MSI Invitational
June 1 - June 2, 2019
IndiHoops traveled to the state Texas to see what would be the last youth tournament covered in person before IndiWorld4 - June 28-30th.
The MSI Invitational is usually on Memorial Day weekend but was moved a week out to accommodate Dallas for the big shoe branded events for HS among others.
Look for our 9u-14u aau team rankings to be updated shortly.
Talented players and teams represented states from as far away as Atlanta and Baltimore and even a team from Puerto Rico - Dallas, hero, and champion JJ Barea elite.
Urban ASAK took the 14u division, and credit to the coach, as it was a complete group effort all around. MVPs below.
We could not cover all the action in this event but look forward to next year to see the development here. Apologize in advance if we missed you. But this is what we saw:
Breakout Team:
Freebandz Elite (GA) - A program that is owned by rapper Future and Young Scooter, Freebandz has been making a lot of noise recently. However, this should serve notice of their coming out party at the 2024 level. They beat EA Ducks in the final and I can confidently say that this is one of the best 2024 teams in that nation.
Young Prospects:
Again, could not believe how good the younger graders are getting. The championship game was unbelievable between Lightning Elite and Chaos Elite. Team Thrill won the 3rd grade division coming all the way from Baltimore.
Breakout Player
Zyhir Wilson 2025 - Zyhir averaged over 30+ a game for the EA Ducks 2025 team that won the championship from Oklahoma. He is a strong, attacking guard with a lot of composure and great handle. Great vision and seems a lot more advanced than most in this division. I told him I want to see him go to a pull up more, as I know he can get to the rim at will, but that will come in handy. Zyhir Wilson is definitely one of the best players in the country at this grade at this level. Reggie of EA Ducks, did a great job as a whole - showcasing his big program and great teams at many different levels. His 6th won a championship and 7th were runners up in the final.
Champions:
8th Grade: Urban ASAK
MVPS: Tory Simmons Jr & Warren Flaming
7th Grade: Freebandz Elite
MVP: Marcellus Brigham
6th Grade: EA Ducks (OK)
EA Ducks (OK)
MVP: Zyhir Wilson
5th Grade: Drive Nation Fort Worth
4th Grade: Chaos
3rd Grade: Team Thrill
See you soon,
Brian
P.S. - Make sure to check out www.indilockers.com