I made my way back to SSA for Day Two Of #BOTS excited about what I saw the day before. Here’s what Sunday had in store for me:

PSB Came To Play

I had a chance to see a couple PSB teams play on Sunday and I loved what I saw! I started the morning off with a matchup between PSB Chatt and Atlanta TapOut and it didn’t disappoint. Jacob Shockley, Brett Wright, and Ryan Lopez were all in double figures before halftime for PSB, but Atlanta TapOut managed to keep it close, heading into the half down only five. Jalen Lee would get it going after the break, scoring 14 of his 19 points in the second half. But, the team from Tennessee would prove to be too much down the stretch, with big men Shockley and Wright absolutely dominating in the paint. They’d finish with 22 and 25 points respectively.

PSB Chatt Elite (Dozier) also had a solid outing Sunday afternoon, getting 19 points from Paxton Davidson in their win over TNBA South (Fountain). Davidson hit five three’s and Kristian Shaw helped out with 14 points.

Metro Elite Has a Bright Future

I got to see both the Metro Elite Basketball Club’s 14U and 15U teams in action on Sunday as well. Henry Dowdell caught my eye on Saturday when he put up a tough 15pts against a solid 15U Atlanta Tapout team. Dowdell would be back for more on Sunday in their matchup with Stars Basketball (Nashville). He finished with 25 points in the loss. Ammarrion Jones lit it up Sunday afternoon in their matchup with TNBA South. He had 25 points on a very good defensive team.

The younger guys showed that they can score in bunches as well. Troy Washington had a tough 18 points in a 14U loss to Flame 2024. AJ Horton, who was impressive on Saturday, pitched in with 17 points. I think that if these guys continue to play and train together, they can all prove to be excellent at their positions. They’ve got to learn how to close games out and secure the win, but this will come! Keep an eye out for them. 

Great Matchup 

Star Ready Athletes picked up an extremely tough win over Shaqir O’Neal and the Georgia Express in the 17U division on Sunday. Zyhir Sims played well for Star Ready, causing a ton of matchup problems with his length and speed. He’d finish with 16 points but I was especially impressed by Adrian Bloodworth’s play at the point guard position. He managed the game with a ton of poise, always making the right plays, getting big buckets when necessary and facilitating to his teammates. He knocked in a few go ahead free throws down the stretch to finish with 21 points and give his team the one point win. Shaqir O’Neal still has a solid outing, ending the game with 16 points in the loss.