JEFFERSON 5 KENNEDY 4

PLEASE NOTE - DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES WE WERE UNABLE TO SAVE AND REPORT SOME OF THE HALF INNINGS - THANKS

IN THE TOP OF THE THIRD

Nolan Johnson flew out to left and then Paul Hallgren got out he hit it to the second baseman and he got thrown out at first base. Joey Millpointer flew out to right field and Nolan Jones got throw out at first.


IN THE TOP OF THE FOURTH

In the top of the fourth Andrew Rynda flew out to the second baseman. Jermy Batten got a hit. Arron Ruff got a hit. AJ Sirro struck out. Matt Voldness got thrown out at first. In the middle of the fourth it is Bloomington Jefferson 2 and Bloomington Kennedy 1.


BOTTOM OF THE 4TH

In the bottom of the 4th inning Kevin Haram struck out. Then Andy Sunder grounded out second to first base. Nolan Walker struck out.


IN THE TOP OF THE 5TH INNING

In the top of the 5th inning Matt Kruser got a hit to left field. Nolan Johnson got a hit. Paul Haugen got on base because of a sac hit. Joey Millpointer struck out. Andrew Rynda flew out to the first baseman.


IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 5th INNING

Nick Bassamore flew out. Then Joey Millpointer struck out and then Mike Brummer grounded out.

IN THE TOP OF THE 6TH INNING

Jefferson Jeremy Batten got a hit then stole second Aaron Ruff got a hit to center and Jeremy Batten scored on the play. AJ Siro got a sac bunt. Matt Voldness got a hit. Matt Kruger got a double. Nolan Johnson walked. Paul Hallgren got out.

In the middle of the 6th inning the score is Bloomington Jefferson 5 and Bloomington Kennedy 1

BOTTOM OF THE 6TH INNING

Matt Santiago got a home run over the left field fence. Mike Houst flew out to left center field. Josh Gist walked. Kevin Haram walked. There was a pitching change for Bloomington Jefferson Andy Rynda left and was replaced by Mike Brummer. Andy Sunder walked to load the bases for Kennedy. Scott Opatz singled. Nick Bassamore hit to center field and Tyler Lindblom scored. Evan Aber grounded out to the second baseman.

Bloomington Jefferson 5 Bloomington Kennedy 4 after 6 complete innings.

TOP OF THE 7TH INNING

Joey Millpoint flew out to center field. Connor Cline struck out. Jeremy Batten struck out.

BOTTOM OF THE 7TH INNING

Kennedy’s Mark Hanson flew out to the short stop. Matt Santiugo flew out to 2nd base. Mike Houst struck out.

The final score is Jefferson 5 and Kennedy 4

THE TOP OF THE FIRST INNING

In the top of the first inning AJ Sirro hit a solo home run to lead off the game. Matt Voldness got out Connor Cline got a hit. Paul Haugren soled second. Conner Cline scored on a throwing error. 2-0

SECTION 6 CLASS AAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT FRIDAY COVERAGE

Tonight I am at Breamar Park in Bloomington in the first game it is the battle of Bloomington with the first game between Bloomington Kennedy and Bloomington Jefferson. In the second game it is Minneapolis Southwest vs. Wayzata.

MIKE MACDONALD SITS DOWN AND ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT RECENT KNEE SERGERY

Mike MacDonald is going to college at St. Scholastica in Duluth Minnesota. He is also on the University’s basketball team. I had the chance to ask Mike Mac Donald a couple of questions about his knee surgery that he recently had.

Steven: Hello Mike, how are you doing? I am hearing that you just had another round of knee surgery?
What did you have done this time and how many knee surgeries have you had?

Mike is in the blue.

Mike: Yes, I have had both knees operated on now. The doctor told me that the MRI's of my knees were like mirror images. My knees have been giving me trouble since my freshmen year of college, so it's good to finally get them taken care of. I have one year left to play at CSS, so I'm excited to have a good pain-free year. The surgery was to heal patellar-tendonitis. It was called patellar tendon debrisment. I guess something happened that caused a large quantity of scar tissue to form right behind my patellar tendon.

Steven: How long are you expected to be out?

Mike: Each surgery put me on crutches for two weeks, and after six weeks of slow rehab I was Okayed to begin strengthening again.

Steven: How has rehab been going?

Mike: Rehab is a slow and steady process. It was kind of hard when my first knee was all healed, and then I had the other one done and it was back to square one again.

Steven: How is this injury different from the other ones that you have had?

Mike: This injury is different in that it never went away. I've sprained ankles, had stress fractures, ECT, but they've all healed. My knees always stayed bad, finally causing me to see a surgeon.

I just wanted to say thanks again for taking time to respond the questions and hope the best in the recovery.

OBERWART LOSES IN THE FINALS OF A CLOSE GAME

Adam Boone who is from Minnesota is currently playing basketball in Austria. His team played in the Championship of there league. In the league Championship game the Oberwart Gunners lost in the final game. The final of the game was 89-88. Adam’s team played Furtenfeld in the playoffs. They played a 5 game series. Orberwart Gunners lost the series 2 games to 3 games. Congratulations Adam Boone on a nice season.

