Select Super 16 to take over Paducah this weekend

AthElite Sports Management, along with the Under Armour Premier Team Network and SI Select, will host the second Select Super 16 tournament in Paducah, Kentucky.

After a successful inaugural tournament, the Select Super 16 tournament is back and looking to up the ante. It has doubled its registered teams total from last year, with 100 teams participating in the event over the weekend. The teams will play all weekend, with games beginning Saturday morning and ending Sunday afternoon.

The tournament will feature a plethora of notable upgrades, hosting a live DJ at games, providing photo packages through 618 SportsPix, team and individual mixtapes through HoopReelz, and livestreaming certain games courtesy of LeBlond Productions through Facebook.

The tournament has not only expanded, it is bringing in some big names. Teams such as the Adidas sponsored Alabama Celtics, the Memphis Bulls, Team Manimal, which is sponsored by Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried, and others former NBA players' teams like Dontae’ Jones.

The teams also have players receiving national recognition at the college level. Schools such as West Virginia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Portland, Bethune-Cookman, SIUC, SIUE, Morehead State and UNLV have all been in contact with some of the players and teams competing this weekend.

Despite the many big names, AthElite Sports Management Founder and CEO Sam Swinford believes it won’t be an easy road for those big teams to reach the championship in any age group. Swinford expects every single team to come in with a killer mindset and play at a high level.

“I expect teams from across the country to come in with one goal,” Swinford said. “To win, and to do whatever it takes to get there. I expect all 130 games to be "cut throat" competitive while also maintaining a fun atmosphere.”

While every team wants to go out and claim the win, the ultimate goal of AAU basketball is to help the players reach their goal of playing at the next level. As longtime AAU player and advocate, Swinford understands the importance of AAU basketball.

“AAU helped me get my name to a ton of college coaches that I wouldn't have ever reached if I hadn't have played,” Swinford said. “It is now rare for college coaches to ever take time away from their busy winter schedule to watch one player in a high school game on a Friday night- they'd much rather recruit at an AAU event where they could see a thousand different kids all in one weekend that are competing for their attention.”

Swinford said AAU not only helps you better yourself as a basketball player, it helps you prepare yourself for the long grind of a student athlete on and off the court.

“It definitely helps you prepare for the next level,” Swinford said. “Because much like college athletics, in AAU you are often times playing in a big game Sunday evening, riding in a van 5 hours home, getting to bed at 1 am, and having to wake up and go to class and then practice later that day. I definitely wouldn't have been ready for the grind of college athletics if it wasn't for AAU.”

The tournament will be hosted at three venues. The Paducah Sportsplex, McCracken County High School, and Heath Middle School will host the games. Players and teams will get their opportunity to standout in their respective age divisions, with the first game of the tournament kicking off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 7.

Editor's Note: Admission for spectators is $20 for an adult weekend pass, $10 for a child (under 13) weekend pass. This gives access to all 130 games played this weekend.

AthElite Sports Management's Select Super 16 Watchlist:

13u Division- Invite only (8 teams)

Teams to watch: Under Armour PTN Member SI Select, DMG Elite Memphis, EGR Ballers

Players to watch:

Jordan Mabe 5-8 G (Top 50 in Coast2Coast Rankings) SI Select

Ethan Pendleton 6-3 F Owensboro, KY SI Select

Gavin Grubbs 5-9 G Trigg County, KY SI Select

14u Division- 20 Teams (Invite Only)

Teams to watch: Adidas Alabama Celtics, Capitol City Teamwork, Team Manimal (Kenneth Faried), SEMO Bulls

Players to watch:

Ray Ray Bardo 5-10 G Wolfpack of Southern Illinois

Olajuwon White 6-5 F Team Manimal

Danye Frazier 6-0 Madisonville Elite

Brighton Walker 6-7 Madisonville Elite

15u Division- 20 Teams (Invite Only)

Teams to watch: Adidas Memphis Bulls, Under Armour PTN member SI Select, Adidas Alabama Celtics

Players to watch:

Marquan Dean 6-2 CG Memphis Bulls

Jamal Andereson 6-6 SF Memphis Bulls

Mason Blakemore 6-0 PG SI Select (Top 100 AthElite Rankings)

Luke Braman 6-9 C SI Select

Matt Sells 6-3 G SI Select

Kendric Adams 6-3 F SI Select (Recently invited to prestigious Fab Frosh Camp)

Calvin Jennings 6-2 G TNBC Elite

DeMarcus Sanford Jr. 6-2 G Saint Louis Blazers

Braden Bryant 6-0 G SI Select

Miles McGowen 6-6 F SI Select

Donye Johnson 5-10 G SI Select

16u Division- 16 Teams (Invite Only)

Teams to watch: Adidas Alabama Celtics, Mississippi Spartans, Adidas NYBA/Team Tae 2020 (Dontae’ Jones,) Irvin Select, Motor City Bad Boys, Under Armour STL Shooting Stars

Players to watch:

Julian Walker 6-3 G Motor City Bad Boys

Terrence Thomas 6-2 G Illinois Icemen

Kameryn Hubbard 6-6 F Irvin Select

Corey Boston 6-0 G PG Adidas Alabama Celtics

Eric Shaw 6-6 F Adidas Alabama Celtics

Kobe Brents 5-10 G NYBA/Team Tae

Daniel Taylor 6-10 C Adidas NYBA/Team Tae

Ashenfe Desta 6-7 F adidas NYBA/Team Tae

17u Division- 24 Teams (Invite Only)

Teams to watch: Under Armour PTN member SI Select, Under Armour PTN STL Shooting Stars, Mississippi Spartans Elite, Adidas Alabama Celtics, Adidas Memphis Bulls, RAW Athletics