WE KNOW BASKETBALL

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:28:21 +0000

ELITE Players Celebrate ALL STAR NIGHT

SPRING AAU PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

*Classes of 2014 and 2016 (16U and 14U-National) qualify for AAU National Tournament in Orlando Florida.

*Class of 2017 (13U-National) qualifies for AAU National Tournament in Memphis Tennessee.

*Class of 2018 (12U-National) qualifies for AAU National Tournament in Hampton Virginia.

*Class of 2019 (11u-National) attend Massachusetts AAU Final Four and qualifies for AAU National Tournament in Coco Beach Florida.

*LATEST PROGRAM UPDATES*

Week 10 – Spring AAU and Skills/Drills Schedules

ELITE AAU Basketball Teams Have OUTSTANDING Weekend at RI Hawks and Boston Warriors Spring Tournaments and Mothers Day Classic Tournament!

Mass Elite teams enjoyed much success at the RI Hawks Spring Tournament in Bristol RI, Warriors Shootout in Boston and the annual Mothers Day Classic in Beverly. Highlights include -

12U National-Invitational team had another productive weekend and is making a big name for itself in the New England AAU Circuit! Recent highlights from the team included a strong showing at the NEAAU Super Regional tournament, BASKETBULL New England Championships in Connecticut and a 3-1 performance at the AAU State Tournament, earning the team a bid for the AAU National Tournament this July in Hampton Virginia. The team has been led by Mitchell Doherty (Boxborough), Joe Smith (Wakefield), Cam Dunning (Upton), Chris Matthews (Newton), Charlie Senor (Wakefield), Max Hinchey (Wakefield), Carmine Rogato (Billerica), Mickey Ricard (Billerica) and Colin Kelley (Billerica).

13U National-Invitational teams went a combined 7-0 defeating tough teams such as the RI Hawks and Middlesex Magic. One of the top highlights of the weekend was a double overtime victory against the RI Hawks! Standout performers for the weekend included - Thomas Dulski (Manchester), Connor Deganhardt (Westford), Matt Foutter (Lexington), Alex Frawley (Billerica), Calvin Whipple (Leominster), Ryan Veguilla (Middleton), Noah Gray (Gardner) and Matt Wallace (Billerica).

14U National-Invitational team had a 2-1 record at the RI Hawks tournament and has continued to show some vast improvements. Standout performers for the weekend included – Shane Dawson (Groton), Luke Davidson (Acton), Cole Royer (Billerica) and Jackson Latimer (Topsfield).

15U and 16U National-Invitational teams combined for a 6-2 record at the RI Hawks Tournament playing against some of New England’s top programs. ELITE’s High School program continues to make a big name for itself this Spring season with many top prospects participating on our teams!

11u T. Pappas team is a on a serious roll, winning their last 7 games and going undefeated at the Warriors Shootout in Boston! Defesne has been led by Nick Pappas (Peabody), Stephen Dwyer (Lynnfield), Jack Bacon (Reading) and Matt Jandresevits (Peabody) while the offensive attack has been led by Zach Balley (Peabody) and Brian McGunigle (Wakefield).

10U Sanders team had a nice weekend of basketball at the Mothers Day Classic at Beverly High School. Standout players included Nick Perrotta (Wakefield) and Griffen Ancevic (Manchester).

9U Leavitt squad went 2-1 on the weekend as the young fellas continue to have a productive season of hoops! Aiden Callahan (Rowley) and Aiden Deedy (Billerica) were standout performers throughout the weekend.

13U Dettorre team went 2-1 at the RI Hawks Spring Tournament, defeating both BV Chaos and the RI Hawks.

12U Monteneri squad has another undefeated weekend with two big wins against VBC – both of which were 20+ point victories. Standouts included Michael Cocca (Wilmington), Jared Mason (Tewksbury), John Ciampa (Tewksbury) and Yean Owen (Lowell).

12U Inglis team defeated VBC with a game winning layup with only 7.6 seconds left in regulation at the Mothers Day Classic, the team continuing to improve each week.

