The Basketball Movement Invitational recap

The Basketball Movement’s 2018 Boys Invitational Camp was a success for all involved.

The Movement wants to thank all of the players that came out, parents or guardians of those players, staff and volunteers, and sponsors for helping to make this another successful camp.

A camp like this one sets out with several clear goals: Improve players, showcase their talent, build relationships, and have fun playing the amazing game of basketball. We enjoyed meeting first-time participants and parents as well as reconnecting with those we already knew well. The Basketball Movement is thrilled to be able to provide a platform for these up-and-comers as they look to improve and gain recognition.

The camp is invitational because iron sharpens iron. Players were able to compete at a very high level that they may not always have the opportunity to do. Aside from playing 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5, players also got to focus on skill development while soaking up the wealth of knowledge Rob Yanders and his coaches provide. A focus on physical well-being, interactions/connections, and continuous development are always at the forefront at The Movement.

With interviews, professional photos, some Twitter shoutouts, and more, players got to experience a professional atmosphere that is rare at this level. Part of it builds confidence and promotes an elite-level experience, but also… it’s fun! Basketball is a game and The Movement always pulls out all the stops for players at all levels.

There was no shortage of highlights from the weekend. Let’s get into which players stood out from the pack!

All-NBA Division Second Team

The games were broken up into three tiers: NBA, G-League, and Division I. The games were played using corresponding rules from their league. Below are The Basketball Movement’s selections for the All-NBA Division Second Team.

Evan Guillory

6’2” - Joplin class of 2020

Donyae McCaskill

6’2” - Vashon class of 2019

Committed to University of Portland

Isaac Haney

6’0” - Dora class of 2021

Anton Brookshire

6’1” - Kickapoo class of 2021

Quenton Shelton

6’2” - Lebanon class of 2020

Congratulations to The Basketball Movement’s All-NBA Division Second Team players!

All-NBA Division First Team

Now for the players that stood out all weekend long and earned top honors. Below are The Movement’s selections for All-NBA Division First Team.

Malek Davis

5’10” - Cardinal Ritter Prep class of 2019

Committed to Drury

Tre Edwards

6’7” - Link Year Prep class of 2019

Chase Adams

5’8” - Link Year Prep class of 2019

Tyem Freeman

6’6” - Parkview class of 2019

Committed to Missouri State

Austin Johnson

6’9” Link Year Prep class of 2019

Congratulations to the above All-NBA Division First Team players from The Basketball Movement’s Boys Invitational Camp!

Of course we still have other divisions. Keep an eye on The Basketball Movement’s blog and follow us on Twitter @BBall_Movement to stay on top of this and all other things basketball. Thanks again to all involved with making this year’s tournament a success. Keep grinding!

TBM's 2018 Boy's Invitational Camp is underway!

Coach Rob Yanders is firing up the troops as The Basketball Movement kicks off it’s annual invitational camp.

The Basketball Movement’s camp is different. Players from Springfield to Spain and everywhere in-between have gathered to learn under the tutelage of Coach Rob Yanders and his crew. Players started off by getting up some practice shots and coming over for professional photographs ahead of the real work.

There is a sense of excitement from the moment you walk through The Movement’s doors. The scent of hardwood, sound of balls bouncing, and nervous energy give off the perfect vibe. The camp already has a professional feel.

Rob was firing up the players already, as is his specialty. The inspirational Yanders is mixing his patented brand of toughness with a little humor and of course - fire.

After getting a few shots up, some jogging/stretching, and a couple more words of encouragement - we are already going full-speed.

The players have been divided up by initial tiers and are cycling through their stations. The nervous energy is quickly evaporating and turning into sweat and instinct. As the players continue to warm up and fully get their blood pumping, they will soon be ready for Robert’s hardcore basketball style.

It is an impressive crop of players from very diverse backgrounds. It will be exciting to see how far The Basketball Movement can elevate their game. If they are willing to put in the work, they will leave day one exhausted, better, and hungry for more.

Stay tuned.

High school: McDonald's All-American 2018 recap

The nation's top high school talent was on display this week, with the McDonald's All-Americans in action last night.

Basketball at the high school level gets more and more impressive each year. The 2018 McDonald's All-American selections still have (literally) huge shoes to fill, as they follow in the path of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Skylar Diggins, DeMar DeRozan, Brittney Griner, Vince Carter; the list is ridiculous.