LAWARNCE McKENZIE HIRES AN AGENT

According to the St Paul Pioneer Press Lawrence McKenzie has signed with Worldwide Hoops International. World Wide Hoops has most of their players playing overseas. It is unclear where Lawrence McKenzie will be playing next season so at this point in time so now it is just wait and see. Good luck Lawrence McKenzie.

Lawrence McKenzie played at Minneapolis Patrick Henry highschool. After high school he went on and played at the University of Minnesota.

ANOTHER LOCAL STAR TAKES HIS CHANCHES AT THE NBA

According to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune James Davis who went to Minneapolis North and graduated in 2003 has decided to enter the NBA Draft. He played basketball over in Japan this past season.

When James Davis was at Minneapolis North he was one of the better big men to come out of the Northside. Good Luck James Davis in the upcoming NBA draft.

BRUCE PRICE ENTERS THE NBA DRAFT

According to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune former local Minneapolis basketball player Bruce Price who played at Minneapolis South has decided to leave Tennessee State and enter the NBA Draft which is going to be held in New York on June 28th.

Bruce Price was a good player when he was at South. I would consider him a good player when he was in high school. It will be interesting to see if the NBA works out for him in the long run.

Good luck Bruce Price in the NBA Draft.

TRANSFER STUDENTS BEWARE

In Minnesota there have been issues with students moving around and transferring from school to school. Last year the Minnesota State High School League took action on the transfer rule. The issue came up a few years ago because some parents and school officials thought that students were transferring for the wrong reasons. Now if a student wants to transfer high schools they have to sit out a year in order to play sports.

The reason some people said that students were transferring was because they thought that the students were only transferring because of sports. If they played sports they would leave one program and join another that was better then the school that they were transferring from. Most students want to better them self’s in high school. And if they think that they will excel at another high school than I think transferring would be a last option. I think that if students want to transfer they have to have all of the options explained to them before they go out and transfer. I think that just transferring to another school just because of sports is wrong. I think that high school should be more then just sports. If a student thinks that he or she will be better off at another school educationally than I think that the transfer option should be looked at carefully. I think that transferring for sports should be the last option there is.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST LAKERS ARE YOUR TWIN CITIES BASEBALL CHAMPIONS

In an upbeat game the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers beat the St Paul Highland Park Scots by the final score of 6-1. This game belonged to Southwest all the way through. Highland Park was just not able to get the bats on the ball. Southwest played well. They were into the game and they looked sharp. They were able to get make plays in both the infield and in the outfield.

Southwest remains perfect they now wait to see who they play in the region 6AAA tournament. Once again congratulations to Minneapolis Southwest on winning the Twin Cities Baseball Championship.

ST PAUL HIGHLAND PARK GETS ON THE BOARD

In the bottom of the sixth inning Highland Park gets on the scoreboard. Travis Zenda walked and then Chad Washenberger walked. 29 got to third base on a wild pitch. Travis Zenda scored on a wild pitch. Teddy Van Ranst got a single. Chad Washenberger got picked off at first base. The score after six complete innings is Southwest 6 and Highland Park 1.

TOP OF THE SIXTH INNING

In the top of the sixth inning Casey Dahl got a hit to right filed. Ethan Green got a double scoring Casey Dahl. In the middle of the sixth inning the score is Minneapolis Southwest 6 and St Paul Highland Park 0.

AFTER 5 INNINGS OF PLAY

After 5 complete innings the score is Minneapolis Southwest 5 and St Paul Highland Park 0.

THIRD INNING UPDATE

In the top of the third inning of play Jim Hefferman got a single and then he stole 2nd base. Jacob Holmstrom flew out to the right fielder. Jake Schmitz also flew out to the right fielder. Jim Sommermann had a single that scored Jim Herrerman. Number 9 flew out to left field. The score after the end of 3 innings its Southwest 5 and Highland Park 0

TWIN CITIES GAME UPDATE

In the top of the second Inning of play Jim Heffernan had an infield hit and then he stole second base. Then Number 4 walked. Then Jake Schmitz walked. Allan Ritter had a bases loaded strike out. #9 had a bases loaded walk. Jim Heffernan scored on a wild pitch. Ethan Green had a single. John Licht walked scoring Jake Schmitz. Matt Smrekar singled up the middle and reached second on a fielder choice.

THE TWIN CITIES BASEBALL GAME IS UNDERWAY

The Twin Cities baseball game is going to be getting underway. There is a light crowd at the Metrodome. The game is between Minneapolis Southwest and St. Paul Highland Park. Southwest is coming in the game undefeated.

TWO OF THE BEST SQUARE OFF IN TWIN CITIES CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

In a game that will be a battle of the best in the Minneapolis & St. Paul Conference’s, Minneapolis Southwest will meet St. Paul Highland Park at the Metrodome for the Twin Cities Championship Thursday night at 6:00 PM. It should be a great battle of the two top teams in the Twin Cities.

I will be there to give highlights and updates throughout the game.

RYAN HOAG MAKES IT PAST FIRST ROUND

In a night filled with drama Ryan Hoag made it past the first round of cuts on the television show The Bachelorette. Congratulations on making it past the first round. It will be interesting to see how long he is around and to see if he has found the love of his life.

