Garden Grove, CA – The adidas Nations event tipped off yesterday at the Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove, CA. Five international teams and four teams of the top USA players in the 2015 and 2016 classes are participating. In addition there are four teams selected from the 30 college counselors also participating. The college counselors are some of the top returning college players for the 2014-15 season.
The international teams are from Africa, Canada, Asia Pacific (players from Australia and New Zealand), Latin America (players from Brazil, Colombia and Puerto Rico) and Europe (players from the Canarias Basketball Academy – Spain). The USA teams were dominant as they won all three of their games in the first day of competition. USA 2015-Howard easily defeated Canada 84-61, USA 2016-Wall topped Europe 74-62 and USA 2016-Lillard ran past Africa 81-52. The Asia Pacific team had no problem with Latin America in their 82-54 win. USA 2015-Rose had a bye today.
6’7 Jaylen Brown led Team Howard over Canada with 19 points and seven rebounds. 6’11 Chase Jeter, the top 2015 recruit added 13 points and eight boards while 6’8 power forward Shawntrez Davis also scored 13. Cushing Academy’s Jalen Adams was solid at point for the Americans hitting his only three shots while being credited with three assists. Canada was led by 13 points from 6’6 Dillon Brooks of Findlay Prep and Joseph Chartouny, a 6’4 guard from Quebec.
USA 2016-Wall won the closest game of the day beating a solid European team from the Canarias Basketball Academy. 6’4 Rawle Alkins from Christ the King in New York City led the winners with 15 points and five rebounds. 6’7 Maverick Rowan added 14 points. Mouhamed Thiam, a 6’8 forward from Senegal who scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Serguy Prymiak (6’8, Ukraine),16 points and three assists led Europe.
7’0 Thon Maker led Team Lillard over Africa with 16 points and six rebounds. Maker is developing some nice moves with the ball and was solid at the charity stripe hitting 8-of-11 attempts. 6’8 Mario Kegler added 13 points. The Americans forced Africa into 27 turnovers. 6’4 PG Renathan Ona Embo (RD Congo) led Africa with 18 points and three assists but took 21 shots. 6’9 center Cheickna Dembele (Mali) grabbed nine rebounds.
The Asia Pacific team outclassed Latin America with five players scoring in double-figures. 6’1 point guard Tad Dulfelmeier (10 points, six assists) was solid running the offense while 6’7 Deng Adel (12 points, four rebounds) showed a variety of skills. 6’3 off guard Gabe Hadely (12 points with two threes), Will McDowell-White (11 points) and 6’8 Keanu Pinder (11) also scored in double-figures. Pinder will attend junior college after not qualifying at Nebraska. 6’5 Wesley Alves da Silva (Brazil) led Latin America with 14 points.
In the college counselor games UCLA’s Norman Powell (18 points, eight rebounds), Austin Nichols of Memphis (14 points), Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky (12points, nine rebounds), E.C. Matthews (Rhode Island – 12 points), Nebraska’s Terran Petteway (12 points, three blocks) and Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell (11 points) all had good games.
Thanks to adidas for most of the photos. You can subscribe to our RSS feed from the upper right corner of our home page, follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
Any international players interested in coming to the USA to play in college, prep school or high school can contact us here. We are looking for interns and sales associates. If you’re interested contact us and forward your resume.