Best Travel Teams Of the 07-08 Year

Although you will have to subscribe to our newsletters (To your right) to get our full rankings, such as players and team, we still feel like we should give you a little taste of what a subscriber gets at Best of the Best Scouting. Therefore, we will give you a profile, on 3 random top travel teams from each shoe companies stable (adidas, Reebok, and NIKE) this year. Now, these aren't our top 3 teams, just a preview. Hopefully this encourages you to subscribe!


New England Playaz
Program Director-TJ Gassnola
Affiliation-adidas
Top Players-Erik Murphy 2009 6'10 PF Southborough, MA/St. Marks FLORIDA, Nate Lubick 2010 CF Southborough, MA/St. Marks, Jason Morris 2010 6'5 Wing Hephzibah, GA/Hotchkiss School (CT), Austin Carroll 2009 6'3 SG Worcester, MA/Academy, Jordan Williams 2009 6'8 PF Torrington, CT/High, Nadir Tharpe 2011 5'10 PG Worcester, MA/Brewster Academy (NH)
Tourney Results-Won adidas Take 5 (Not Platinum Division), Runner Up at Providence JamFest (Silver) Final 8 at adidas Super 64
Key Wins-Atlanta Celtics, DC Assault, New York Panthers, KC Pump N Run
Key Looses-Juice All-Stars, Team Expressions Elite, BABC, Franchize All-Stars
(Word on the street is Carroll and Williams will both reclass into 2010 and be back with the Playaz next year.)

Mac Irvin Fire
Program Director-Nick/Mac Irvin
Affiliation-NIKE
Top Players-Mike Shaw 2011 6'8 CF Chicago, IL/DeLaSalle, Crandall Head 2010 6'5 Wing Chicago, IL/Crane, Terry Johnson 2009 6'1 CG Chicago, IL/St. Rita, Chris Colvin 2009 6'2 PG Chicago, IL/Whitney Young
Tourney Results-Champs at Spiece Run N Slam, Desert Duel Memorial, Chicago Summer Classic. Final Four at NIKE Main Event in Las Vegas.
Key Wins-Atlanta Celtics, Spiece Indy Heat, BeachBall Select
Key Looses-Rising Stars, California Supreme
(Will be even better next year as Shaw and Head, both top 15 players in their classes are back, and another Top 15-20 Wayne Blackshear 2011 6'5 Chicago, Curie and a Top 25-30 Sam Thompson 2011 6'6 Chicago/Whitney Young will also be on the 17s. They will most likely be the best team in the country next year.)

DC Triple Threat
Program Director-Keith Stevens
Affiliation-Reebok
Top Players-Chris Braswell 2009 6'9 PF Chatham, VA/Hargrave, Maurice Creek 2009 6'5 SG Chatham, VA/Hargrave INDIANA
Tourney Results- Final 4 at RBK Summer Championships, Runner-Up at Create or Finish Classic
Key Wins-Nashville Celtics, Franchize All-Stars
Key Looses- Team Breakdown, D-One Sports
(Should be talented again next year, as its 16s finished 2nd at Bob Gibbons, to rival DC Assault)

NOTE- Although we didn't profile them, the hands down best summer PROGRAM in the country is DC Assault. No other program is stacked top to bottom like them, they have high majors on their 2nd teams. The most talented 17u team this year also was Boo Williams. With BWSL I don't even have to name players, just think about this, players that came off their bench are committed to Duke, Clemson, and Virginia.