The US Amateur National Championships officially kicked off Thursday afternoon at Suwanee Sports Academy. There were a ton of games, very good competition, and a quite a few crazy finishes at each age group in the first day of action. I decided to check put a few games in each division. Here’s the best of what I saw:

17U: Sports Academy South 75, WNC Big Cats 68

Abba Wague and Jonathan McFall had it going early for WNC Big Cats in their 2:15 game against Sports Academy South. Wague hit 3 threes from deep to start the game and get the Big Cats rolling offensively. McFall put up 13 of his 23 points in the first half. His explosive first step got him past several defenders and he finished with some tough dunks. Sports Academy South also got big first halves from Isaiah Bauman and Deonatae Carter. Carter’s 13 points helped fuel a double-digit comeback for Sports Academy South. Bauman came alive late in the first half, attacking and finishing at the rim. Wague would cool off in the second half for WNC but Tomas Butkus picked up where he left off. The 6’3” point guard with a head full of steam could not be stopped on his way to the basket. Butkus spent most of the half at the free throw line where he secured 12 of his 24 points for the game. With the game tied at 60 late, WNC couldn’t come up with much scoring outside of McFall and Butkus.

15U: Team Strong 54, Tennessee Team Expo 32

In a very fast paced, up and down game, Team Strong made a conscious effort to score in transition. As a unit, they were very aggressive defensively, which led to deflections, steals, and easy baskets on the other end. Team Expo had a hard time competing with their speed and athleticism. Demetrius Glenn led the team with 8 first half points to give them a nine-point lead at the half. Charlie Browder, a 6’6” big man with great footwork kept the team from Tennessee in it with ten first half points. He finished with 15 points and a slew of rebounds. Browder showed some really nice post moves and if he stays in the gym, will be a very solid player out of Tennessee. Outside of Browder though, Team Expo had some trouble putting the ball in the basket and getting stops in the second half. Jarrett Boyd of Team Strong finished with 18 points to help his team cruise to a 54-32 win.

14U: Georgia Excel 46, Treasure Coast Titans 44

Georgia Excel and the Treasure Coast Titans were a very solid matchup in the 14U division. The team from Tampa started to pull away just before the half but the Excel had a quick run to pull within eight. In the second half, Bentley Fagan started to score the ball at will. He and David Thomas, who is still playing up an age group, were able to score enough to keep Excel within striking distance up until the very end. Fagan came up with two key baskets in the last minute to tie the game up at 44. With about ten seconds left, Excel got the stop they needed when Thomas came up with a huge block at the rim. Zaquavious Baker leaked out to the left side, caught a pinpoint pass, and without a dribble, finished across his body for the game-winning score and foul.

13U: Stampede 55, Motor City Thunder 49

Motor City Thunder and Stampede were deadlocked for almost the entirety of their matchup. Both teams matched up well on both ends of the floor and the game came down to the last few possessions, but Stampede came up with just a couple more score down the stretch. Kyron Platt, long and lanky, was able to use his athleticism to create shots for himself. He finished with nine points. Jermaine Gulley, a big body in the paint, was absolutely dominant on the boards for the Stampede and finished with 10 points. Motor City Thunder point-forward Donovan Williams made getting to the free throw line a habit. His matchup with Platt was certainly one to watch. Kyron Platt hit two free throws to give Stampede a 49-51 lead with 1:07 left to play. Down by four, Williams got a good look at a three with about thirty seconds left on the clock, but couldn’t connect. Williams ended the game with 18 points, but the free throw game played in the Stampede’s favor and they took home the win, 55-49. Malik Olafioye contributed 14 points including 4 three pointers.

11U: DCA 54, Treasure Coast Titans 53

In one of the best 11U games I’ve ever seen, DCA 2024 needed the last 4.1 seconds of play to seal a win over the Treasure Coast Titans. DCA held a ten-point lead at halftime thanks to 13 points from Johnathan Echols, but found itself in a battle in the second half. Kirshawn Baggett of Treasure Coast poured in 12 of his 20 points when the Titans needed it most, in the second half. Tony Colebrook Jr. also pulled his weight, contributing 12 points. The Titans had the game all but sealed with 4 seconds left on the clock and the ball underneath their own basket. The in-bounder threw the ball backcourt where Jonathan Echols used his speed and strength to corral it and take it in for the easy game-winning score. He finished with 18 points in a very impressive performance for DCA.