BN Roundup: Nationals Season

MS Boys - Court 23 Nationals

The end of July is always Nationals Season for Ballers Nation Basketball, and the Court 23 Jr. Nationals in Plano was the state for both Middle School boys White and Grey teams led by Coach Jeremy Tatum and Noah Radatz. The MS Grey team returned to Plano after a second-place finish at the Summer Sizzle Shootout with a chip on their shoulders, looking to avenge their championship loss. “The environment we played in is something we now come to expect. We go into tournaments knowing we’re going to get every team’s best no matter the round or situation.”

Those expectations proved pivotal, as the team went 2-0 on Saturday and finished atop Pool A. Over in Pool C, Middle School White faced a stacked field of their own, and were able to split their Saturday contests heading into championship Sunday. They would eventually fall in both Sunday contests to complete their weekend. “Make it to Sunday while getting better, that’s our motto,” said Coach Tatum. “We know the luck of the draw isn’t always in our favor but what we can control is how hard we complete and the effort we bring.” Come championship Sunday, MS Grey notched a 56-52 opening-round victory to clinch a spot in the championship. Standing between them and a title were Five Star Athletics out of Allen. Ballers Nation would run out of steam and fall in the championship to clinch 2nd place in a 12-team field.

Coach Tatum concluded the weekend by singing the praises of both teams postgame. “Of course, you want to win a championship but to see Grey finish 2nd out of 12 teams and White beating some great teams shows the progression both (White and Grey) have made! With the season winding down it’s easy to settle in and play below our expectations but they’ve stood firm on how we’ve coached and taught all season long.”

16U and 17U NXT Boys - The Main Floor

Just south on I635, both 16U and 17U Puma NXT teams took part in Live Period play in Snoop Johnson’s “The Main Floor” event in Arlington. “This event is a win-win for the organization,” Head Coach and Founder Brian Crawford said. “Not only do our guys get to showcase their hard work in front of college coaches, but we also get to see a high level of competition ahead of the PUMA National Tournament this upcoming weekend.”

The 16U squad had a dominant weekend overall, finishing 3-1 including a win over a fellow Puma NXT program in the NTX Raptors. Head coach Ricky Wilson echoed the same sentiment as Crawford while also looking back to how the 16U team started the season. “The (16U) team had to overcome adversity all month long,” Wilson said. “The guys responded by executing offensively and playing well in transition. We’re heading into Nebraska battle-tested and with a chip on our shoulder.”

Both 16U and 17U boys teams will be traveling to the Cornhusker State on Friday for the 2024 Puma NXT PRO National Championship. The Lady Ballers Nation High School Grey team will also be participating in a National Tournament, this one hosted by PrimeTime Sports in the DFW Metroplex. You can find updated scores and statistics on the respective team’s pages.