As part of 742 (maybe more) basketball teams, CAVS 12U took it to the Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada this past Memorial Day weekend to battle it out at the world’s largest AAU tournament, all under one roof.
No one expected them to win.
Maybe it was because D1 All Stars, who defeated the CAVS by 5 points in a previous Anaheim Tourney (and by 1 point two years ago as 10U competition) was in the lineup. Or...better yet…what do you get when you mix 1 1/2 cup Las Vegas Rebels with 2/3 cup Certified Shooters? Why, you receive a savory blend of the latest hand-picked recipe, West Coast Select – also in the lineup. To top those doubt-qualifiers, CAVS 12U only brought eight players ready for combat, versus our usual bench full. Funny thing is….none of that stopped CAVS 12U from playing hard as a team.
CAVS 12U (despite the assumed odds) took it all the way and brought home the Reno Memorial Day AAU Championship, just as they did last year, as an 11U team!! Ready? You know how we do it. Let’s go.
With no games on Friday, CAVS 12U met up with OC Elite on Saturday afternoon and defeated them, 81-41.
On Sunday, CAVS 12U conquered RSB/A-Plus, 71-44, which placed them in the Semi-Finals that evening, with none other than West Coast Select. Before we get into that, here's a taste of the RSB/A-Plus battle:
Now....we told you about the West Coast Select recipe, didn’t we? Yeah. So, from the beginning…even before the CAVS clan arrived in Reno….rumors of this “stacked” team had spread like flame embers through dry brush. Worse still, the Semi-Final game started off with CAVS 12U in the negative, 7-22.
People were shaking their heads and even begun cheering for West Coast Select. D1 All Stars, who won their semi-final game against the All Star Sports Predators, even hung in the balance watching and waiting to get their chance to play the Las Vegas Rebels—I mean CSA—I mean--West Coast Select for the championship. After all…there was no way in heck the CAVS could catch up that far to win, could they?
Oops. WRONG.
Yep.
So, on Monday, Memorial Day, CAVS 12U and D1 All Stars gathered on a bright orange-tipped NBA wooden court to battle it out for the championship win.
Once again, all bets were on D1 All Stars….that is…until the tip-off started.
CAVS 12U administered their tough CAVS defense and offense from the very first seconds of the game, setting the tone for what would be a phenomenal team effort. 
CAVS 12U defeated D1 All Stars, 61-47. WAY TO GO CAVS 12U!!!
(From L to R) Brian Devereaux, Deven Aldridge, Coach Joe Pender, Mike Irving III, Coach Sean Regans, Elijah Walker, Cameron Townsend, Coach Kris Walker, DJ McDonald, Chasen Pender, Pearson Parker, Coach Mike Irving, Taj Regans and Coach Darryl McDonald.
Yes. CAVS teams are the underdogs, sometimes. We don’t chant, stunt, flaunt, showboat, overdress our uniforms or taunt. We just PLAY BALL.
Guess that is the bottom line.
Kinda hard to get us all to focus in the same direction when 30 people are snapping your championship photo at once, though!!
Kinda hard to get us all to focus in the same direction when 30 people are snapping your championship photo at once, though!!
Next stop….the mighty CAVS divisions will all be standing tall this weekend, welcoming teams from all over for our annual CAVS Summer Classic Tourney. Games will be held in various gym locations all over the valley. After that, CAVS 12U will take it back to Oakland, CA, to battle for the championship win at the Oakland Soldiers Tourney. ****Will they snag the Oakland championship for the second year in a row? Keep it locked to find out!!! GAME ON!!!
As always, check out the clickable flyers at the top of this website...and keep it locked right here, for all the latest.
***Check out all this weekend’s tourney photos on our Facebook site HERE.
******Full game details for all divisions are always available on our main website: http://www.cavsyouthbasketball.org. Check back often for updates, as they are posted at varied times by multiple staff members.
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