chart gave a familiar name. It was May and this city bordering Jersey City and Staten Island was hosting a big AAU tournament. On the Sunday list of games just before my scheduled times […]

Rumble in the Bronx Quarterfinal Notes by Matthew Moll BRONX, N.Y. – Before the Rumble in the Bronx turned into a literal rumble, a few players from one of the quarterfinal games stood out. Playaz Brian Oliver, Oak Hill Academy – At times Oliver was the best athlete on the […]