TEAM TAKEOVER PREPARES FOR EYBL HOUSTON

5 years ago Team Takover made history by becoming the first team to win Nike’s prestigious EYBL circuit. They did it with the likes of Victor Olapdipo (Orlando Magic) & Jerian Grant (Notre Dame ’15) to name a few. Fast forward to 2015 and the team continues to boast the DMV area’s elite ballers- most of whom, if not all, sign division 1 letters of intent before hanging up their orange and black jerseys.

This year is no different. The Takeover family is an impressive 7-1 in their division going into the second half of the season. No one who knows anything about their roster is a bit surprised. The DMV based squad boasts one of the best three guard combinations in any circuit out there. V.J. King, D.J. Harvey and Chris Lykes are unstoppable off the bounce. The trio is averaging 30 of Takeover’s 66 point per game; Add in speedy floor general Aaron Thompson and they are impeccable at the guard position. Much of the other production is spread among 7 other highly talented players including Pittsburgh commit Corey Manigault and National Christian High School standout Christian Matthews who provide size and athleticism to their system. With a load Division 1 caliber players, it’s no wonder people are predicting that Takeover will be playing on ESPN somewhere in the south this summer. But there is still a lot of work to be done.

Today, the team was preparing for another slate of weekend games that will help to determine their seeding going into the Peach Jam tournament. Thursday night’s preparation was characteristic of a team headed into a 4 game stretch against the upper half of their division. Practice began with lengthy fundamental drills focused on spot shooting and dribble drive moves followed by stretching and fast break action. The second half of practice was geared towards team defense, running through offensive sets.

Head Coach Keith Stevens was all business during practice, warning his team of the task ahead and often stopping play to point out mistakes that typically resulted in push-ups for the group. Stevens who stated “I think we’re playing hard, but I think we need to learn how to execute and make better decisions in certain situations, but overall I’m happy with the effort” will look to build upon his success mid-way through the season. He credits much of that success to the togetherness that his team has exhibited since the beginning. “I think the guy’s relationship among each other [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][has been the key to our success]. They get along on and off the court and they’re playing for each other.”

That camaraderie likely has developed over the years as many of Takeover’s players pair up with one another for their high schools either in head to head competition or as teammates. It has given them a level of familiarity unlike other summer programs. As they travel the country and even beyond (they play in Puerto Rico in July) together, one can only wonder where this team ranks among Takeover’s great teams but regardless of the placement you can rest assure they’ll be right in the conversation for #1 down south come July.

x Martinis Jackson

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