LOCAL SPORTS STAR TURNS TO THE TELEVISION SCREEN

Ryan Hoag from Minneapolis is going to be appearing on the ABC television show The Bachelorette. Ryan Hoag went to Minneapolis Washburn and he played a little bit for the Minnesota Vikings. He was a multi sport athlete when he was at Washburn. Good luck and hope every thing turns out for the best of you.

MINNESOTA'S RECRUITING CLASS

The University of Minnesota Men’s basketball team recruiting class of 2008 includes a son of a former basketball professional. The Gophers have signed Devoe Joseph, Paul Carter, Colton Iverson, Ralph Sampson Jr, and Devron Bostick.

Devoe Joseph is from Ajax Ontario Canada. He is considered one of the top recruits out of Canada. He went to Pickering high school.

Paul Carter is from Little Rock Arkansas. He went to Missouri State West Plains Community College. I got to watch him play when he played at Minneapolis Community College this past season. He was pretty good. He suffered an injury during his season that he had to sit out the second half of the season. He has recovered from that and he should be ready to do by the start of the season.

Colton Iverson is from Yankton South Dakota. I do not know too much about Colton but I have heard from others that he will survive at the University of Minnesota. It will be interesting to see how well this kid can play and if he can play the style of ball Tubby Smith wants him to play.

Ralph Sampson Jr. is from Duluth Georgia. He was also highly recruited to come to the University of Minnesota. His dad was a known as a great basketball player. His dad played in the NBA and was considered a superstar when he played the league. Some basketball insiders are wondering how long his kid will stay in college already. Is he only going to be at the University of Minnesota for all four years or will be get his one year in and become eligible for the NBA draft? We will just have to see what his options are and how good a player he really is. There will be pressure and people comparing him to his dad but it is the sons turn to prove people right or wrong.

Devron Bostick is from Racine Wisconsin. He played his high school ball at ST. Catherine’s high school and then he went on to play at South Western Community College in Illinois.

All of the players that the Gophers have signed have been top players in their high schools or their previous schools. It will interest me to see how these recruits fit into Tubby Smith’s system. I think that Tubby will turn this program around and I also think that this recruiting class will be his true test to see how well a recruiter he is. He was known as a great recruiter when he was coaching in previous coaching jobs. Some college basketball insiders this class to be in the top 10 in the country.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST HIRES NEW BOYS BASKETBALL COACH

Minneapolis Southwest hires Tom Weko to coach the boy’s basketball team. Tom Weko is a health teacher at Minneapolis Southwest. Tom Weko has been the Girls basketball coach at Mounds View since the 2002 season. Congratulations Tom Weko on being named the boys basketball coach at Southwest.

RODNEY MAURICE WILLIAMS GETS MORE INTREST FROM COLLEGES

According to Charley Walters in the St Paul Pioneer Press Rodney Maurice Williams the basketball player who is from Robbinsdale Cooper has been contacted by the University of Connecticut as another option for him to go to school. He is a highly recruited basketball player who plays for the Howard Pulley program. The schools on the list that are recruiting Rodney Williams are Kansas and the University of Minnesota. Rodney Williams doesn't think that he will make up his mind on where he is going to college until his senior season.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST IS YOUR 2008 BOYS BASEBALL CITY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

Minneapolis Southwest is the baseball city conference champions this year. The Minneapolis Southwest baseball team is 16-0 over all and 11-0 in the conference so far. They have two more games in the regular season then they will prepare for the region tournament. In the latest Minneapolis Star Tribune metro rankings Minneapolis Southwest is ranked 6 in the metro.

ROYCE ALEXANDER WHITE TRYING TO RECRUIT RODNEY MAURICE WILLIAMS TO THE UINVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Royce Alexander White who is going to Hopkins High School this year is good friends with Rodney Maurice Williams who goes to Cooper High School. Royce Alexander White and Rodney Maurice Williams are playing on the same summer AAU basketball team. Howard Pulley Black 17U team. Royce Alexander White has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota. As of right now Rodney Maurice Williams is still undecided about where he will be going to college. They will both be Senior’s next year. Royce is playing the role of recruiter now trying to convince Rodney Maurice Williams to come to the University of Minnesota. Royce Alexander White is pretty confident that he can get Rodney to join him at the University of Minnesota. Rodney has many different schools recruiting him and he also has a good friend recruiting him also. It will be interesting to see what will happen. It will also show how this thing shakes out. The question still is where will Rodney Maurice Williams be going to college?

HOWARD PULLEY TOURNAMENT PROVIDES FUN AND EXCITING GAMES

I really enjoyed my self this weekend covering this tournament. I believe I have tried to bring and inside presence to a basketball event. I think that the tournament went well. There were some very good games that I got to see. There were some of the top players in the country that showed why they are some of the top players in the nation. I hope that you have enjoyed the coverage. I am sorry that I have had some delays in updating the information that went on this weekend. Even though they were out of my control but I want to say thanks again for coming and checking out my site and coverage of the tournament.

