CAVS 12U Win The 3rd Annual Nike 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney

Hold up, wait a minute, let us put some Nike in it! Last weekend, August 6^th-7^th, CAVS 12U represented in the 3^rd Annual Nike 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney, in the McDonald’s-sponsored Youth Division. CAVS 12U brought home the championship, marking the 14^th consecutive win since April 2^nd, 2011. Way to REALLY end the season!!

Okay. Since it was a 3 on 3, you know there were four power players; one for subbing purposes. You know how that works. For now, let me introduce them to you, for those who don’t already know. The combination of DJ “Lights-Out” McDonald, Brian “B-Devv” Devereaux, Cameron “Big Cam” Townsend and Josh “Shake-Em’-Up” Sheffield was magical, as they actually enjoyed the four-game slide to victory, despite the blazing Los Angeles summer heat. 

I know. It is downtown Los Angeles and it’s supposed to be cooler. NOT. My sandaled feet were on FIRE most of the day. Anyway….12U Coach Darryl McDonald actually took a break from coaching and was able to FOR ONCE be a proud, admiring spectator from the sidelines. He gave the temp coaching job to Brian’s dad, Eric Devereaux (above with the boys) who subbed players in and out at the appropriate times, as well as bark out a few random orders.

What fun!

If you are NOT familiar with the 3 on 3 scoring process, each lay-up basket is worth only one point and each 3-point shot is worth two points—unless the ref determines the player is not behind the line—then it is worth only one point.  Fouls only garner one shot for free throws. First team to 20 points wins.

So….CAVS 12U set the weekend off on Saturday morning at 10:30am, against Warriors Rodriguez, with a sweet victory of 20-8.   

 At 12:00pm, CAVS 12U battled Four Ballin’ and won, 17-7.

On Sunday, at 10:00am, CAVS 12U set off the morning with a win against LA Elite, 18-3, thrusting them into the championship game at 12:15pm….with the same exact team, of course.

Of course it is also quite a delight to have a parent on an opposing team verbally urge their kid to elbow, nudge and aggressively push, pull and hold one of our biggest team members (who could have easily pummeled said kid into the gravel without effort, but was in a good mood that day) then heckle loudly and shamelessly about our team member being “big” throughout the entire game until Nike 3 on 3 supervisors had to throw such parent out of the area.  Hmmm. I wonder if anyone took the time to explain to that parent (whom we have seen in tourneys on many occasions) that our big guy is only going to be even bigger next year. EXHIBIT A:

FOUL!!!! Oh well. You just can’t please them all.

CAVS 12U won the championship game against LA Elite, 20-6.

Other than that, the entire tourney went smoothly. The outdoor deejay kept the boys (and spectators) dancing, even at varying times on the court.  CAVS 12U had a great time and enjoyed nice parting gifts, such as a championship t-shirt, Nike 3 on 3 t-shirt, “Lemonhead” headbands, free Grammy Museum tickets, free Clipper Ticket vouchers and more! Way to truly end the season and represent on the streets of LA! BALLIN!! GO CAVS 12U!!!

 (From L to R: Brian "B-Devv" Devereaux, Cameron "Big Cam" Townsend, Honorary Coach-For-A-Day Eric Devereaux, DJ "Lights-Out" McDonald and Josh "Shake-Em-Up" Sheffield)

To check out the 3 on 3 tourney photos, go HERE now to our Facebook page.

CAVS 2012....u ready?

Out With A BANG: CAVS 12U Win Bigfoot Hoops Las Vegas Classics In Last Tourney of 2010-2011 Travel Season

What a season. As a matter of fact…..what a year! The mighty CAVS 12U team has successfully maintained a 99% championship record for the 2010-2011 season….and now this. In the very last tournament of the season, CAVS 12U brought home their 13^th consecutive championship win since April 2^nd at the Bigfoot Hoops Las Vegas Classics, July 27^th-31^st. 

Oh yeah!! This season is going out with a BANG….

….and so is this post…so read up. It’s chocked full of news and the very latest concerning the CAVS. Before we begin, I’d like to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to Bigfoot Hoops for giving every paying spectator the opportunity to buy a discounted weekend admission pass, rather than rake us over the coals with a king’s ransom per day. YOU know what time it is and we love you for it. With that said….

Here we go.

Before we get into any game play, though, let’s break something down, first. Rumors are floating and flying. Parents are TRIPPIN’. Teams are taunting and coaches are cringing.

Still doesn’t change the fact that it’s goin’ down.

