Sunday, May 1, 2011

Wrapping up the event

Well, that's all we have from this outstanding facility in Merrillville, Ind.

Thanks to all of you for following the 2011 Eric Gordon All-Stars Classic on-line this weekend.  I certainly hope the blog was worthwhile and would be happy to hear any feedback you may have.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank our on-site hosts -- Pat Mullin from EG10 (and his staff), Brian Stinnette from ChicagoHoops.com (and his staff) and John Stroia from The Fieldhouse (and his staff). 

In addition, a sincere thank you to Los Angeles Clippers star Eric Gordon and his entire family for their support of AAU Basketball and these three outstanding teams.

Approximately 65 teams competed at five different age levels in this two-day affair and attendance for the weekend was well over 1,000.

The EG10 program combined for a 12-1 record in the first-ever event.  That included a 5-0 record by the 17Us, 5-0 mark by the 16Us and two wins in three tries for the 15Us.

Please be sure to check http://www.ericgordonallstars.com/ throughout the spring and summer for updates on upcoming events.  There will be multiple opportunities to see these terrific players in the Indianapolis area.

For all concerned, this is Matt Segal signing off from The Fieldhouse.  Hope to see everyone down the road!  Until then, go EG10!

17Us leave Merrillville with hardware too

The Eric Gordon 17-and-under All-Stars captured the first-ever EG All-Stars Classic on Sunday in Merrillville with a convincing 90-54 victory over Team Derrick Rose in the tournament finale.

Kokomo's D.J. Balentine led all scorers against the Chicago-based opponent with 24 points.  Warren Central's Brent Calhoun added 14 points in the squad's fifth consecutive win, while the North Central duo of Ronnie Johnson and Patrick Ingram tossed in 10 points apiece.

In addition to Balentine, Calhoun, Johnson and Ingram, congratulations to team members Adam Botts (Muncie Central), Dylan Langkabel (Morristown), Nick Osborne (Muncie Central) and Joe Reed (Center Grove).

The EG10 17-and-under team was coached by Pat Mullin.  His assistants were 1968 Indiana Mr. Basketball Billy Shepherd and Matt Lacy.

16Us win tournament championship

The Eric Gordon 16-and-under All-Stars captured the first-ever EG All-Stars Classic on Sunday in Merrillville with a 74-64 win over the Northern Illinois Basketball Academy in the tournament finale.

No additional information is available for this game as individual scoring was not kept.

Congratulations to team members V.J. Beachem (Fort Wayne Harding), Devin Davis (Warren Central), Devin Dixon (Cathedral), David Hill (Cathedral), Zak Irvin (Hamilton Southeastern), Darius Latham (North Central), Basil Smotherman (Heritage Christian) and Zavier Turner (Pike).

The EG10 16-and-under squad was coached by Ryan Owens.  His assistants were Nick Reich, Jason Gardner, Matt Green and Candace Quinn. 

Reich won a 1A state championship as head coach of Indianapolis Metropolitan in 2011.  Gardner was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 1999 after leading North Central to a 4A state championship.

17Us clobber Better Basketball Game

The Eric Gordon 17-and-under All-Stars raced out to an early 30-point lead and never looked back en route to an 88-40 thumping of Better Basketball Game in the tournament semifinals on Sunday afternoon.

The win improved EG10's overall tournament record to 10-1, including 4-0 marks by both the 16- and 17-year-olds.  Those teams will play in their respective tourney championship games at approximately 3 p.m. CT.

Five Eric Gordon All-Stars cracked double figures in the 17U semifinals vs. their Chicago-based foe.  North Central's Ronnie Johnson, a 5-foot-10 guard, paced the seniors-to-be with 16 points.

NC's Patrick Ingram (15), Kokomo's D.J. Balentine (12), Morristown's Dylan Langkabel (12) and Muncie Central's Nick Osborne (10) also joined the 10-point club.

16Us move on to championship tilt

The Eric Gordon All-Stars tallied a 68-60 victory over Team Derrick Rose on Sunday afternoon in the semifinals of the 16-and-under tournament.

No additional information is available for this game as individual scoring was not kept.