CONGRAULATIONS TO THE ILLINOIS WARRIORS FOR WINNING THE 17U HOWARD PULLEY SABES INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT WITH AN EASY WIN OVER THE ST PAUL GRASS ROOTS

The Illinois Warriors were too much for the St Paul Grass Roots. The final score was Illinois Warriors 107 and the St Paul Grass Roots 72. It was a game that had a big point spread the entire game. The Warriors played well. They were able to make their shots that they needed to make. They were able to get up and stop the Grass Roots players from scoring. The game was all Warriors in the second half. Even when St Paul Grass Roots was trying to get back into it the warriors stopped them from doing that and it just got to big of a lead and Grass Roots couldn’t get back into the game.

ILLINOIS WARRIORS ARE UP BIG AT THE HALF OF THE 17U CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

The Illinois Warriors are up big at the half over the St Paul Grass Roots. This game has been lop sided the whole first half. The score at half time is The Illinois Warriors 58 and St Paul Grass Roots 38. The Illinois Warriors are doing what ever they want to in the first half. The players on the Grass Roots team look like they don’t know what hit them. Grass Roots will have to dig them self’s out of a hole in the second half to make this a game.

CONGRAULATIONS GOES TO THE KANSAS CITY PUMP AND RUN FOR WINNING THE 16U DIVISON OF THE HOWARD PULLEY SABES TOURNAMENT

In a game that went to the wire the Kansas City Pump and run beat the Howard Pulley Black 16U team by the final of 76-61. It was a hard fought game that both teams played extremely well. But down the stretch Howard Pulley was not able to make baskets. Congratulations both teams for a wonderful and fun tournament.

At the half in the 16U Championship game is Howard Pulley Black and Kansas City Pump n Run

In the 16 and under division the Championship game is between the Howard Pulley Black and the Kansas City Pump n Run. As expected this game is a close at the half. Howard Pulley is up at the half by the score of 39-34. Both teams are playing very well. Both teams are playing there own style of ball. Howard Pulley is trying to run and push the ball up the court while the Kansas City Pump n Run is looking to walk the ball up the court. But Kansas City will also look to push the ball up the court also. This game has been tight all along the way.

SEMI FINAL GAME IS A BLOW OUT IN SECOND HALF

In a game that has a blow out at the half the St Paul Grass Roots beat up the Chicago Demos. The final score was Chicago Demos 70 and the St Paul Grass Roots 99 The game got a way from the Demos early in the second half. St Paul Grass Roots played a solid game the whole game. They were making their shots that they were taking and they were just the better team in this game today.

The St Paul Grass Roots will be playing the Illinois Warriors in the 17U championship game later this after noon. The Illinois Warriors beat Kansas City by the final score of 74-64 in the other semifinal.

GOOD SEMI FINAL ACTION

In one of the 17U Semifinals it is Chicago Demons taking on St Paul Grass Roots. This game has been a tight battle from the beginning. Each team is trading baskets with each other. This Chicago Demons team knocked out the Howard Pulley Black team earlier in the day. Both teams are playing the style of play that they want to play. They both like to get the ball up and down the court. This will be a very interesting game it could be any ones game. Even though it is a large lead at the half it is still any ones game. The score at the half is Grass Roots 45 and the Demos 36.

HOWARD PULLEY BLACK 16 U WINS BIG

In a game that had a big half time margin the Howard Pulley Black 16U beats the ECI Elite by the final score of 77-48. Every one on the Howard Pulley team played well. They played much better in this game than they did in the game they played earlier in the day. Even though the ECI. Every one on both of these teams played very well. It was just that the Howard Pulley team was too much for the ECI Elite to handle.

HOWARD PULLEY 16U BLACK IS UP AT THE HALF

The Howard Pulley 16U Black is taking on the ECI Elite. The score at the half is Howard Pulley 45 and the ECI Elite 28. The game has been a battle from the start. Both teams are playing well at this point. Both teams are hitting there shots that they are putting up. The players on both teams are putting up a battle on both ends of the court. Howard Pulley has been up the whole first half. ECI has and will continue to put up a battle to the end. The Howard Pulley team is playing much better then they did when they played in the 8:00 game this morning.

HOWARD PULLEY GETS UPSET BY THE CHICAGO DEMONS

The Chicago Demons put a scare on the Howard Pulley 17U black team. The demons came back and ended up beating the Howard Pulley 17U Black team by the final of 65-62. Both teams played very well. It was a very intense game and it was also hard fought on both ends. The Demons put on a run and a press that the Howard Pulley players couldn’t figure out in the second half. Howard Pulley made some costly turnovers in the second half. Both Rodney Williams and Royce White played well. In the end it was a very close tight game and it came down to the wire. It was an awesome finish. Both of these teams were evenly matched. I think this was one of the better games of the tournament so far.

HOWARD PULLEY 17U BLACK IS AHEAD OF THE CHICAGO DEMOS AT THE HALF

In a game that has been up and down the court Howard Pulley 17U Black team is head of the Chicago Demos by the score of 36-29 at the half.