Fact is…things are going down that are beneficial; things set up so clear that it’s almost like 3D. Those who fail to put on the proper glasses to see it will be left with blurry vision. YES. The CAVS Youth Basketball Program has expanded. There is now a CAVS Las Vegas, in addition to the Southern California CAVS. YES. CAVS Youth Basketball has merged with prior members of the Las Vegas Rebels/West Coast Select Team. NO. Members did not merge in order to try to win the Las Vegas Classics. You’re kidding, right? Dude….seriously? Take that claim back to the farm. THIS new merger/expansion is permanent and is JUST the kind of frosting we needed for our cake. More news will be released soon. Don’t get your undergarments in a bunch! Details will be disclosed at a later date, as I will do a special article on it all. Lots of GOOD things going on with/for the CAVS and we will not allow you to miss any of it.  

Back to the meat and potatoes……

There was no game on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, CAVS 12U were face-to-face with the LA Runners at the Tarkanian Basketball Academy, 9:05am. 

Early games = Early wake-ups. Yep. However, this time I don’t think anybody cared. We just wanted to get things started. The LA Runners were quite interesting. 

There were a few kids of normal-to-tall height—with the rest somewhat on the small side---but they were QUICK as the dickens. However, CAVS 12U set it all off with an opening victory, 65-15.

On Thursday night, at 6:50pm, CAVS 12U played the Salvation Army Hype and won, 68-15.

On Friday, at 5:45 pm (at least we didn’t have to get up early) it just wasn’t even fair. We're talking about CAVS 12U vs. the Colorado Warriors. 

CAVS 12U blew through the Colorado Warriors like tornadoes of destruction, scoring a whopping 81-13, easily sliding on to the Semi-Final rounds.

Saturday, at 5:45 pm (kudos to the scheduler for allowing us to sleep in-- for REAL) CAVS 12U again squared off with the LA Runners for the Semi-Final game and won, 59-18. 

This win earned CAVS 12U an unshakable spot in Sunday’s championship game…..

….with none other than Las Vegas Elite.

Life is ironic, isn’t it?

We heard through the grapevine that Los Angeles-based team ABA defeated Vegas Elite early on in the game rounds, but in a toe-to-toe semi-final battle Saturday night, Vegas Elite redeemed themselves and defeated ABA. Therefore, at 11:15am on Sunday, it was about as ironic as it could get with CAVS 12U ONCE AGAIN face-to-face with Las Vegas Elite to compete for yet another championship. 

Surprisingly our good buddy—the Las Vegas Elite coach—did not—I repeat---did NOT--get a technical foul this time. OMG! I know, right? I called Ripley’s and THEY didn’t believe it. Instead, the tech fell on our former teammate Billy Preston, Jr. Okay, wait---forget all that. I need to tell you that this game was one for the BOOKS. Why? CAVS 12U started the championship game off 18-0!! Yes…you read that right. 18-0. Zilch. Nada. ZERO!!! I was flabbergasted. Everyone had just about written us off.

More ironic, still, this is exactly the way CAVS 12U started off in the Jam On It Reno Tourney—at that time against West Coast Select! Yet, you remember the end result of that tourney, don’t you? You gotta love the way things have come full circle. So…Vegas Elite parents were whooping and hollering and chanting “Game over!” and offering other select phrases and expletives, confident that the game was in the bag for Las Vegas Elite.

Oh, but CAVS 12U had other plans.

In less than the amount of time it takes to fully load a commercial washing machine, CAVS 12U turned that zero into a three-point lead. 

From there, CAVS 12U turned up the heat, started to clap it up and act like they were there to do business. 

The tables had most definitely turned. CAVS 12U scored the victory, 47-36, and were crowned the champions of the last 2010-2011 tourney to end the season!! Coming from an 18-point deficiency all the way to the top? Oh yeah!!! WAY TO WORK, CAVS!!

(From L to R: Jack Pender - Chasen Pender's lil bro, Elijah Walker (injured this time/didn't play), Coach Joe Pender, 7U's Jace McDonald, Mike Irving, Jr., Coach Mike Irving, Taj Regans, Pearson Parker, Lil' Taius - not sure on how to spell that - Brian "B-Devv" Devereaux, Cameron "Big Cam" Townsend, Colden "Ice-Cream" Davis, Coach Sean Regans, DJ McDonald, Troy Brown, Chasen Pender, Darion Acohido, Coach Darryl McDonald and Luke Bradford)

We are proud of our CAVS 12U boys who work hard, play hard, but study harder. GREAT 2010-2011 SEASON, CAVS!!! We look forward to the new, upcoming season with lots of new changes to come.

CAVS 2012…u ready?