EG10's middle-aged squad moves on to the championship tilt of the 2011 Eric Gordon All-Stars Classic.  Tip off is set for approximately 3 p.m. CT.

17Us open Sunday with another scoring spree

The Eric Gordon 17-and-under All-Stars kept their tournament scoring average above 80 points by rolling to an 81-65 victory over Ajay's Elite on Sunday morning in their first single-elimination tournament contest.

D.J. Balentine (17 points), a 6-foot-1 guard from Kokomo, led five players in double figures for the Indianapolis-based AAU program.

Morristown's Dylan Langkabel (16), North Central's Patrick Ingram (15), NC's Ronnie Johnson (14) and Warren Central's Brent Calhoun (10) also reached the 10-point plateau for the seniors-to-be.

The Eric Gordon 17Us move on to the "gold" tournament semifinals at 12:40 p.m. CT.

Davis lifts 16Us to 47-44 comeback win

Warren Central's Devin Davis poured in a game-high 19 points and the Eric Gordon 16-and-under All-Stars rallied to notch a 47-44 comeback win over the Illinois Warriors on Sunday morning in the opening round of bracket play at The Fieldhouse.

Davis was the only Eric Gordon All-Star to record double-figure points, but all eight players from the winning team found their way into the scoring column.

The affair was closely contested throughout with neither team leading by more than eight points.  The Warriors maintained an edge until midway through the second half when EG10 took over.

The 16Us are back in action at 12:40 p.m. CT in the "gold" bracket semifinals.

15Us suffer first EG10 defeat

The Eric Gordon 15-and-under All-Stars suffered a 65-63 defeat to Team Derrick Rose on Sunday morning in the opening round of bracket play at The Fieldhouse in Merrillville.

Evansville Bosse's Jaquan Lyle tallied 19 points in the heartbreaking loss to one of Chicago's most-talented squads, while Greensburg's Sean Sellers collected 16 and North Central's Perry Poindexter managed 10.

The Eric Gordon All-Stars are now 6-1 overall in this weekend's tournament.  The 15Us finish with two victories and one defeat.

The EG10 16Us and 17Us are still alive.  Recaps coming soon...

Day 2 is underway from The Fieldhouse

Good morning to those in the Central Time Zone and good afternoon to everyone in the Eastern Time Zone.  We're back at The Fieldhouse in Merrillville for Day 2 of the 2011 Eric Gordon All-Stars Classic.

All three EG10 teams are competing for tourney championships today, so be sure to visit the blog often.  Like the NCAA Tournament, it's win and advance or lose and go home.  In most scenarios, it will take three victories in the single-elimination bracket to bring home the hardware.

I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out in my first AAU Tournament of the season.  The fans are rolling in by the hundreds.  The shoes are squeaking, the whistles are blowing and the popcorn smells good.  Enjoying six games at once from a first-class facility is a good way to spend the first day of May.

Game results coming within the hour.  Stay tuned for more...

Saturday, April 30, 2011

That's all for today

Thanks again for following the Eric Gordon All-Stars blog today.  Join me for exciting single-elimination tournament action tomorrow as all three EG10 teams look to capture championships.

It's now time to relax and enjoy my 30th birthday.  Have a great night everyone!

17Us finish off perfect day in Merrillville

The goal coming in was six wins in six opportunities.  The end result turned out to be just that.

North Central's Patrick Ingram tossed in another 19 points and the Eric Gordon 17-and-under All-Stars rolled to a 76-47 victory over the Illinois Crush on Saturday night at The Fieldhouse.

The decision gave the Eric Gordon All-Stars 2-0 marks in all three divisions -- 15U, 16U and 17U.  It also means all three EG10 squads will compete in the "gold" brackets in the tourney's final round on Sunday.

Ingram was supported in the nightcap by Muncie Central's Adam Botts and Kokomo's D.J. Balentine, who notched 11 points apiece.

North Central duo lifts 17Us to tourney-opening win

The North Central duo of Patrick Ingram and Ronnie Johnson combined for 37 points in their tournament opener on Saturday afternoon at The Fieldhouse as the 17-and-under Eric Gordon All-Stars cruised to an 84-58 win over the Student Athletes.

