JaVale McGee Flint City Pro-Am Week 2 Recap

Tempers flared as the stakes increased at the JaVale McGee Pro-Am, and players left it all on the court. Week 2 of the JaVale McGee Pro-Am was jam-packed with teams scoring 100 points in regulation, superstar alley-oops, 40-point games, technical fouls, and more competitive battles. Two undefeated teams were entering week 2 (Ball Hogs & Team McGee): did either of them keep their streak alive?

Ball Hogs: 3-1

After going 2-0 in Week 1, Ball Hogs dropped to 3-1 after a tough loss to Overseas Elite (75-77) on Saturday. This loss featured many uncharacteristic turnovers down the stretch.

They bounced back in a big way on Sunday. Tate MacKenzie was a man amongst boys in the paint, and he finished with 13 points. His running mate Ryan Montgomery joined him in the front court as they dominated on the glass like the Spur's twin towers. 

The strong guard play continued. Nate Brown was sizzling from 3 on Sunday, draining four threes in a 20-point effort. Quan Coleman averaged 21.5 points this weekend. Vern Nash consistently dashes to the rim, and newcomer Juwan Maxey, formerly of Macomb College, showed why he was one of the top scorers in Monarchs history. Ball Hogs is shaping out to be one of the best teams. 

Gym Rats: 0-4

Yusuf Jihad has been a staple for the Gym Rats. He's been a bully around the basket. From the stands, you can hear him demanding the ball and actually making teams pay when his teammates honor his demand. 

Jihad got buckets both days, averaging over 15 points per game this weekend. The 6-foot-8 big can stretch the floor, as he shot 38% from deep last season at Eastern Michigan. 

The Marbles were back in action: Devyn dropped another 30 bomb over a double team. Whenever he'd take a dribble into the three-point line, Overseas Elite threw an extra defender at him on Sunday. That was a tough loss as Gym Rats were bested 82-84 by the defending champs. Phoenix Marble led their comeback effort as he made a pair of difficult sidestep jumpers.

Hamo Law Firm: 1-3

The youngest team in the league had their experience tested in week 2. Some players stepped up even while the team fell short twice this weekend. 

Justin Smith made his season debut on Saturday. He's a big guard who plays winning basketball. He was one of the best Flint players from a talented 2018 class. Over the weekend, Smith played a lot of point guard while Colby Wiggins was off the ball more.

Wiggins was scorching hot as a shooting guard. The swingman drained 11 threes in two games. Time after time, Wiggins found creases in the defense and positioned himself to get open. Last weekend, he was on the ball making high-IQ reads, while this weekend was the polar opposite. Versatile players become increasingly valuable at these higher levels. 

The more I see Jay Bill, the more I like him. He's capable of hitting a triple and delivering a brutal drop step on the next possession. The Bill and Aijalon Williams two-big rotation will pay dividends. 

Overseas elite: 3-1

Whenever you hear coach Kevin Tiggs Sr. yelling  "bye-bye," you know that Robert Lee is about to obliterate you. He may blow by you, hesi pull in your face, or back you down to get to his patented post fade. All of his tricks were on full display against Gym Rats on Sunday. By virtue of and 1s, threes, and anyway you can imagine, Lee poured in a weekend-high 43 points. 

Lee and Carmelo Harris showed why Overseas Elite is the defending champs. Melo's knack for stepping up in big games derailed the Gym Rats down the stretch. Gym Rats would make a run and get a tiny glimpse of momentum, all for Harris to sink huge trey balls and extend Overseas Elite lead. 

Kevin Tiggs Jr. had another solid weekend overall. His long arms aid him in getting clean wraparound steals. He's a lefty but is an accurate right-handed finisher. On Sunday, he went to his offhand on the fast break more often than not. The defending champs moved to 3-1. They're still dangerous and look like they're finding their groove. 

Prime 810: 0-4

Scoring 108 points in a loss is crazy work. Especially when you consider that game didn't go into overtime. That happened to Prime 810 in their matchup with team Bridges on Saturday (108-115). There were so many buckets to be had in that one. Prime 810 had two 30-point scorers in the 7-point loss. 

Teon Armstrong (37 points) is a complete package as a scoring guard. His shutter step freezes opponents as he zooms to the paint. Armstrong is a giant slayer when he gets daylight to the rim. He's taking on all comers.