Both teams have played very well. It has been a game that has been up and down the court. Rodney Williams has played very well up to this point. Royce White has some great blocked shots. They are both playing very well up to this point. Another player that has played well so far is for Howard Pulley is Seantrel Henderson he has set some unbelievable screens and has battled inside to make his presence known. Howard Pulley got out to an early lead but the Demos have stayed with them up to this point. The Demos ended the half on a run. It looks like the Howard Pulley team has its guard down. It is going to be a battle to the finish.

TODAYS GAME 2 PREVIEW

The second game of the day is between the Howard Pulley Black 17U against the Chicago Demons. I look forward to a good game between these two teams. Both teams look to push the ball up the court and both teams look to play good defense. It should be a good game.

HOWARD PULLEY PULLS AWAY IN THE SECOND HALF

The Howard Pulley 16U Black team pulled away in the end to beat the KC Pump N Run by the score of 73-56. Both teams played very well. In the second half both teams ran there stuff but Howard Pulley was able to hold off and beat the KC Pump and Run. There was a lot of action by both teams this was a hard fought game. Both teams played hard and neither team gave up. In the end the Pulley team came up with the victory. With this victory it means the Howard Pulley team will play in the Semifinals and the KC Pump and Run team is out.

There were not a lot of people in the stands for this first game it was mostly parents and a few fans. I contribute this to it was the first game of the day and it was played at 8:00 Am and most people are not up at that time of the morning. You mostly see the parents and the die hard fans at these early games.

HOWARD PULLEY IS UP AT THE HALF

In the first game of the morning the Howard Pulley 16U Black team is ahead of the KC Pump N Run by the score of 33-24. There has been a lot of action on both sides of the ball. Both teams are playing hard. The game has been back and forth from the beginning. There have been several lead changes that have taken place. Howard Pulley has been able to run their stuff better then the KC Pump and Run. Howard Pulley is making more of there shots. KC Pump N Run has had trouble making shots in the first half. It is not helping much that the defense that Howard Pulley is playing is making it frustrating for the Pump and Run. Look for both teams to keep doing battle in the second half.

SUNDAY MORNING GETS OFF TO AN EARLY START

It is championship Sunday the final day of the Howard Pulley Sabes tournament. The day gets going with the 16 and under teams in there bracket play. The first game on the docket is the KC Pump N Run against the Howard Pulley Black team. I look for this to be an exciting day stay tuned for coverage of the finals later today.

HOWARD PULLEY BEATS THE WISCONSIN WARRIORS

Sorry we are so late with this final posting from Saturday nights game but again....Internet connection issues came up.

It was a close second half both teams played well. There were many lead changes and ties. Both teams played very well they left every thing that was in a big match up this game delivered. Both teams played very well. The game went back and forth with multiple lead changes. Howard Pulley went on a run in the middle of the second half and tried to put it to the Warriors. Then the Warriors put it to Howard Pulley. But Howard Pulley was able to with stand threats of the Warriors. Howard Pulley ended up winning the game the final of 73-65.

HOWARD PULLEY 16U WHITE IS UP AT THE HALF AGAINST THE WISCONSIN PLAYGROUND ELITE

Its Wisconsin against Minnesota in the 16 U division well I’m kidding I meant it is the Wisconsin Playground Elite against the Howard Pulley 16U White team. This is the 16U team from the Playground Elite. The Playground Elite also has there 15U team playing in the same division. Both teams are equally matched. Both teams are looking to push the ball up the court. At half time the score is Howard Pulley 29 and Wisconsin Playground Elite 28. This will be a close game to the end I am thinking. Both teams are playing well.

HOWARD PULLEY WHITE 17U COMES AWAY WITH A VICTORY DOWN THE STRETCH.

Both the Howard Pulley 17U White team and the St Cloud Comets put on a great show for people tonight. Howard Pulley ended up winning the game by the final of 72-59 .Both teams played very well. Both of these teams were scrappy they like to get after it and get on the floor after loose balls. Both teams were able to get in to there offence and run what they want to do. Both teams got to score the ball. In the end the Howard Pulley 17U White team came away with the victory. These two teams were evenly match I thought that the game didn’t get out of control and there was poise and good hard work on both ends and shown by both teams. This just goes to show that even the later games kids will also play hard. These kids get after it. They should be commended by there hard work and heart that they put into these tournaments. It is not easy playing over a long weekend in a tournament.

THE HOWARD PULLEY WHITE 17U IS BACK IN ACTION

Back to the Howard Pulley action in the first round of the bracket site of the tournament the Howard Pulley 17 U white team playing the St Cloud Comets Elite team.

In the first half it has been a pretty entertaining half. The score at the half is Howard Pulley 38 and the St Cloud Elite 36 Both teams are going hard after each other. It has been a back and forth game. Both teams have been trading baskets. Both teams have been able to run there offensive sets. There have been some good defensive stops by both teams. It will be a very interesting second half.

THE ILLINOIS WARRIORS COME BACK AND BEAT THE DAKOTA SCHOOLERS

The Illinois Warriors bounce back and come to life in the second game to beat the Dakota Schoolers. The game it self was a good great game both teams played well. It was a back and forth game in the second half. This game came down to the wire. Both teams played very well they both fought hard till the end. It was a classic battle of both teams coming down to the wire and wanting to win the game. In the end The Illinois Warriors beat the Dakota Schoolers. The final was The Illinois Warriors 78 and the Dakota Schoolers 73.