PLAYER PROFILE: Andre Braga Provides FULL EFFORT Every Time He’s On Floor

Andre Braga (Winchester) a 7th grader, joined the ELITE AAU National program in the Spring of 2011 and has quickly elevated himself as one of the most “special players” in the entire ELITE program. Standing at nearly 5″10, Andrew plays much bigger then his height. A strong and thick build, good leaping ability and quickness help Andre make up for whatever he may lack in height. A good offensive rebounder, Andre can dribble well enough to play a small wing position where he attacks the basket well and can also fit an open outside jump shot with some regularity. Andre’s long arms make him a very difficult defender and his versatility allow him to defend both guards and forwards. Andre’s contributions “off the court” though are what really sets him apart from other kids his age. Andre leads both on/off the court by example and brings an energy and leadership to his teammates that is rarely seen in 7th grade student athletes.

This Summer, Andre will be competing in the 7th Grade AAU National Tournament in Memphis Tennessee with his other Mass Elite teammates. So far this season Andre’s team has compiled a 20-4 record and has made a name for itself as one of the best 7th grade teams in all of New England. Andre through his solid contributions has and will continue to be a major contributor to his team as they prepare for their summer schedule.

Past Player Spotlights Include - Matt D’Amato (Peabody), Alex Frawley (Billerica), Michael O’Keefe (Wakefield), Will Batchelder (Newburyport)

HoopRootz Covers Mass Elite’s Annual Middle School All Star Game

HoopRootz had a lot of positive things to say about many of the middle school players in the Mass Elite Basketball program. Covering our annual Middle School All Star Game, HoopRootz was impressed with the overall high talent level of our ELITE and hard working young student athletes.

Alex Frawley ’17 (Billerica)- After playing more of a combo-forward role when we first saw him in February, on Friday night, Frawley showed as a long, attacking guard who uses the bounce to get to the rack from the perimeter and finish. Frawley also filled it up from long-range with his pure shooting stroke.

Calvin Whipple ’17 (Leominster)- Lengthy swing-man with a real knack for being in the right place at the right time to score the ball from inside and out. Efficient playmaker with the ball in his hands. Hustle rebounder who earns his share of boards on both ends.

DJ Frechette ’17 (Nashua NH) - Sharp-shooting guard lit it up from beyond-the-arc. Moves well without the ball to get himself good looks at the hoop from long-range.

Reilly Anderson ’16 (Beverly) - Skilled wide-body big-man with a soft-touch and a nice arsenal of post moves on the block. Handles the ball well and does a nice job of distributing the basketball to teammates for scoring opportunities.

Michael DeMartinis ’17 (Burlington) – On Friday night, DeMartinis stepped into the back-court and facilitated for his teammates. Handles the rock with finger-step control and throws precise passes to streaking teammates in transition.

Noah Gray ’17 (Gardner) – Tenacious forward continues to develop his perimeter skill-set; scored the ball throughout attacking the basket from the mid-range while also showcasing a ripening shooting stroke and hitting the boards hard on both ends.

Ryan Veguilla ’17 (Middleton) – High-IQ south-paw combo-guard who sees the whole court and looks to advance the ball up the court with the pass. Knock-down 3-point shooter who spaces the floor.

Tucker Impemba ’16 (Burlington) – Athletic big-man voluminously rebounded the rock in the paint and served as the anchor for his squad on the defensive end; challenging shots and calling out defensive rotations.

Matt D’Amato ’17 (Peabody) – Triple-threat guard with a versatile back-court game. Uses the bounce to get where he wants and scores the ball from the inside and out. Nice shooting stroke and fills it up with range.

Mass Elite’s Hoopster Mania Tournament a Huge Success

This past weekend Mass Elite Basketball was the official sponsor of ELITE Hoopster Mania! In total 60+ teams attended the weekend tournament – these including highly respectable programs such as Mass Elite Basketball, Boston Warriors, RI Hawks, Mass Intensity Basketball Club, Kingston Thunder, NH Gladiators, Fidelity House and many others!

Program Highlights from the Hoopster Mania Tournament Included

*15U National-Tobin team went undefeated for the weekend – including a standout performance by Jonathan Lafleur (Billerica) who hit the game tying shot (with 1 second left in regulation) and game winning free throw to defeat the Kingston Thunder. Other top performers included Brandon Bouthilette (Billerica), Kris Demartinis (Burlington) and Jimmy Macrae (Woburn).

*13U National-Polli team went 3-0 against some very good competition, including games against the RI Hawks, Central Mass Swarm and Shooting Stars. Ryan Veguilla (Middleton) and Michael Demartinis (Burlington) had excellent weekends.