Antonio Davis (30 points) got off again, showing various ways to kill a defense. Muhammad Zoure is the type of big who races up the floor for easy layups. He's a big man who hustles and crashes the glass on every possession. Zoure finished with 16 points in Prime's 72-88 loss to Ball Hogs on Sunday. Prime will turn this ship around; there's too much talent on the roster for them not to. 

Small Guard: 3-1

Small Guard was one of the preseason favorites to win it all. Those projections were never out of reach. This team could have a different leading scorer in every game between Malik and Mehki Ellison. 

The younger Ellison, Mehki, is the storied Mott Community College's all-time leading scorer. It's not hard to see how he accomplished this feat when you witness how easy he makes scoring the rock appear. He constantly pulls up with left or right-hand jumpers. That type of wrinkle in your arsenal is a game-changer. Ellison led the way on Sunday with 27 points, five triples and a W. 

The offense is firing on all cylinders, as Small Guard scored at least 90 points in both games. Malik Ellison controlled the games, throwing magical dots in only the way a wizard could. He leads teammates to the rim with these filthy dimes.  Jake Van Tubbergen, who made his season debut Sunday, was on the receiving end of a ton of these passes.

Tubbergen is a pro, and that's very apparent when he's off the ball. He was a tier-one cutter. If the defense went to sleep for a half-second, he was already behind them, laying the ball up off these Ellison dimes. Small Guard sits at 3-1 after racking up two victories on this 4th of July weekend. I cannot wait until they match up with our next team. 

Team Bridges: 3-1

It's never over until the clock hits 0.0, not a second earlier. Team Bridges knows this oh too well. After an NBA-All-Star-like 115-108 win over Prime 810 on Saturday, Team Bridges found themselves in a dogfight on Sunday. 

Team McGee was walking all over Team Bridges until Team Bridges walked them down. Team McGee was up double digits in the fourth quarter, and the change was made. \

Team Bridges is full of supercharged athletes like Jalen Terry, Keyon Menifield, and Terry Armstrong, so running a full-court press seems effective on paper. That's what they did to Team McGee, and it flustered them. Team Bridges rallied, scoring 13 unanswered points to regain the lead.

Jalen Terry was a massive reason the full-court press was successful. On the back line, the Eastern Michigan guard used his springy legs and go-go gadget arms to deflect lobs in two on one situations. Terry converted on three 3s and led Team Bridges with 22 points in their comeback dub. Ju Dozier was pivotal in the comeback. He's a showtime scorer who yanked ankles before dropping four threes in the Sunday win. 

Terry Armstrong abused the rim all weekend as if he were holding a grudge. We saw Armstrong sit in a chair and lock in on one-on-one defensive assignments too. Menifield is the league's leading scorer, making 32 and 20 points look effortless on Saturday and Sunday. Da'Seon Nelson made this block and dunk look effortless, too, as he shut the gym down with 'Stick Talk' blasting through the speakers. 

Team McGee: 3-1

Team McGee got their 0 snatched, but it was different from Eroll Spence Jr., who got his taken by Terence Bud Crawford. Team McGee lost to a stacked team, Team Bridges, but they showed they could compete with a squad like this with some minor adjustments. Team McGee was leading for most of this game. The rematch will be one of the history books.

Get familiar with Ty Hamilton if you aren't. He plays joyous basketball. He plays with contagious happiness. You can visibly see it having a positive effect on his teammates. Hamilton has one of the tightest handles in the gym. When he hesis then goes into a double cross, not many players are staying in front of him. He averaged the loudest 13.5 points you'll see this weekend. Fun player to watch. 

Davion "Bone" Boleware was efficient in his season debut. He's a rugged big guard who plays with Charles Barkley's physicality. Bone can shoot it and rise vertically to rock the rim. Najashi Tolefree, who got the first technical foul of the season Saturday, set up for a charge Sunday. He was rewarded the charge, and I was astonished. Some guys aren't taking charges in real games, let alone Pro-Ams, so that's commendable, Mr. Tolefree. The Milwaukee native dropped 17 points in Team McGee's 79-59 victory over Hamo Law Firm on Saturday. 

3-1 isn't so bad in a loaded league like this. Team McGee is proving itself to be one of the big players who has a shot at taking home the crown next month. Week 2 was for the books. I hope you are in attendance next weekend; there's no telling who's pulling up next.