McCants, Charlotte Royals Win

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA -- Rashad McCants will admit it wasn't his great performance. But McCants, the competitor he is, was just as happy to get a win, 88-65, opening pool round of the National AAU tournament.

McCants scored just six points but his biggest contribution was as a playmake. We counted five assists during yesterday's win over Franklin Hoops, a team that appeared to be an easy kill but hung tough right up until the final minutes.

McCants, headed to North Carolina, had the eyes of Tar Heels head coach Matt Doherty and assistant coach Fred Quartlebaum on him during yesterday afternoon's game. McCants, who also picked up five rebounds, had trouble knocking down his shot.

However, McCants' teammate, Isiah Hunter did not. It was due to Hunter's fast offensive start that the Royals surged to a 41-30 halftime lead. The lead increased to 59-39. Then the Franklin Hoops made a run as Adam Brock (16 points) and Phillip Williams (14 points) along with Joseph Sanders (nine points) all made a contribution to cut the deficit to less than double digits.

But the talent of the Royals was too much to overcome as Hunter (19 points) and Timon Farley (10 points) each hit some key buckets and free throws at the end.