*A 3-0 performance by the 11U T. Pappas team. The boys won all of their games by 10+ points!

*Big wins by the 13U Melanson and 13U Dettorre teams. Top performers from the teams included Zach Price (Wakefield), Benjam Clark (Wakefield), Alex McKenna (Wakefield), Fernando Lamin (Burlington) and Will Melanson (Burlington).

*Undefeated weekend for the 11U National-Kane squad. Sean Hurley (Burlington), Billy Whelan (Hamilton), and Billy O’Keefe (Wakefield) were standout performers for the weekend.

AAU Teams – Mass Elite and Lightning Making Big Strides in New England Hoop Circuit!

Mass Elite and Lightning teams enjoyed productive weekends at some of New England’s most popular and well respected AAU tournaments – these including 5th/7th Grade AAU State Tournaments, Metro West Madness Tournament and the NH Spartans Spring Kick-Off Tournament.

Highlights of the weekend included -

*A combined 7-5 record at the AAU State Tournament for our 5th and 7th grade National teams. Standout performers included – Zach Mickle (Billerica), Brett Ross (Melrose), Billy Whelan (Hamilton), Billy O’Keefe (Wakefield), Noah Gray (Gardner), Mike Demartinis (Burlington), D.J. Frechette (Nashua NH) and Calvin Whipple (Leominster).

*Another awesome performance from the 4th grade National team who dominated all of their games at the NH Spartans Spring Kick-Off. Thus far the 4th grade youngsters have only 1 loss on the season. Standout performances by Jeff Goguen (Billerica) and Ian Taliaferro (Manchester).

*15U Pernini team went undefeated at the Spartans Spring Kick Off. Standout players included – Paul Terrazano (Peabody), James DiBenedetto (Topsfield) and Louis Spaziani (Wakefield).

*14U Coughlin team had a very respectable weekend at the Metro West Madness Tournament – going 2-1 against strong competition. Adam Goldstein (North Reading) had a big game against the Boston Warriors. Adam’s high intensity effort led him to 6-steals, 4-assists and 12-points! The team effort in that game could not have been better and was proven by a 30 point win! Another noticable effort for the weekend was performed by Mark Murphy (Peabody) who racked up 27 points and 24 rebounds for the three games! Great job Mark! Mike Nestor (Danvers) was a monster on the boards with 28 rebounds for the weekend and the excellent guard play of Justin Dorosh (North Reading), Kyle Coughlin (Beverly) and Spencer Low (Topsfield) totaled 77-points and 23-rebounds! Pat Riley (North Reading), Jake Rutstein (Boxford) and Christian McKenna (Danvers) rounded out the intense team effort! G

*12U Monteneri team went 3 – 0 in this weekends Metro West Madness tournament winning all three game by a margin of 15+. Key players were John Ciampa (Tewksbury), Brendan Winn (Tewksbury) and Marcus Dupree (Peabody).

*13U Pesantes team went a combined 2-1 at the Metro West Madness Tournament defeating some tough teams – including the Shooting Stars and North Central Blaze. Standout performances by Cameron Walter (Boxford), Dante Egizi (Beverly), Daniel Harrigan (Burlington), Millyan Phillips (Winchester) and Aaron Giangrande (North Reading).

3rd/4th Graders from Mass Elite Play on the Parquet Floor at Boston Garden!

Congratulations to the young men from our 3rd and 4th grade Winter/Spring teams for being invited to play at halftime of the Boston Celtics last regular season game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The boys dazzled the crowd with their outstanding play – scoring well in transition and shooting well from the outside. Following the game the boys got a post game pep talk from Coach Willie May and also met popular sportswriter Jackie Macmullan who raved of how well the boys played. Thanks goes out to Coach Leavitt for working to coordinate this special night for the ELITE young men in our program!

ELITE AAU Basketball Joins as “FAMILY” at the BASKETBULL Hall of Fame Showcase

Players from our 6th and 7th grade National AAU teams participated in the popular BASKETBULL Hall of Fame Showcase Tournament held at locations in Hartford CT. Considered one of the highest level tournaments in the entire North East, Mass Elite AAU teams compiled a record over .500 – the highlight of the weekend being our 12U National team going 3-1 before losing a heartbreaking game in the semi-finals. During the weekend Mass Elite teams had the opportunity to compete against nationally ranked teams, these including CBC, East Coast Elite, CT Elite and Team-Expressions

In between tournament games many of the families from our program attended the NAISMITH MEMORIAL Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield MA. Members of our basketball family got full access to the facility – seeing many of the facilities top class exhibits and also had the opportunity to participate in a free throw shooting contest on the parquet floor. Special congrats goes out to Thomas Dulski (Class of 2017-Manchester) for finishing in second place in the competition!