You have to give these kids some credit they have already played 2 other games today so keeping fresh for the 3^rd game was a little tough. That is what tournaments can do to you. You never know how many games you might be playing in a day.

Both teams have kids that are being recruited by major colleges. For the Illinois Warriors DJ Richardson is going to The University of Illinois and David Brown has been getting offers from DE Paul, Bradley, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest.

The Dakota Schoolers have a big name player playing for them. Mike Felt led the State of Minnesota in Scoring and he went to Redwood Valley High School.

SOME INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED BY RYAN JAMES OF MINnESOTA PREP SPORTS.

DAKOTA SCHOOLERS AHEAD OF THE ILLINOIS WARRIORS AT THE HALF

In the first round of the bracket play there are no Howard Pulley teams that are playing so instead of taking a game off I decided to watch the Illinois Warriors take on the Dakota Schoolers. This is the first round of bracket play in the 17 and under division. At the half it is the Dakota Schoolers ahead of the Illinois Warriors by the score of 38-28. The Dakota Schoolers have been ahead the whole game. But the Illinois Warriors will try to keep chipping at the lead in the second half.

This game will be interesting because neither team has been able to put on a run. Dakota Schoolers will have there hands full as the Illinois Warriors try to fight to get back into this game.

HOWARD PULLEY 16U BLACK WINS BIG OVER MADISON SPARTANS

In a game that had huge scoring margins the Howard Pulley 16U black team beat Madison Spartans by the final score of 77-44. Each team played well but the Howard Pulley team was just too much for the Madison Spartans to handle. Now each team will wait to see where they are placed in the brackets in the next round of the tournament.

Towards the end of the game with about 5 minuets left both teams looked kind of sluggish. It was kind of a lack luster game from the jump. Howard Pulley took the lead from the beginning and never looked back.

HOWARD PULLEY BLACK 16U UP OVER MADISON SPARTANS AT THE HALF

In a game that has been physical on both ends of the ball Howard Pulley Black 16U is up over Madison Spartans by the score of 31-20 Both teams are trying to play there own style of ball. Both teams are looking to push the ball up the court. Howard Pulley is making there shots.

Some of the top players on the top players on the Howard Pulley Black team are Jacob Thomas, DJ Peterson

Look for this game to come down to the end. Both teams are playing well to close out the first half.

HOWARD PULLEY 17U WINS AGAIN

In a game that was over at the half Howard Pulley Black team wins in a blow out over the Chicago Demons. The final score was Howard Pulley 70 Chicago Demons 30. Every one for the Howard Pulley team played well. There was no one player that stood out in the game for either team. Both teams played well. It was just that Howard Pulley was just a better team than the Chicago Demons.

Now it is up to the coaches to see where and who the teams play next. This was the last game for the 17U division in the pool play side of the tournament. Now the coaches will have their meeting and figure out the seeds for the rest of the tournament.

HOWARD PULLEY 17U BLACK IS UP AT THE HALF VS CHICAGO DEMONS

Howard Pulley 17U Black is ahead of the Chicago Demons by the score of 40-17. Both of these teams are playing very hard and well. The Demons are playing good defense on both Rodney and Royce. Rodney and Royce are still getting there shots off but not as easily as in the games that they played earlier in the day. Both of these teams are looking to get the ball up the court and they have both been successful at doing that. The fact of the matter is in the first half Howard Pulley has been able to hit the shots that they have put up.

It will be interesting to see how the Chicago Demons will adjust to being down at the half. It should be fun to watch.

17U HOWARD PULLEY WHITE BLOWS OUT TEAM MISSOURI

In a game that had a wide margin at the half in the 17U division Howard Pulley White team beat Team Missouri by the final of 76-59.

This was a good game because both teams played hard till the end. Even if the score was kind of lopsided it was still a good game to see. Now both teams will have to see who they will get when they go into the bracket portion of the tournament. It has to be noted that there are two 17 and under Howard Pulley teams. This is the second team. This is NOT the team with Royce White and Rodney Williams. They both play on the Howard Pulley Black team.

HOWARD PULLEY WHITE 17U IS UP BIG AT THE HALF

At the half in the 17U division the Howard Pulley White team is ahead of Team Missouri by the score of 43-21.

It has been a control game on both ends of the court. Each team is trying to run there offense. Howard Pulley tries go get the ball up the court and play tough defense. Both teams will use there fast break and look to run in the open court. Team Missouri will have to try to battle back in the second half to get back into the game. This game has a lot of energy to it both teams are into the game. Missouri will be back in this game. In order to do that they will have to go on a few runs and stop this Howard Pulley team.

HOWARD PULLEY WHITE 16U DROPS A GAME TO THE KANSAS CITY PUMP N RUN

The Howard Pulley White16U ends up loosing to the Kansas City Pump N Run by the final of 82-67.

Kansas City was able to hit there shots during the game. It wasn’t like Howard Pulley got out played. It was just that Kansas City was making there shots and was able to hit shots.

HOWARD PULLY 16U DOWN AT THE HALF.

