Long Beach, CA- With Daniel Hamilton, the last of the Hamilton basketball trio of brothers, set to graduate in 2014, Southern California grassroots hoops has been looking for a band of brothers to become the next great dynasty.
This weekend’s Pangos Sweet 16 might have given coaches and spectators a glimpse at that next basketball family – the Ball Brothers.
And – pun intended – they can ball.
Playing for QJZ Elite from the Inland Empire, Lonzo, Li Angelo and Mello Ball fueled the team’s surprise run to the Final Four of the Invitational Bracket of the event, knocking off heavy favorites Belmont Shore and the Compton Magic Select in the process.
Branch West Elite, led by the play of tournament MVP Eric Cooper Jr., ultimately won the tournament, in a 56-49 double-overtime thriller against Earl Watson’s Pangos Elite and defeated the NorCal Wildcats MOC Elite and QJZ to make it to the final tilt.
But the story of the weekend clearly was the play of the Chino Hills trio of siblings – which included 11-year-old Mello Ball.
That’s not a misprint.
Mello, a 5-foot-7 sharpshooter listed as a 2019 prospect, stole the show Saturday in QJZ’s 77-66 upset of the Compton Magic Select team led by sophomore standouts Sedrick Barefield and Cameron Walker. Mello scored 13 points, including two three-point shots and a pretty 17-foot-floater that brought the crowd to their feet.
The team, which was trailing by as many as 11 points against the Magic, stormed back behind the three-point shooting of the brothers Ball, and timely defense from the team’s role players, including junior EJ Johnson.
Coaches might not be able to talk to the younger Ball, but from the looks of the faces in the crowd – including Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar and Cal State Northridge Head Coach Reggie Theus – it is safe to say that Mello Ball will be on their radars for years to come.
As for the older Ball brothers – freshman Lonzo and eighth grader Li Angelo – this was their coming out party. Lonzo vaulted his name into the conversation of top freshman point guard not only in Southern California, but perhaps on the West Coast.
Li Angelo might have set an AAU record for most threes attempted in a single tournament, as he let it fly without conscience – usually with good results.
After its lost to Branch West in the semifinals, QJZ Elite was defeated by the Compton Magic Red in the third-place game.
In other divisions:
Platinum Division- Moore Management’s OC Pride team defeated Top Gun Coastal Orange 55-49 in the championship game played at Cabrillo High. Compton Magic’s 2016 squad defeated the Compton Magic Purple 67-59 in the third place game.
Premier Division- Pangos Elite’s 16u Silver team defeated SoCal Grind in the finals played at Cabrillo High.
Gold Division- Team Excel defeated Rise 68-65 in a tight contest played at Lynwood High School. Gamepoint 17u Red defeated Open Gym Black 60-55 in the third place game.
Silver Division: In the “BTI Bowl,” BTI’s 2015 All Stars defeated the BTI 2015 Select team in a 58-57 thriller. P2P Select defeated Ballers for Christ 68-66 in the third-place game. Both games were played at Lynwood High School
Bronze Division – Top Gun Coastal’s 15s handily defeated the more heralded Pangos Elite 15u team. Top Gun defeated Gamepoint’s 14/15 Select Team to make it to the finals.
IndiHoops All Sweet 16 Team:
MVP: Eric Cooper Jr., Branch West Elite
All Sweet 16 Team
Stanley Roberts Jr. Branch West Elite
Robbie Berwick, Earl Watson Pangos Elite
Tra Holder, Earl Watson Pangos Elite
Lonzo Ball, QJZ Elite
Li Angelo Ball, QJZ Elite
Darien Williams, Belmont Shore
Deontae North, Compton Magic Red
Jack Karapetyan, Compton Magic Red
Rolando Rhymes, Arizona Dream Team
Chandler Hutchinson, Team Eastbay
Cameron Walker, Compton Magic Select
- aburgin43
