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Kyle Sandy's Notebook from the Super Regional

Jaylin Hyatt
11, Apr 2016

Kyle Sandy's Notebook from the Super Regional

Just three age groups (12U-14U) took the floor this weekend at Suwanee Sports Academy for the HoopSeen Super Regional, but there was no shortage of talent.

The 12U Division saw some familiar faces scorch the nets yet again. The East Point Runnin Rebels finished the tournament 1-3, but Jalen Carruth and Kobe Davis weren’t at fault. Carruth, a skilled and versatile post player with a nice touch inside who attends The Paideia School, netted 17 points in a loss against tournament runner-up Atlanta Xpress Whetstone. Carruth turned around and dropped 15 while Davis added 11 in a 46-43 loss to the Georgia Canes.

Who led the Canes? It was none other than Andre Young. The talented scoring guard got buckets, pouring in 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to rally the Canes after trailing 25-14 at the half. Young scored every way imaginable draining threes, attacking the rim and using the mid-range to keep the scorekeepers busy.

The 14U Division was a ton of fun to watch. They say there is more than one way to skin a cat. While that may be true, no cats where harmed this weekend at SSA but there were two different styles of point guards on display that found a way to get the job done in their own fashion. Joe Anderson of EOTO and Luke Stankavage of Team Heat Elite were standout guards. Anderson dazzled with his knack for making the game exciting. No-look passes and fancy dribbling made Anderson and EOTO must-see action. In EOTO’s 59-39 win over the Tennessee Rising Stars, Anderson buried four three-pointers in a row including a buzzer beater to turn a close game into a rout heading into the fourth quarter. He finished with 21 points and followed up his performance Sunday morning with another 21-point effort in an overtime loss to Elite Squad 2020.

Stankavage was more subtle in his dissection of defenses. His decision making shined throughout the weekend as Team Heat Elite’s lead guard, getting everyone involved while picking spots to fill it up. He scored a game-high 20 in a tournament opening 60-38 win over the GPI All-Stars and pitched in 12 points in a 40-point victory later in the day. On Sunday Stankavage was named 14U tournament MVP after Team Heat Elite defeated Team Rival for the title.

Team Strong’s Tyler Johnson and the South Carolina 76ers’ Jaylin Hyatt both shined in late game situations. Johnson helped Team Strong to an improbable 65-62 double overtime win against EOTO on Saturday, scoring all 20 of his points in the second half. Hyatt helped the 76ers erase a double digit fourth quarter deficit to stun Team Rival 46-42, ending the game on a 13-0 run. Hyatt banged home a three to give the 76ers the lead for good en route to an 18-point performance.

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