April Vacation Camp A BIG HIT with ELITE Basketball Players

Coaches Sean Connolly and John Dullea from St. Johns Prep in Danvers provided local players a fun experience last week at our programs first annual “Prep-Up” April Vacation Camp held at Danvers Indoor Sports Complex. Campers throughout the week participated in instructional drills, basketball conditioning exercises, competitions,, competitive games and more!

ELITE AAU Teams Productive at NEAAU Super Regionals, Warriors Shootout and Run N’ Gun Showdown

Mass Elite AAU teams enjoyed productive weekends at many of New England’s most popular and well respected weekend tournaments.

13U National Invitational (White) team had a good weekend at the NEAAU Super Regionals, going 3-1 and advancing to the Quarter Finals of “Gold Bracket Play”. The team had a dominating weekend against teams such as the NE Storm, Boston Spartans and Bay State Jaguars. Players that impressed included – Noah Gray (Gardner), Ryan Veguilla (Middleton), D.J. Frechette (Nashua NH) and Michael Demartinis (Burlington).

12U National Invitational team finished 2-2 and advanced to “Gold Bracket Play” at the NEAAU Super Regionals defeating talented teas such as MYCW and the Cape Cod Express. Players to impress included Carmine Rogato (Billerica), Michell Doherty (Boxborough) Justin Pramas (Dracut) and Joe Smith (Wakefield).

12U Griffin team went 3-0 to win the championship at the Boston Warriors Spring Shootout tournament. Strong play was shown by the entire team – including Zach Perez (Reading), Jared Marshall (Reading), Matt Gillis (Wakefield) and Razzy Keusseyan (Arlington).

13U Perkins team went 3-0 at the Boston Warriors Spring Shootout tournament, winning the championship in their respective division. Players that impressed included Tyler Mickle (Billerica), Lucas Florilo (Billerica), Micah MacKinnon (Beverly) and Cam Macrae (Newburyport).

9U Leavitt went 2-1 at the Warriors Spring Shootout. Aiden Deady (Billerica), Randy Leavitt (Woburn), Ryan Buxton (Georgetown) and Aiden Callahan (Rowley).

14U Cooper went 2-0 at the Run N’ Gun Showdown in the North Shore. Strong contributions by all, these including Tom O’Hare (Salem), Owen Brewster (Peabody), Dimitri Pissios (Peabody), Bobby Piccolo (Tewksbury) and Josh Thompson (Tewksbury).

ELITE 7th Grade Teams Win NH Spartans Easter Weekend Showcase Tournament

Congratulations to both of our National-Invitational 7th grade teams for winning both divisional tournament championships at the NH Spartans Showcase Tournament. In total our 7th grade teams went a combined 7-0 – defeating teams such as the NH Spartans, CT Defenders and MB Nation. Throughout the entire weekend fans, opposing coaches and referees spoke in high regard of the high talent level and strong sportsmanship of our student-athletes. Players that had standout performances throughout the weekend included – Noah Gray (Gardner), Mike Demartinis (Burlington), Kyle Cortese (Billerica), Connor Deganhardt (Westford), Anthony Eldridge (North Reading), Jonathan Glidden (Westford) and Thomas Dulski (Manchester).

ELITE AAU Celebrates 5 Tournaments Championships and 7 Finals Appearances at Boston Warriors Shootout and Kingston Thunder Tip-Off Tournaments!

ELITE AAU Teams had a hugely successful weekends at the Boston Warriors Shootout in Boston/Waltham and the Kingston Thunder Tip-Off in Kingston MA – winning tournament championships.