Ingram led all scorers in the contest with 21 points, while Johnson and Center Grove's Joe Reed contributed 16 points apiece.  Those three EG10 standouts came within five points of their entire foe from Chicago.

The seniors-to-be led by 20+ in the first half and padded the cushion to 30+ on multiple occasions in the second half.

EG10 squads keep beating Illinois foes

The Eric Gordon 16-and-under All-Stars turned in a 73-60 victory over the Illinois Crush (blue) just a few hours later to make it four wins in four tries against squads from the Prairie State.

The outcome of this contest was never truly in jeopardy despite the lead being trimmed to single digits on multiple occasions in the second half.

Hamilton Southeastern's Zak Irvin, a 6-foot-5 forward, led a balanced scoring attack for the juniors-to-be with 16 points.

Pike's Zavier Turner added 15 points in the win, while Fort Wayne Harding's V.J. Beachem (11) and North Central's Darius Latham (10) also cracked double figures.

By virtue of winning its pool, EG10's middle-aged team will move on to the "gold" single-elimination bracket on Sunday back at The Fieldhouse.  The 16Us are set to battle the Illinois Warriors at 10:20 a.m. CT, with games at approximately 12:40 p.m. and 3 p.m. if they continue to win.

16Us open with 26-point win

The Eric Gordon 16-and-under All-Stars registered a 74-48 win over Illinois Sports Official in their tournament opener on Saturday afternoon at The Fieldhouse in Merrillville.

Warren Central's Devin Davis, a 6-foot-6 forward, tallied EG10's first 20-point effort of the tournament with six markers in the first half and 14 more after intermission.

North Central's Darius Latham contributed 13 points in the lopsided win, while Pike's Zavier Turner tossed in 11 and Heritage Christian's Basil Smotherman added 10.

15Us make it 2-for-2 with 74-47 victory

The Eric Gordon 15-and-under All-Stars made it a 2-for-2 day just hours later by posting a 74-47 victory over Old Gold.

Greensburg's Sean Sellers, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward, notched top scoring honors with 19 points. 

Bryant McIntosh from New Castle (11), Khalil Rasheed from Radcliff, Ky. (11) and Perry Poindexter from North Central (10) also managed double figures for the sophomores-to-be.

By virtue of winning its pool, EG10's youngest squad will move on to the "gold" single-elimination bracket on Sunday back at The Fieldhouse.  The 15Us are set to face Team Derrick Rose at 9:10 a.m. CT, with games at approximately 11:30 a.m. and 1:50 p.m. if they continue to win.

I didn't forget about you!

Thanks to you those of you who have been checking out the Eric Gordon All-Stars blog throughout the day.  I didn't forget about you the past seven hours.  Just got stuck working the ticket booth here in Merrillville.  I'll get everyone caught up within the hour.  Stay tuned for recaps of several more EG10 victories! :)

15Us roll to 72-40 win in tournament opener

The Eric Gordon 15-and-under All-Stars rolled to a 72-40 win over the Illinois Crush (blue) in their tournament opener on Saturday afternoon at The Fieldhouse in Merrillville. 

EG10's youngest of three squads opened up a 20-point advantage midway through the first half and never looked back in the victory over its foe from the south suburbs of Chicago.

North Central's Perry Poindexter, a 6-foot-7 forward, led all EG10 sophomores-to-be with 18 points.  Evansville Bosse's Jaquan Lyle and New Castle's Bryant McIntosh added 12 points apiece, while Greensburg's Sean Sellers finished with 11.

The 15U team returns to action on Saturday at 1:50 p.m. CT when it squares off with Old Gold from the Windy City.

Greetings from Merrillville!

Greetings to all of you basketball fans!  This is Matt Segal and I'm on site with the Eric Gordon All-Stars this weekend at "The Fieldhouse" in Merrillville, Ind.

This two-day event, the first-ever Eric Gordon All-Star Classic, should be a dandy.  Lots of talented teams and Division I prospects will be on display for the fans, college coaches and media to enjoy.  All three of the EG10 teams -- 15U, 16U and 17U -- are participating.

The 15-year-olds are up first at 11:30 a.m. CT when they are scheduled to battle the Illinois Crush (blue).  Stay tuned for updates...