By Frank Burlison, Nothing But Net Magazine Senior Writer
The Memphis-based and Under Armour-fronted Team Thad took care of some serious business at the Las Vegas Fab 48 in the 17-under Invitation Division on the final weekend of July.
After going 3-zip in pool play, Team Thad – led by point guard Tyler Harris from Cordova (Memphis, TN) who was ultimately the division’s Most Outstanding Player – cruised in the first three rounds of bracket play, against Chicago MeanStreets, 72-63, then Team AJ Price of New York, 81-57, and also Southern California’s Coastal Elite, 84-5.
Things got a bit dicey in the semifinals against SoCal’s West Coast Elite, led by one of the event’s best players in forward Riley Battin, before Team Thad scraped by, the 2016 division champion, 62-58.
In the final, the opponent was the New York-based and Nike-fronted New York Renaissance, which earlier on Sunday’s final day of play toppled New Jersey foe Team Rio and its dynamic 2019 duo of Scottie Lewis and Bryan Antoine, 76-72, and Under Armour foe and Ohio-based C2K Elite, 81-79.
Led by one of the nation’s best (if still mildly underrated) guard prospects in Luther Muhammad, and one of the best from the Class of 2019 in the East in Bryce Wills, Team Ren stayed within a few jump shots of the lead until Team Thad put sneaker heel on the figurative pedal and prevailed, 77-61. Harris scored 18 points but Team Thad was led Tavin Logan’s 24 points.
In the 16-under Invitation Division Team Takeover (Greenbelt, MD) held off B Maze (Knoxville, TN), 65-55, despite the dazzling 30-point effort of Jaden Springer.
Other championship winners were Lakeshow (17 Diamond), Union Toronto (17 Platinum), Pro Skills Sports Academy (17 Gold) and Wisconsin Playground Warriors (15 Invitation).
The most compelling of the bracket matchups in the first round had New Heights of New York edge Big Red of Southern California with all players from Mater Dei (Santa Ana (CA), 72-69. The game featured a showdown between the two most gifted 7-footers in the Class of 2018.
Mater Dei’s Bol Bol, who played in just one pool contest after arriving late because of summer school, went for 21 points and three 3s to go with four rebounds and five blocked shots. Meanwhile, New Heights’ Moses Brown had 14 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Mater Dei’s Harvard-bound point guard, Spencer Freedman, had 14 points and six assists and 2019 elite forward Precious Achiuwa had 17 points, six rebounds and three assists for New Heights.
LAS VEGAS FAB 48 TOP 20 UPPERCLASSMEN (alphabetical order)
Justin Ahrens, 6’5”, 2018, C2K Elite, Versailles (OH)
Chris Austin, 6’3”, 2018, Rockfish, Maranatha Pasadena (CA)
Riley Battin, 6’8”, 2018, West Coast Elite, Oak Park (CA)
Darius Bazley, 6’9”, 2018, Meanstreets 17U, Princeton (Cincinnati, OH)
Moses Brown, 7’1”, 2018, New Heights, Archbishop Molloy (Queens, NY)
Bol Bol, 7’2”, 2018, Big Red 17U, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Michael Devoe, 6’4”, 2018, Nike South Beach, Montverde Academy (FL)
Devonaire Doutrive, 6’5”, 2018, Team Pro Skills Academy, Birmingham (Van Nuys, CA)
Spencer Freedman, 6’0”, 2018, Big Red 17U, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Bryce Hamilton, 6’4”, 2018, Belmont Shore, Pasadena (CA)
Tyler Harris, 5’10”, 2018, Team Thad, Cordova (Memphis, TN)
Louis King, 6’7”, 2018, Team Final, Hudson Catholic (Roselle, NJ)
Jordan McCabe, 5’11’, 2018, Playground Warriors, Kaukauna (Weinstein, WI)
Caleb McConnell, 6’5”, 2018, C2K Elite 18, Dunbar (Dayton, OH)
Joel Mensah, 6’9”, 2018, Coastal Elite, JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
Luther Muhammad, 6’3”, 2018, Team Renaissance, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, NJ)
Miles Norris, 6’9”, 2018, West Coast Elite, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH)
Anfernee Simons, 6’4”, 2018, Team Breakdown, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Emmitt Williams, 6’7”, 2018, E1T1 17, Oak Ridge (Orlando, FL)
Robert Woodard II, 6’5”, 2018, Team Thad, Columbus (MS)
LAS VEGAS FAB 48 TOP 15 UNDERCLASSMEN (alphabetical order)
Precious Achiuwa, 6’8”, 2019, New Heights, St. Benedict’s (Newark, NJ)
Bryan Antoine, 6’6”, 2019, Team Rio 17, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ)
Scottie Barnes, 6’7”, 2019, Nike Team Florida, University (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Vernon Carey, 6’9”, 2019, Nike Team Florida, University (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Josh Green, 6’5”, 2019, West Coast Elite, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Scottie Lewis 6’5”, 2019, Team Rio 17, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ)
Tre Mann, 6’2”, 2019, E1T1 16s, Charter (The Villages, FL)
Nico Mannion, 6’0”, 2020, West Coast Elite, Pinnacle (Scottsdale, AZ)
Matthew Morsell, 6’3”, 2019, Team Takeover 16 Black, St. John’s (Washington, DC)
Jaden Springer, 6’3”, 2020, B. Maze Elite, Rock River (Charlotte, NC)
Cassius Stanley, 6’5”, 2019, West Coast Elite, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
Jalen Suggs, 6’4”, 2020, Grassroots Sizzle 17U/, Mendota Heights (MN)
Jaime Jaquez, 6’5”, 2019, The Truth 16s, Camarillo (CA)
Jalen Johnson, 6’5”, 2020, Wisconsin Playground Warriors 15U, Sun Prairie (WI)
Terrance Williams II, 6’7”, 2020, Team Takeover 16 Black, Gonzaga Prep (Wash, DC)
LAS VEGAS FAB 48 AWARD WINNERS
Most Outstanding Players: Tyler Harris, Luther Muhammad, Riley Battin
Top Scorers: Louis King, Robert Woodard II, Jaden Springer
Top Rebounders: Riley Battin, Moses Brown, Javian Fleming
Top Playmakers: Tyler Harris, Spencer Freedman, Nico Mannion
Top Defenders: Scottie Lewis, Luther Muhammad, Bol Bol
Most Versatile: Darius Bazley, Precious Achiuwa, Scottie Barnes
Biggest Surprises: Caleb McConnell, Michael Feinberg, Tavin Logan