The Howard Pulley 16U team is down at the half by the score of 37-40. They are playing a team out of Kansas City, KC Pump and Run. It should be a good battle to the finish.

REPORTS ARE COMING IN...

We have been experiencing some Internet connection problems on site here at Bloomington Jefferson High School. They seem to be fixed now but it may cut out at any time. We will get things posted as soon as we can.

THANKS

HOWARD PULLEY BLACK 17U WINS BIG

In a game that was a blow out from half time on Howard Pulley 17U Black team beats ECI Elite by the score of 78-50. Even though this game was a blow out you have to give the kids from the ECI Elite some credit. They showed up and played there hearts out.

The big story line from this game was the play of Rodney Maurice Williams from the Howard Pulley 17U Black team. This kid was just unbelievable. He showed that he was a team player plus he took shots that he knew that he needed to take. He also had some very good dunks. This Howard Pulley team is starting to gel. It should be interesting to see how they progress through out the weekend.

HOWARD PULLEY 17U BLACK IS UP AT THE HALF

The third day game of the day is between the 17 U Howard Pulley Black and the ECI Elite. Howard Pulley got early in the first half. The score at the half is Howard Pulley Black 37 and ECI Elite 23 Every one on the Howard Pulley team was hitting there shots. Howard Pulley has been up the whole game. They are playing very well in the first half.

Both Royce White and Rodney Williams are playing well for the Howard Pulley team. They each have had good moves in the first half. They both have good court awareness and they know how to feed each other the ball. It is not a two man operation. They both know how to get the other four guys into the offense.

Illinois Warriors beat Howard Pulley 17U White 74-59

The Illinois Warriors beat the Howard Pulley 17U White team by the final score of 74-59. This was a game that kind of got out of hand for the Howard Pulley team from the start of the second half. The warrior’s were able to get more open shots and more drives to the paint. Howard Pulley did put up a good fight but it was not enough to over come.

Howard Pulley 28 Illinois Warriors 34 at the half

In the first game of the morning, that in the 17 and under division, it’s Howard Pulley 28 and the Illinois Warriors 34 at the half. This game has been a battle with both teams playing good defense. The leading scorers from Howard Pulley are AJ Barker and Moses Sundufu and they each have 6 points each.

THOUGHTS ON SUMMER AAU BASKETBALL

The first day of the tournament brought out a lot of small college coaches. There were college coaches from the upper mid west. They represented all levels of play from D2 national to the D3 JC level. It is a good time when college coaches can get together to watch some of the top players from around the country play on 8 different courts through out the day.

The biggest thing that is the most fun for me is seeing the kids that I know from different teams and being able to watch them play in a fun and controlled environment. I have watched AAU and basketball in general for my whole life and when you start out and become just a fan and you track a certain team for so long you start to grow and be apart of that certain program. I think that there is a time in some ones life where you go man isn’t it a good thing to know that you have an out lit on a team. Basketball is more about what takes place on the court; it is also what takes place off the court as well.

DAY 1 IS OVER FROM THE INVITE

The 2008 Howard Pulley invite got off go a great start this evening. There were many well played games. There were a lot of people that were to watch the fun atmosphere.

There were also a lot of small college coaches that were in attendance on the first day of the tournament. The action is fast paced and the basketball is fun. I hope you enjoy the entries that I am doing and I also hope you will come back and visit the site soon. I will be back On Saturday to bring you coverage of the second day of this event. Thanks again for coming to check out the coverage.

HOWARD PULLEY 17U BLACK TEAM WINS THE FINAL GAME OF THE NIGHT

The stars were shining in am the last game of the evening. The Howard Pulley 17U Black team played the The Iowa Attack team that again was coached by Jake Sulliven Howard Pulley beat The All Iowa Attack by the final of 81-71. This game was filled with a lot of action. There were flying dunks and thunderous block shots. Royce White and Rodney Willams also put on a great show for the crowd tonight. Royce White had a couple of monster dunks that made the crowd get out of there seats and cheer. Rodney Willams also had a good game tonight.

Rodney Willams stepped up tonight when he had to. I thought that he had a good game and played very well. He just seemed to know how to take his game to another level.

HOWARD PULLEYS WHITE 16 TEAM

In the second game of the evening that I watched put the Howard Pulley White 16’s against the All Iowa Attack Red. The game was close and both teams competed hard and well. Howard Pulley ended up winning by the score of 75-57.

Howard Pulley was able to hit there shots when they needed to. Howard Pulley also passed the ball well. The defense was the key in the victory for Howard Pulley tonight. They were able to contain the Iowa dribblers. Howard Pulley was able to get into there offence early. They were able to run some of there sets and they also got a chance to run in the open court.

All Iowa Attack was playing both man to man defense and zone defense. They were not able to contain the shooters for the Howard Pulley team. Both teams played hard and it was a good game to watch.

THE FIRST GAME IS IN THE BOOKS

The first game is in the books at the Howard Pulley tournament. The game that I watched was All Iowa Attack Red vs. Howard Pulley White 15 U. All Iowa Attack won the game by the final of 70-66. All Iowa Attack was coached by Jake Sullivan. Jake is from Minnesota he went to Tartan High school and now he is coaching the All Iowa Attack team.

