Thunder Struck- Indi World Championship Team Preview

Location: Gainesville, FL

Coach: Vernnis Jenkins (owned by Matt Brush)

Key Players:

6’2 PG Walter Clayton

6’5 SF Ernest Ross

6’6 SF Tysean Daniels

Social Media Accounts:

Twitter: @BBallWinners

Facebook: Facebook.com/TSAthletics

About Thunder Struck:

By providing access to both academic and behavioral services plus high level team play, Thunder Struck drives players to focus, recommit and achieve. The end result? Improved behaviors, academic success and athletic precision, plus a critical edge that helps countless Thunder Struck players get recruited, earn sports scholarships and, overall, get ahead — not just in high school and college, but in life. Our mission is simple: no matter a child’s financial, academic, interpersonal or athletic ability, they can find a home here, at Thunder Struck.

Interview with Owner Matt Brush:

How did you first hear about the Indi World Championships?

We first heard about them last summer. Brian reached out and expressed interest in us attending the event.

How do San Diego tournaments compare to those in other parts of the country? 

The weather is perfect…Florida is hot and humid in the summer so the weather is a wonderful break.   With the focus only on a select number of 14U teams the feel is much more intimate.  Playing games in one gym and ability to see all teams playing is fantastic.  The teams in this event are across the board the most fundamental teams we face all year in one single tournament.  Typical tournaments you may run into one or two teams out of 40 or 50 but here it’s nearly all teams…very impressive.

You guys won the Indi World Champions event last year. How difficult will it be to defend your title knowing every team will be after you?

We go into every tournament with the attitude that we are there to win it but understand that if our guys do not play at their best we will lose.  We’re super excited that teams will be gunning for us…the competitor in me loves it!  It will be our most challenging tournaments for sure.

How does this years club compare to last years club that attended?

This team hasn’t played together nearly as much as last year’s team.  We won’t be athletic as last year but probably a better overall shooting team.

Who are some of your top players? 

6’2 PG Walter Clayton

6’5 SF Ernest Ross

6’6 SF Tysean Daniels

What separates the Thunder Struck from the rest of the AAU teams out there? 

This is certainly not a knock on other programs but we feel like we have a wonderful culture and an excitement about the game of basketball that inspires our kids to play at their best.  Kids want and love to play with Thunder Struck!

If you could describe the Thunder Struck program and players in one word, what would it be? 

AMAZING