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Boo Williams keeps title home

HAMPTON, VA. - The 2005 Boo Williams Invitational kicked off the start of what appears to be a great AAU season. With talent from all over the country making the trek to the Tidewater area, it came down to several local programs - including Boo Williams' own team - on championship Sunday and guys like Scotty Reynolds came up big on the final day of action.
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There were a lot of people that picked Boo Williams Summer League to make a strong run for the championship of their own tournament. The reasons why are numerous. Just look down their loaded bench. That depth, along with the play of Scotty Reynolds and Vernon Macklin, helped the host team claim a 81-65 over a young and talented Houston Hoops program.
After going through Team Texas and the D.C. Blue Devils in the tournament play, Boo Williams had knocked out two of the tournament's top teams. The Houston Hoops weren't a slouch program either. The Texans gave BWSL a strong run for 28 minutes.
Reynolds was on again, capping off a great week for the 6-foot scoring point guard. He finished with a game high 23 points and showed off his great shooting. The Herndon, Va. native showed that he's not just a jump shooter. He knows how to use his body when driving to the lane for scores and knows how to shield defenders away from the basketball. All and all, it was a fantastic weekend for the class of 2006 prospect.
Macklin was up and down at the tournament but he finished strong with 23 points and nearly half of those coming off of his trademark athleticism. He knows how to sky with the best of them. The 6-foot-10 forward did put the ball on the floor and attacked from 10 feet out. The five-star prospect said he's looking at the NBA still but UNC, Wake, Maryland and Georgetown check in on his top four schools.
Stefan Welsh helped the cause with 16 points in the victory. He started the tournament off a little slow but ended with a bang. From 12 feet and in, Welsh was money with his jumper. The 6-foot-2 guard was automatic by putting in everything he shot up after dribbling a couple of times to the elbows. That's his bread and butter on the offensive end.
Then the depth came alive. Guys like Duke Crews, Chris Wright, Lewis Witcher and L.D. Williams all had their moments of importance to help seal the victory.
From start to finish, this Boo Williams club lived up to the hype all week. They wanted to start strong and they did just that. There aren't a lot of complaints with the effort shown by this club.
The Houston Hoops weren't going to let it be an easy victory. Led by Damian James, a newly committed University of Oklahoma recruit, the Hoops rode the versatility of the 6-foot-8 big man all game long. You'll never fault James for selling short. He's a full effort guy that brings it every game.
With his size, he's got a world of pro potential because of what he does. He can shoot it. He can defend. His court vision is solid. The Texan attacks from the wing with the dribble. Not really a great athlete, James knows just how good he is with his size. He has the intangibles and he's just now figuring out how to use them. It was a great week for James here. He looked very relaxed.
There have been many things said about future Arizona recruit Nic Wise, some good, some bad. Regardless of all of that, you can always say this about the 5-foot-9 guard. He's a winner. He finds a way to win. That's the bottom line. He just finds a way to get it done. He only scored 10 points against Boo Williams but he made the right plays.
Against a feisty Metro Hawks team, Wise scored 23 points to help push the Hoops to the championship game.
Boo Williams advanced to the championship game by beating the D.C. Blue Devils 66-56 in the early morning contest. Kevin Durant was doing what he has been doing all week and that was coming down the court and knocking home a handful of three-pointers. But on Sunday morning the 6-foot-9 forward was sinking home NBA range buckets.
Durant finished with 15 points, including a trio of three-pointers. It was his rebounding, however, that really shined through in the loss. He was quick off of his feet and used his long arms to snatch rebounds out of the air. Durant was able to get into good position and fight off Macklin for boards.
On one rebound, Durant took the ball coast to coast for the school. He created off of the dribble for pull up jumpers and showed that he's more than just catch and shoot.
The Blue Devils eventually gave up the lead because of an injury to Durant's eye that took him out of the game.
Tywon Lawson didn't have quite the game he had last night against Team Texas (31 points) against Boo Williams. Lawson scored just one field goal on a strong move to the bucket and sank home all eight of his free throw attempts.
Official Boo Williams 17 and under all-tournament team
MVP - Kevin Durant
Nic Wise
Spencer Hawes
Darrell Arthur
Tywon Lawson
Scotty Reynolds
Baltimore is rich with young talent
It wasn't the prettiest of games of all time but being pretty isn't a requisite for winning basketball games. Team Melo went to overtime to beat Boo Williams-Chatman 47-45 for the championship in the 16 and under division.
Carmelo Anthony, a Baltimore native, is giving back to his community by putting his name on this group of talented young men. Led by Malcolm Delaney, Donte Greene and Sean Mosley's combined 41 points, the squad was able to squeeze by just enough for the championship.
Delaney and Greene, teammates at Baltimore's Towson Catholic HS, are two high-major prospects to keep your eye on 2007. Delaney, a great combo guard, is a great looking young guard. He's tough, hard-nosed, no-nonsense kind of guy that can put it on the floor, defend and lead. He said he's hearing from Clemson, UConn, Georgetown, Georgia, Louisville, Maryland, NC State and Syracuse.
Greene, a nice-looking 6-foot-8 forward, is a long and athletic big man that snatches rebounds and puts them into a vice grip. He's got the tools to become one of the very best forwards in his class. It's no surprise that UConn, Georgetown, Maryland and UNC all dot his list.
Stay logged onto Rivals.com for more from the 2005 Boo Williams Invitational, including more notes from Sunday as well as final look back at the guys that stood out and those that didn't live up to their reputation.
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