TEAM COVERAGE

I'm proud to announce that I'll be teaming up with the Twin Cities Hoops Czar for coverage of this weekend's 8th annual Sabes Invitational Tournament. You can check out Twin Cities Boys Hoops for The Czar's in-depth reports after each day and an update on pool play before the playoff games on Saturday night. I'll be blogging live from the games at Bloomington Jefferson so check back often for updates.

TWO OF THE TOP KIDS ON DISPLAY THIS WEEKEND AT HOWARD PULLEY TOURNAMENT

Two of the top in state basketball players from Minnesota will be on display this weekend at the Howard Pulley Tournament in Bloomington. Royce White and Rodney Williams are teammates for the Howard Pulley squad.

They are regarded as two of the top players in the state and country. Will this be Rodney Williams coming out party? Who knows. Even though division 1 college coaches are not allowed to be in the building my guess is that some lower division coaches and many fans will see these kids and get back to their coach’s and the word will spread about these two young kids.

Check back on the site over the weekend as I will be there covering the event. The tournament is going to be played at Bloomington Jefferson High School.

ADAM BOONE GOES FOR PLAY-OFF WIN

Adam Boone who is from Minneapolis Minnesota is playing basketball this season over in Austria. His team is in a play off hunt for their leagues championship. Adams team is called Macabido Oberwart Gunners.

Adam has enjoyed his time over in Austria. He looks forward to coming back to the United States after his season is over. Good Luck Adam Boone and keep up the good work.

HOWARD PULLEY SABLES INVITATIONAL

This weekend at Bloomington Jefferson high school the Howard Pulley Basketball program is hosting a huge tournament.

This tournament brings in teams from all over the country to play in the Twin Cities for a fun weekend of basketball. Stevens Sports Report will be there bringing you all of the action as the tournament takes place. Check back this weekend for all of the up to date action.

Some of the top players from across the country will be in town including the top two Sr.’s to be Rodney Williams and Royce White who play for the Howard Pulley Panthers. Check back as the weekend rolls around for updates on the Howard Pulley Sables Invitational.

VERDELL JONES GOES TO INDIANA UNIVERSITY

A very early report today from Minneapolis radio station KFAN 1130 AM, had Verdell Jones headed to the University of Minnesota. But later in the day, Minneapolis local TV station KARE 11, reported that Verdell Jones is headed to Indiana University.

This is kind of a blow for the U of M but they still have a top rated recruiting class with the 5 commitments made over the past year. The University of Minnesota, who was planning on getting Verdell Jones, still has one offer to give out.

According to many different publications, Verdell is a top recruit coming out of Champaign Central High School in Champaign Illinois.

Many athletes were not drawn to the University of Minnesota during the Dan Monson era. After Monson left they brought Tubby Smith in. Smith has always had a way with recruiting and that was a positive. I think in a few years of Tubby Smiths recruiting pays off in the next couple of years to see how his teams do. I think that he has gotten better talent to come here because of his success in his past coaching jobs.

Good luck Verdell Jones.

RODNEY MAURICE WILLAMS PUTS ON A SHOW

The highly recruited Rodney Maurice Williams was out in Kansas over the weekend of May 2-4th for an AAU event. This is some video someone shot that was at the event. Hope people can get a good look at the senior to be and he is also a highly rated player from Cooper High school. Let me know if you have any problems with the video - thanks.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO

This video may take a few minutes to load - please be patient.

LOCAL BOXER TURNS PROFESSIONAL

Tony Lee is from St Paul and is a boxer who is competing this week in the National Golden Gloves Tournament in Grand Rapids Michigan. He trains at the Rice Street Gym in St Paul. Otis Gage is his trainer. Otis Gage was a fighter himself and he has trained some other local fighters. He has also trained Troy Bell who had a boxing stint when he returned to train before he went back over-seas to play basketball.
After the National Golden Gloves Tournament this week Tony Lee is planning on turning professional. Good luck Tony Lee in the upcoming tournament and Good luck in your professional boxing career.

VERDELL JONES TO MAKE UP HIS MIND

Verdell Jones who is a top gopher recruit has canceled an official visit to Arizona this week. Verdell is a top recruit from Champaign Illinois. The top schools on his list are Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky. He will make up his mind and hold a press conference on Monday, May 5th.

CORY JOHNSON TO VALPARISO

Cory Johnson is transferring schools. He went to Iowa State University out of high school and he has decided to transfer to Valparasio University. Under NCAA rules Cory Johnson has to sit out one season because of NCAA transfer rules.

CAMERON RUNDLES TRANSFERS

Cameron Rundles who is from Minnesota and went to the University of Montana has decided to transfer. We will be going to Wofford College in Spartanburg South Carolina. Noah Dahlman who is from Braham High School in Minnesota is playing at Wofford College.

JOE MAUER COMES OUT WITH A TRUCK

According to Charley Walters in the St Paul Pioneer Press Chevrolet is coming out with a limited edition truck that is customized to Joe Mauer who plays for the Minnesota Twins. Joe Mauer was born and raised St Paul Minnesota. Congratulations Joe Mauer.