16U National-Invitational Team – Kingston Thunder Tournament Champions

13U National-Invitational Team – Boston Warriors Shootout Tournament Finalists

13U Regional-Dettorre – Kingston Thunder Tournament Champions

12U National-Invitational Team – Kingston Thunder Tournament Finalists

12U Regional-Griffin – Kingston Thunder Tournament Champions

11U National-Invitational Team – Kingston Thunder Tournament Champions

10U National-Invitational Team – Kingston Thunder Tournament Champions

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED

*16U National team had big wins against the Hoop Squad (Portland, ME), Weymouth Sharks, Bridgewater Blazers and Cape Cod Crossover. In the championship game against The Crossover - Mickey Lyons (Burlington, 18 points and 7 rebounds) was on fire early, with 15 first half points, staking Mass Elite to an early lead, going up by as many as 13 in the first half. The Crossover battled back though, cutting the deficit to four at the half, 37-33. The spread of the game never rose above 6 in the back and forth second half. Down four with 4 minutes to play, point guard Cesar Fulcar (Watertown, 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) took the game over, scoring continuously down the stretch by getting into the lane and finishing in traffic. Forwards Devonte Holloway (East Boston – 16 pts, 11 rebounds), and Nick Baltayan (Billerica- 8 points, 8 rebounds) also made their presence felt in the paint for Mass Elite, as they finished the weekend as KSC Thunder Tip-Off Champions. Throughout the weekend, Mass Elite also received substantial contributions from Trevon Betts (Weymouth), John Roop (Arlington), Sean Lovett (West Newbury), Zack Sabri (Salem), and Joe Fontaine (Chelmsford).

*13U Dettorre team played some great basketball - earning their way to a 4-0 record and a tournament championship. They played well in all facets, passing, shooting and defense. They defeated KSC Thunder, East Bridgewater Vikings and Cape Cod Express.

*12U Griffin team had an undefeated record – going 4-0 against some very strong teams from the South Shore. Some key players included - Ernie Brand (Woburn), Marvin Baptist (Billerica) and Stephen Wallace (Malden).

*11U National team went 3-1 to win a tournament championship. Some key players included – Zach Mickle (Billerica), Matt Solecki (North Reading) and Michael Carroll (Essex).

*10U National team went a demanding 3-0 – winning all of their games by a margin of 15+ points. Comprised of the best 9 and 10 year old players throughout Eastern Massachusetts, the boys had had everyone at the Kingston Sports Center talking about their flawless play and strong execution.

*13U National team lost a tough one in the finals at the Boston Warriors Spring Shootout, although they did make quite a statement during the weekend beating up on teams (NE Storm, Evolution and Bay State Jaguars) by margins of 40+ points. In a nail-biter finals game against the Boston Warriors highest level 7th grade team – Michael Demartinis (Burlington) demonstrated why he is one of the best 7th grade prospects in all of New England. Other key players included Noah Gray (Gardner), D.J. Frechette (Nahsua NH) and Ryan Veguilla (Middleton)

*12U National team won their first 2 games handily against KSC Thunder and East Bridgewater Vikings. They combined great defense and tenacity as they tried to develop some chemistry in their first games together. Some key plays by Carmine Rogato (Billerica), Mitchell Doherty (Boxborough) and Joe Smith (Wakefield).

Spring AAU Tournament Season Officially Begins with Championship Victory

Tournament action got underway for some of our teams this past weekend – teams participated at New Hampshire Hoop Fest held at locations in and around NH at University of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Christian Academy and Pinkerton Academy.

Congratulations to one of our National-Invitational 7th Grade Teams for winning the tournament – going a demanding 4-0 against some good teams from New Hampshire. We are very proud of the hardworking and talented young men from the 7th grade team – these being Daniel Kim (Arlington), Lionel Walker (Everett), Matt D’Amato (Peabody), Moisse Irizarry (Peabody), Jordan McAfee (Peabody), Matt Foutter (Lexington), Thomas Dulski (Manchester), Connor Deganhardt (Westford), Eric Jacobson (Westford), Jonathan Glidden (Westford), Alex Copeland (Beverly) and Anthony Eldridge (North Reading).

Other highlights from the weekend included a strong 2-1 performance by the 14U Regional team coached by Mitch Coughlin. Their excellent team play along with strong individual contributions created a mix that was hard to stop! Adam Goldstein (North Reading), Kyle Coughlin (Beverly) and Justin Dorosh (North Reading) strong point guard play fed sharpshooters Christian McKenna (Danvers), Greg LeBlanc (Peabody), and Spencer Low (Topsfield). Mark Murphy (Peabody), Jake Rutstein (Boxford), Mike Nestor (Danvers) and Pat Riley (North Reading) were monsters on the boards controlling the glass.

Mass Elite AAU Basketball Club