Shot Clock Invitational Directors Cut

DIRECTORS CUT

First and foremost, thank you to all the teams that bought into my vision and played in the inaugural Shot Clock Invitational | #ShotClockInvite. We got to see a lot of really competitive games in that Low-Major (15U) Division with a lot of promising prospects if they stay the course. Even some teams questioned matchups at first, but in the end, they thanked us for the matchup and the experience as a whole. As a growing company, we strive to put players first and truly meet the need for exposure. Not all exposure is good exposure, you can get exposed, but I studied each team to match them up for what would make for an exciting competitive game. 

My Why?:

Houston complains about the lack of competitiveness within the area. I beg to differ on the situation. The issue isn’t lacking, but it’s almost non-existent throughout the GRASSROOTS (AAU) season locally. I hate to have to use this comparison but the Dallas teams play each other, they don’t care if it is a shoe team or not, and here we have an issue of that. Practice and training are for getting better. Games are to see what a player, coach, and organization needs to get better at. So that is my why for this event. To create a competitive environment for teams to grow from and go out and be better than they were coming in. You don't need to play 3 or 4 games in one weekend to see that. If you have one or two competitive games you can see it.

My Game Reviews:

A short synopsis with game footage. On your smart TV go to YouTube and search for [Ball So Hard TV] and you can find all the games there to watch on the big screen, as well as, all the other content we provide.

Game 1 - Houston Apex NXT vs Team Dominate

I was super excited for this Low-Major matchup. It lived up to what I was hoping for. It was a tremendous way to kick off the event as well. 

Game 2 - TMA 2025 UA-Rise vs Houston Raptors Gold

I was expecting this High-Major matchup to be a dragged-out back-and-forth game. The Raptors didn’t have the size they had when they won the “Dunkin’ On The Coast” event but still came out and competed against a really good The Mile Academy 17U squad. 

Game 3 - Team Dominate vs TMA 2027 UA-Rise

Another Low-Major matchup with some top-ranked 15U squads collide in this one. Both teams have been putting in work all summer. Team Dominate took an unexpected loss to the TMA 2027 NY2LA squad without their best players that weekend. Both teams with strong rosters line it up. 

Game 4 - TTY TX Gold vs Houston Apex NXT

This Low-Major matchup of Adidas Gold vs Puma NXT. Houston Apex is a tall task. I was able to see the competitiveness of TTY TX (Team Trae Young Texas) at the “Dunkin’ On The Coast.”

Game 5 - TTY TX Gold vs Invictus Red Storm Red NXT

This would be the first Mid-Major game of the event and another Adidas Gold vs Puma NXT game. The Red Storm coach told me they wanted to showcase what they got. TTY wanted some smoke so let’s line it up.

Game 6 - TTY TX Gold vs GTE Elite

This High-Major matchup is one that I was intrigued to see. Both teams are very scrappy defensive-driven teams. One team has big-time shooters, while the other features a lot of basket drivers. 

Game 7 - Invictus Red Storm Red NXT vs Team Temple NY2LA

This Mid-Major matchup would feature Puma NXT vs NY2LA. I knew that Invictus Red Storm coming off of a game just one hour earlier would be tough. Team Temple has a good lead guard that is the machine that makes them go.

Game 8 - Team Temple NY2LA vs GTE Elite

A High-Major matchup with a lot of good shooters. I was expecting this one to be filled with trey balls all day long. As both teams have more than one three-point threat on the floor.

Game 9 - Houston Defenders Black vs Team Temple Select

This Low-Major game featured Houston Defenders Black a 14U team who won the Low-Major division at “Dunkin’ On The Coast.” This was a fill-in game for Team Temple Select as the team that was supposed to play was not able to compete.  

Game 10 - Fort Bend Texas Heat vs Houston Apex NXT

This Low-Major game was super exciting and fun to watch. This was not the original matchup at first but I’m glad it worked out to where we got to see these two Puma NXT teams finally collide. Fort Bend Texas Heat plays as GSA Heat on the NXT circuit. Both squads have qualified for the Puma PRO16 Championships and we wish them both the best this was the one-game bump that they didn’t know that they needed. 

Game 11 - Houston Raptors Gold vs Houston Defenders P32

This High-Major matchup of New Balance Prelude vs Adidas Gold. It was the fourth meeting of these two teams in the year. Neither team complained about it either they just played the game. The only sad part is that my equipment didn’t have enough power to stream this one. Christian Hodge a 2025 from St. Francis Episcopal put on a dunk show in this game and Jaxon Woods a 2025 from Barbers Hill was also huge in the win for the Raptors. Trae Lewis a 2025 from Grand Oaks shot the ball well from the perimeter for the Defenders. 

Future Outlook:

With all of the great feedback from the participants (Players and Coaches), parents, referees, and teams not from the area looking to play. The Outlook of the Shot Clock Invitational future is bright. We are excited about what is to come next Grassroot season for this event and the growth of the Greater Houston Basketball Community.

Article by: Geoffrey Day

July 1, 2024

Ball So Hard Network: Owner/National Scout