MADE Hoops East Winter Circuit: Session 3 Recap
This past weekend (Jan 31–Feb 2), MADE Hoops hosted the third session of its East Winter Circuit at Spooky Nook in Manheim, PA. The event featured some of the top 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade teams in the country, with several New England programs in the mix. With championship weekend approaching, teams were eager to solidify their spots in the postseason. Here’s a breakdown of how some of the region’s top 8th grade teams performed:
Expressions Elite 2029 Black (2-2 S3, 6-4 Overall)
Expressions got off to a slow start, dropping close games to Team Durant and Team United on Saturday. However, they bounced back strong on Sunday with key wins over Boo Williams and UPlay. Chance Finlayson was a dominant force in the paint while also displaying versatility and playmaking ability. Corey Hadden made a significant impact as well, using his polished skill set to score in bunches.
Team Maine (2-1 S3, 5-4 Overall)
Team Maine came ready to compete, opening the weekend with a 2-0 record on Saturday, including a dominant win over Expressions Elite 2029 Red and a nail-biting victory against Rens United. They fell short in their Sunday morning matchup against Team Thrill UAA. Khaelon Watkins and Carter Brathwaite led the charge with their length, athleticism, and ability to score both at the rim and from the perimeter.
Team Spartans National (2-2 S3, 6-4 Overall)
The Spartans faced tough challenges on Saturday, suffering losses to NY Lightning and Team Thrill. However, they showed resilience on Sunday, securing wins over Team Pennsylvania and DPS. Rayan Taku and Darwin Mendoza continued to be reliable contributors for this squad.
Blue Wave Elite (3-1 S3, 7-3 Overall)
Buying into the notion of defense winning games, Blue Wave left with a 3-1 record and a few strong victories. Nathan Mukuna and Justino Kulenvuka have put themselves on the map with their play for the team as they impact the game on both ends of the court.
Team New England (3-1 S3, 5-5 Overall)
After a bit of a rocky start in December, TNE was able to completely flip that around in the last session with a positive record. 6'3 2029 Marshall Bonny has been a focal point for the team over the past couple years and his upside is very notable.
We’ll have another recap following the MADE Hoops championship weekend February 21-23