Congratulations to the Houston Boyz on their first National championship in almost 20 years. We can now officially remove the label off of them as the best team to never have won a National title. I will leave it up to debate who is now the best team to not win a title, but Domenators come to mind. Congratulations are also in order to the Jibs who showed that they can play at a Championship level even though everyone is a little older.
The A division tournament overall proved to be quite interesting in that no team went undefeated. There were some very close games and some key upset along the way.
Houston Boyz (5-1)- To say that Apurva put together the most balanced and deepest team in the tournament is an understatement. As we look at the roster, every key player was either a 1st team or MVP in a national tournament. This team could of split in two and each would have been at least an elite 8 team. The Boyz physically manhandled teams and dominated the boards throughout the tournament.
Houston Jibs (5-1)- The Addition of Dave from the Detroit team gave them a 1-2 punch with Bharrat but like the Jibs teams of the past, their guards were the key to their championship run. Sunny and Jimmy played as well as any guard tandem in the tournament.
California Boyz (2-2)- There were serious considerations for Goose for MVP because he almost took a shorthanded Boyz team to the finals. His shocking game winner against the Untouchables in the elite 8 and clutch performances throughout the tournament put the Boyz in a position to vie for the championship again. The Boyz are the definition of veteran team that hangs around with savvy until the opportunity arrives and they pounce.
Dallas Blaze(4-1)- Their second straight Final 4 appearance and the best young team in Texas right now. They are still learning to win and how to finish games but I believe in time they will be as solid of a team as any in IPB. The Jibs were fortunate to get by them in the semi-finals and I am sure Blaze learned a lot from that game.
Dallas Bandits (2-1)- We started to see the decline of this team in Chicago as they looked out of shape and not in sync all tournament. Only a year removed from a Finals appearance without their best player, the Bandits have yet to adjust to having their star back. Just how low the team needs to fall before it realizes that it can't just show up and expect to win will determine when and if they will ever return to another final 4.
OKC United (2-2)- Their tough win against Showtime showed that these kids are not that far from being a legitimate contender but do they have the size and/or experience to take the next step. That questions can only be answered as we watch them grow together and compete in more tournaments.
Chicago Untouchables/Select (3-1)- They lost a game in which they were up as much as 20 points on a last second shot by the California Boyz. They have tremendous players but just need to learn to play together and learn to finish games. Starting with Chicago, this team is starting all over learning how to finish games and when they do, they will be a tough draw for any team.
Houston IMC (2-2)- The key to IMC is that they must get their opponent to play into their style which is shoot jumpers and try to run with them. If both those conditions are not met, then eventually their size and half court offense will catch up to them. This team is very similar to FAY but without the playmakers that FAY has.
Houston Team Red (1-2)- Shocked the California Bad Boyz in bracket play but could not carry that momentum through to the playoffs. Red was missing key players that eventually led to their Saturday afternoon Exit
Atlanta/Tenn. Dirty South (0-3)- With players from North Carolina, Atlanta, and Tenn., it takes time to build chemistry and get into a groove. Dirty south never got into a comfort zone and was hammered in all three games that they played in.
Dallas Southern Smoke (1-2)-One game they are rolling their opponents, then the next, they are getting pounced upon. That type of inconsistent play led to a disappointing tournament for Southern Smoke. In their defense, they lost many key players to other teams but they will be the first to tell you that they have to play at a more consistent level.
Seattle Devastation (0-3)-They were one of the more disappointing teams in the tournament. They came to a national tournament undermanned and learned a hard lesson. I expect Seattle to come back next year with their entire team and erase the memories of this year.
Dallas Showtime (1-2)- From last year's champion to being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. They do not have one of the best players and leaders in IPB in JB, but we all expected more from Showtime. What we will remember about this tournament is Showtime took a forfeit that dropped them in the rankings and put them head to head with a hot OKC United team. IF they could do it all over again, they might have gone for the win and the better matchup.
Texas Elite (0-3)- Trying to get players from Dallas and Houston to come together over the weekend is difficult and Texas Elite found out the hard way. To their credit, they battled in every game, but lack of chemistry was clear in all their games.
Texas Hold Em Up (1-2)- If Dallas and Houston was tough, how about Oklahoma and Texas. The same held true for Hold Em up as they tried in vain to have some form of sync in their games. Sometimes we under appreciate the value of chemistry when it comes to forming a team.
Overall, the A tournament came down to the three experienced teams and one lone up and coming team. In the end experience won out as the Boyz and Jibs battled toe to toe. Eventually, the Boyz wore out the Jibs during a critical stage when Dave went out with a cut finger and had to be attended to. Once again, congrats to the Boyz and all the teams that attended the tournament. I hope that all of you had a great time and will come back again.