Below is the full list of 2018 participants:

Congrats to the high school all stars who made the 2018 rosters! 💪🏀 Keep your 👂 to the hardwood and follow #WhereTheFutureStarts for all things Games as we inch closer to 3/28! pic.twitter.com/mqzz9R4eT1

— McDonald's All American Games (@McDAAG) January 16, 2018

One of the first things that stands out on the list would be the four Duke commits on the boy's side. Three of them (Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cameron Reddish) are predicted by ESPN to go 1-2-3 in the 2019 NBA draft. We see you, Blue Devils. Kansas had three commits itself, with Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vanderbilt all having two commits from this squad.

Last night's games in Philips Arena (home of the Atlanta Hawks) were predictably fun on the girl's and guy's side of things. Though they get a couple practices in, the teams are typically a little disjointed to start. They begin to find their groove as the game goes on, which is what happened in these games. Once they are in the flow, they are some of the nation's finest after all.

Nassir Little (UNC commit) showed out in this one, winning MVP. Unfortunately, Zion Williamson appeared to tweak his leg a bit, so we hope that he comes away unscathed. Overall, there were plenty of high-flying dunks to make up for some suspect shooting much of the night.

The girls seemed to have an easier time finding rhythm, as ball movement and shot-making were more prominent than in the boy's game. Both were competitive, yet playful; ideal for this All-Star style of game. Christyn Williams took home MVP honors. Guess where she has committed to playing college ball. Yes of course: UConn.

The announcers of the boys game seemed to think that this was a little too remniscient of previous NBA All-Star games, with too much dunking and not enough competition. Opinion: there was so much dunking because these are athletic, long, young men that were wanting to show out against each other. These guys have been competing all year, that is how they got here. Let them bounce!

Speaking of bounce, you have to check out the dunk contest below. It includes a nice shake-up, which you just have to see to believe.

Not every one of these players will go on to achieve greatness, but you can count on several from this group busting out and making splashes on basketball's largest stages.

For more high school basketball as well as college and the pros, keep it locked to The Basketball Movement.

NBA looks to eliminate the "one-and-done"

With NCAA teams under fire for rule violations related to amateurism and preferential treatment, the NBA seeks to pave a new path for elite players.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is currently looking into changes in the way the NBA interacts with top high school talent, according to a report by ESPN's Brian Windhorst. This is of course a large step, as the league is not currently allowed to do so, requiring players to be 19 or a year removed from high school before entering the league.

Nothing conclusive has come from the Commissioners office, though we will likely hear more in the coming months. These restructuring initiatives of course hinge on the recent scandals surrounding NCAA and youth basketball. 

Between the multitude of jobs around the league and the infrastructure provided by the G-League (formerly the D-League), paid positions or playing opportunities certainly abound. There are several options here besides just reducing the required age to 18 again.

“We’re spending a lot of time on [youth basketball]. I think there is a big opportunity, on a global basis, focus on elite players in terms of better training, better fitness, so that they ultimately can be successful at the highest level.”

— Adam Silver

The above is a quote from the Commissioner given over All-Star weekend, though talks have recently accelerated due to the FBI investigation of the NCAA.

The takeaways thus far are simply that the NBA, the top global basketball league, is taking close note of the happenings at every level of the sport. More will be coming on this, likely once the NCAA tourney has ended. Stay at The Basketball Movement for everything high school, NCAA, AND pro basketball for more.

See ESPN's full report here.

Highlight factory - High school edition

As high school basketball winds down, let's take this opportunity to look back at some highlights that stood out this year.

We are in a time in which video sharing is at an all-time high, and high school basketball clips are not an exception. High school footage used to be rare, but we now have the benefit of getting to see all of the top plays from around the country.

Through various outlets such as ESPN, SLAM, and MaxPreps, we have the benefit of insight into some of the nations top playmakers. There are a few that have really stood out in the highlight world.

It is no secret that Zion Williamson of Spartansburg, South Carolina is destined for basketball greatness. The 17 year old is 6'7" and 272 pounds. That is a lot of mass to get up in the air as high as he does. Check out some highlights of the now three-time state champ and Duke commit below:

Another highlight reel star that we have seen emerge is Mac McClung, point guard for Gate City, Virginia. He recently passed Allen Iverson for the most points in Virginia state history.

At 6'2", McClung is a three star collegiate prospect (Georgetown commit) that is certainly not on the level of Williamson. He has still managed to grab headlines with some head-turning plays. Check out a few below:

Of course there are dozen of high school players at this point who are capable of putting up highlight reel footage with their basketball prowess. This is just a taste of what is out there and we could not be more excited about the continued elevated play of the young players around the world.

For some videos of of Basketball Movement players going at it, b-ball knowledge bombs, and more, check out The Movement on Youtube.

For more high school content and vids, stay right here at The Basketball Movement - High School.