ArizonaPreps.com - AZ Red Shirts bring the heat to Los Angeles

October 23, 2009

Jeff Wodrich
ArizonaPreps.com Publisher

It took thousands of hours of personal training, hundreds of hours in practice, four months of tournament play, lots of dedication and two large vans to get the Arizona Red Shirts to the NCAA recruiting tournaments this past July, but they made it.

Emerging from the two sizeable vehicles it takes to accommodate these larger-than-average teenagers (at 15 and 16 years old the average player's size is 6-3 and 210 pounds), the Arizona Red Shirts arrived for the last leg of their summer tournaments.

With determination on their faces, the team formed a long line as they marched across the parking lot to the gymnasium. Maybe it was natural, maybe it was a show of solidarity (or just the playfulness of teenagers mimicking the Dream Team ads) either way, when you see this team, you know they're a determined and focused group of teenagers.

The Arizona Red Shirts were in Los Angeles to compete at the Double Pump Adidas Invitational Best of Summer Tournament - 2009. This annual tournament brings together the top basketball talent from around the country, and gives the players a chance to see what they're made of as they compete under the watchful eye of hundreds of NCAA college coaches. A few of these recruiters came early to the Arizona Red Shirts' games, specifically to watch some of their players. No pressure, right?

If the players were feeling any anxiety as they stepped onto the court at LA's Loyola Marymount University each day, they didn't show it, and their performance certainly proved they had earned their place in the tournament.

The players began their week at Double Pump with an NCAA briefing at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) before stepping out on the court. They would split their playing time between the LMU gymnasium and the famous HAX facility, the same gym that legendary players before them have come through. Coming off of a win and placing second in their pool, the players felt strong walking into their fourth day of tournaments at HAX.

When it was all said and done, the Arizona Red Shirts' two teams from the 2009 club season emerged runners up in the 15U and 16U AAU Arizona state championships, medaling in their first invitational tournament and playing strong to finish second in the pool at the Adidas-sponsored event. The only two losses experienced by the 16U while playing the Double Pump Adidas invitational were losses to the top one and two ranked teams in the country, who eventually played for the championship on the final day.

The Arizona Red Shirts may have suffered defeat at the hands of the best 16U team in the country, but it also allowed some of the players to gain notice. The California Supreme and a team from Ohio had nine Division-1 prospects among the two teams, and a couple of NBA-level athletes that could possibly be "one and done" players. When a player from Arizona takes one of these recognized future NBA level athletes to the rack, shoots over them, or plays tough "D," it shines a light on the Arizona Red Shirts players for all to see.

"The bottom line is if one of our players, or our team can take it to one of these 'marquee', handpicked high school players and nationally sponsored teams at the NCAA recruiting tournaments, then they earn a place to play in college," says Club Coach Brian Fabiano. "Our job as a club is to get these players to as many of the NCAA recruiting tournaments as possible, so they can showcase their ability to play at the higher levels of basketball. Without the travel to these tournaments these players would not be noticed by college coaches as the majority of them never make it to Arizona to see them play."

The 16U sophomores had a very strong showing at the invitational, leading up to the 16U team Adidas-sponsored Basketball Congress International (BCI) - most of the game before losing by 6 points. This season the 15U Red Shirts freshmen suffered a key set back when their 6-foot-7 center, Jake Cooper, was injured and unable to play, but they still beat the Colorado Champs (AAU state champions) and the Alexandria Kings (AAU state champions) from Virginia in pool play.

Both Arizona Red Shirts teams made a phenomenal effort in this year's tournament, and proved that an Arizona team can hold their own against fierce competition at a national level.

As a team that consists of most of the same players it's had since grade school, a rarity in club sports, the Arizona Red Shirts continue to display their strength as a team. Their increased physical capabilities, dedication and focus to their game and year-round commitment to training have led this team to be one of the top in their peer group.

As Coach Fabiano puts it, "This is a great group of players that just keeps getting better as they get older. They are committed young men who pay the price, pursuing their personal excellence and dream of playing basketball in college."

At the end of the Double Pump tournament, the team spent time on the Santa Monica Pier to let off some steam and enjoy the ocean view. You could find the Arizona Red Shirts at the basketball toss booth on the pier trying to win a custom basketball, which almost every player achieved. The game operator commented that he gave out more basketballs to Arizona Red Shirts players than he had given out in the last month. But it was after the sun went down that the party really started.

The Arizona Red Shirts took to the Santa Monica Promenade, line dancing with the street performers, which resulted in an all-out party for anyone who wanted to join. At one point, the exhibition and observers were 50 strong and included everyone from kids to grandparents enjoying a cool California evening.

The next day, the Arizona Red Shirts were back home in Phoenix to get ready for their high school seasons. The players will be starting their school year season now, and you can find some of them as top players on their high school teams. In fact, the Arizona Red Shirts are comprised of some of the top players from 10 different high schools across the valley. From Caesar Chavez to Desert Mountain, these boys unite each year to compete as a group on the national circuit, possibly earning another chance to catch the eye of college recruiters by demonstrating their ability to play with the best nationally.

About The Arizona Red Shirts

The Arizona Red Shirts, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based youth basketball club, have been playing as a team since kindergarten, and are considered one of the better 15U and 16U AAU/club teams in the state.

The team is a non-profit organization with a mission of community outreach, utilizing basketball as a means to teach future business leadership.

Club organizer Brian Fabiano established the team as a vehicle to ensure that hard-working young men, who might otherwise be overlooked, get a chance to be seen by college programs. The Arizona Red Shirts players have all committed to harness their athletic skills in order to build a platform for their education to one day become team leaders of our community.

For more information or to see the players' profiles, visit www.redshirtsbasketball.com.

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