Previewing the Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational
For the past two years, Carlton "Bub" Carrington held the Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational AAU basketball tournament in Chantilly, Va. at Hoop Magic, which featured nice facilities, accommodating people, and good competition. But something was missing.
“It was kind of [strange having] the Baltimore Elite Invitational in Northern Virginia, especially when the DMV doesn’t say BMV. It’s the DMV,” said Carrington, NBE's president. “I just felt like it was time to bring it back to Baltimore.”
Starting Friday, Carrington gets his wish. The third annual Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational will be held in this area, with 17- and 16-and-under games played at Annapolis Area Christian School, and younger age groups scheduled at various sites around the Baltimore area.
The tournament will feature several players who have either been offered by Maryland or are on the Terps’ radar, including Shaquille Cleare, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison and Clyde Santee of the Houston Defenders, Bee Jay Anya and Jerami Grant of Team Takeover, Jamel Artis, Isaiah Miles, Daquein McNeil and Kameron Williams of Nike Baltimore Elite, Amile Jefferson of Philly's Finest, and Zach Auguste of Albany City Rocks.
Carrington spoke to Recruiting Report earlier this week about the tournament:
When you started putting together this tournament, what were you looking for in terms of participating teams and the setup?
Mostly all the teams coming in are star-studded teams. Just from being on the circuit, I would want a 24-team field, not 32. I wanted to keep it tight, keep it short, and keep it most of all competitive. When you come down to the format, 24 teams in 15s, 16s, 17s, it keeps it very competitive. I think we achieved that. We have probably five or six of the top 10 players in the country, and probably about 15 or 20 top 100 kids in the country, which I think is outstanding for one weekend of basketball. We just have kids that can flat-out play. I just think it’s going to be a great weekend of basketball. Baltimore, I hope they come out and support it, hope they come cheer on some of these kids that they’re watching from Baltimore City to the BCL.
What can you tell us about Nike Baltimore Elite’s 17-and-under roster this year?
I would say this year we probably have [at least five] Division I players. I would just go out there on a limb. Six of these guys are going to play Division I, already have offers on the table. It’s just up to them about finding the right fit. I just think they’re a real good team. Isaiah Miles (Glenelg Country School), Jamel Artis (St. Benedict Prep in N.J.), Kayel Locke (McDonogh), Sam Cassell Jr. (Notre Dame Prep in Mass.), Jarred Jones (John Carroll). I think those five are Division I ballplayers, easily. And Charles Tapper (City) is going to be a Division I football player. He’s been offered by Oklahoma, West Virginia, Penn State. If he was a full-time basketball player, he would play Division I somewhere also. He’s going to focus on football after the AAU season. I would say we have six Division I athletes on this team.
NBE’s 16-and-under team has already had a good bit of success on the circuit this spring. What’s their story?
It’s a typical Baltimore team with great guard play. They’re the type of team that, they play for the name on the front of their jersey, not the name on the back of their jersey. That’s what makes this team special – the fact that they play as a team. I think they have five Division I guards, not to mention three bigs that they have that are obviously going to play Division I basketball. I think they have about eight Division I basketball players on the team. How high they go depends on how hard they work.
Who are some of the specific players to watch out for on the 16-and-under team?
Daquein McNeil, I would think he’s definitely a future high-major player if he keeps working and improving his skill set. Where he’s come from to where he’s at now, the level of maturity from prep school [at Vermont Academy] has helped him a lot. Kameron Williams (Mount St. Joseph) is just the most quiet, unassuming kid I’ve been around. He goes about his work and he garnered all kinds of Division I interest after his performance at Boo Williams. Daxter Miles (Dunbar) is a typical Baltimore guard. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s tough. He’s more of a combo guard now trying to get into the mindset of a point guard.
Rashard Todd (Mount Carmel) is probably going to be a sleeper on the circuit. He’s a kid I watched growing up, coached his brother at Dunbar, knew the kid since he was born. He’s 6-7 with crazy athleticism. He’s just very, very athletic with a good head for the game. He wants to get better every game. He’s a legitimate 3 who can run the floor and has a pretty good 12-foot jump shot. He’s athletic and his skill set is just growing every day. Mike Owona (John Carroll) is a 6-7, 6-8 plug in the middle. He’s going to play Division I basketball. Great academic prowess with him. He’s a big, and bigs get those opportunities. Tayshawn Scott (McDonogh), he’s like our five-star general. He’s going to play Division I. Some coach is going to fall in love with him and he’s going to win a lot of games in college.
There are quite a few guys scheduled to play that Maryland is reportedly looking at. How important is it for the tournament’s success to have Terps fans come out and see some of these players?
Well I think that’s major. I think that’s major for Maryland fans to come out and show these Maryland recruits, these main targets, that Maryland supports its basketball. If it was a tournament in Kansas, the Kansas fans, they would show up 2,000 deep for those kids. 'We’re going to cheer for you to come to our school, we want you to be a part of this state.' I think that’s major. Those types of incidences weigh heavily on kids. Kids will go back and talk and say, ‘Damn, we played there and 300 or 400 Maryland fans were cheering for us.’ I think that’s big.
Any final thoughts on the tournament?
We just want Baltimore to come out and support the tournament Friday night, Saturday, and championship play on Sunday. That would mean a lot. For next year, if we can be successful this year, then maybe we can get a few more gyms and expand it a little bit more. It’s just a win-win for Baltimore, a win-win for the University of Maryland, and a win-win for the fans. You get to see future Maryland targets and recruits. I just think it’s going to be an exciting weekend of basketball. I can definitely tell you that.
