Mass Rivals Takes Home the Adidas U17 Title in Los Angeles
Behind smothering ball pressure and a deep roster featuring a number of promising young players, Mass Rivals took home the Adidas 3-Stripes U17 Select Championship with a 54-40 victory over Dream Vision out of California on Sunday afternoon.
Coaches Vin Pastore, Tom Nelson, and Scott Hazelton have built β and maintained β quite a program featuring players mainly from Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the past decade plus, and their latest championship is all the more impressive considering how many younger players took on pivotal roles for them this summer.
Four members of the Rivalsβ class of 2024 have received interest from Providence over the past year. 6β4 guard Kur Teng is one of the elite scorers in the country, while 6β3 Andre Mills is athletic and plays with aggression on both sides of the ball. The Friars have been heavily in pursuit of forward George Turkson, who stands at 6β7, but is a beast around the rim. PC also called Bryce Dortch, a promising young big man, when they could contact players in the class of 2024 in June.
Teng ranks 34th overall in the class of 2024, per 247 Sports, and they have Turkson at #55.
In order to reach the finals, the Rivals first had to overcome a talented Team Loaded (NC) group in the semifinals on Saturday night.
After trailing 8-2 early, the Rivals got a first-half lift from Mills and Jayden Ndjigue, a 6β3 guard in the class of 2023. After Team Loaded got off a few comfortable jumpers early, Rivals ramped up the defensive pressure.
Ndjigue came from out of nowhere to throw down a vicious tip dunk, and minutes later Mills finished a pair of and-1s on consecutive possessions to put his team up, 28-23.
After Jordan Clayton (a promising 2023 point guard with offers from the likes of Northwestern and URI) hit a tough corner step-back three, it appeared as though Mass Rivals was about to pull away, but Team Loaded tied the game at 29 just before halftime.
The difference in the second half was the defensive pressure of Mass Rivals, and the fact that they had Kur Teng on their side.
Team Loaded scored just 17 second-half points, while Teng went off in the 16-minute second half.
After Team Loaded went ahead, 32-28, Teng buried a 3-pointer to regain momentum for the Rivals. He scored 12 points in the first six minutes of the second half to push Rivals ahead, 40-33. He ultimately scored 21 points after halftime, outscoring Team Loaded by himself during that time.
For as hot as Teng got, this was a two-point game with just over three minutes to go when Turkson scored on a put-back to make it 48-44 Rivals. Under a minute later, Turkson came up with a steal and finished in transition on another tip to make it a 50-44 game. Team Loaded would get no closer from there.
The championship game against Dream Vision was not as tightly contested. Clayton got Mass Rivals off to a terrific start by knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and then scoring on a drive to make it 12-5 early.
The first-half advantage eventually ballooned to 32-13 by the break, with the energetic Turkson doing some serious damage on the offensive glass against a big front line. He seemingly has quite a knack for seeking out offensive rebounds and tipping shots in if they are anywhere near the rim.
Mass Rivals led by as many as 21 in the second half before Dream Vision came to life. The Californians ripped off a 17-2 run to cut the Rivalsβ lead to 37-31, but Teng came up big, once again. He knocked down a three to stop the run, then went up high for a rebound on the other end. Ndjigue hit a mid-range jumper on a find from Clayton on the ensuing possession, and just like that the lead was back to double figures again.
The Rivals extended their lead to 17 over the final two minutes of the game, before eventually taking home the Adidas crown by the score of 54-40.
Defense and depth were critical factors this weekend. After holding Team Loaded to under 20 second-half points in the semifinals, they saw Dream Vision score just 13 in the first half of the title game. They aggressively pressured the ball with their guards and challenged seemingly every shot.
Player Takeaways:
Kur Teng, Bradford Christian Academy (2024): Teng is the headliner for this group because of how many ways he can beat you offensively. His game is reminiscent of former Detroit Pistons great Joe Dumars, as he is capable of shooting from beyond the arc, but does a ton of damage on mid-range pull-ups off the bounce and on floaters. His touch is incredibly soft from inside the 3-point arc, and his offensive game is well developed for a player with two years of high school ahead of him.
Teng is a bit of a throwback to those 6β3-6β4 shooting guards of the 1980s and β90s who do so much damage by working their way into the mid-range, where he seems nearly automatic. Some players are just a joy to watch score, and Teng is one of them.
Jayden Ndjigue, Rivers School (2023): Looking back at my notes, Ndjigueβs name just kept popping up. At 6β4, heβs a versatile defender who seems to impact the game without needing the ball in his hands. While the focus is typically on the stars in these types of events, it was hard not to notice #11 making impactful plays across both games. He was their second-leading scorer in the title game.
Jordan Clayton, Bradford Christian Academy (2023): Clayton, who visited URI in June, capably ran the offense for the Rivals and hit some important 3-pointers this weekend. He came into this week atop the Adidas leaderboard in assists per game, and was key to their Sweet 16 victory with 18 points. Heβs a physically strong point guard who has seen his stock rise of late, with recent offers coming from UMass, St. Bonaventure, and Northwestern, among others. Tough kid.
Andre Mills, Brimmer and May (2024): Mills spent two very productive underclassman years at Vermont Academy, but is transferring to Brimmer and May for his final two seasons of prep ball. He was putting up about 16 points and four rebounds a game late into his sophomore year at Vermont Academy when I checked in late last season. This weekend Mills was an energy provider for Mass Rivals. He helped turned the tide early in the semifinals with a strong finish while being fouled, followed up by a steal and another and-1 on a circus shot. Providence, BC, Iowa, and Texas A&M have contacted the lefty this spring.
George Turkson, Bradford Christian Academy (2024): Turkson has serious fan-favorite appeal thanks to his hard-nosed approach to the game. He had a lot of timely put-backs against a bigger frontcourt in the finals. He plays bigger than his 6β7 frame due to his long arms, athleticism, and determination. The Lowell, MA native models his game after defensive stalwarts of yesteryear. As he told the Lowell Sun last year, βDennis Rodman, Ben Wallace, Dikembe Mutombo β theyβre all defensive players. I love defense, I take pride in defense and protecting the rim and rebounding.β Turkson shared early this spring that Providence was frequently in contact with him.
Bryce Dortch, Brimmer and May (2024): The 6β9 Dortch is an upside play, with good athleticism and fluidity at a young age. He saw steady minutes in the semifinals and championship over the weekend. Dortch has heard from a variety of schools, including PC and fellow Big East clubs Georgetown, Marquette and Seton Hall.