Yes, a Nike program whose name will go unmentioned that was the event organizer failed to get the paperwork in to the NCAA in a proper or timely fashion as I understand it.

 

This isn't a new issue for Nike. They failed to certify the LeBron Camp a few years back and tried to push off blame then as well. Same thing happened this year if you want to dig deeper.

 

Bottom line. If you are running open evaluation events with your MEGA brand as the headline, you better not end up in the situation this has created. It's a bad look any way you spin it...

I hear there is a Peach 24 Select going on the same time as Peach Jam, anyone hear anything on this event?

Yes, a Nike program whose name will go unmentioned that was the event organizer failed to get the paperwork in to the NCAA in a proper or timely fashion as I understand it. It was a heavyweight Nike program, but obviously their mistake made it a less than desirable situation for Nike. Nike has been working to place their impacted programs in a suitable NCAA certified event based on region and other factors. For instance the Travelers (16U & 17U) are attending the Best of the South live event held in the Atlanta area at the Suwanee Sports Academy.

 

This is the facility and event organizer where the Nike Memorial Day Classic is held each year. It is also 4 miles from North Gwinnett High School where the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Finals are being held with the Top 16 Adidas teams from the 16U & 17U Adidas Gauntlet. Since the events are being held nearby and over the same period it worked out pretty well as to compared to what could have been a disaster as pointed out. It will not be a Nike exclusive event as the EYI was intended, but this event had over 120 teams from solid grassroots programs last year and is said to be growing.

 

It is a case of taking the lemon and making lemonade. Not sure if any other KY based team is going there or not.

 

Yeah I believe that's where we will be as well. Only 16 Adidas teams are invited to Atlanta per age group? Where will the rest of the Adidas teams going?

Yeah I believe that's where we will be as well. Only 16 Adidas teams are invited to Atlanta per age group? Where will the rest of the Adidas teams going?

 

Adidas Invitational in Indy mostly...

Hate that so many programs will have to move their schedules around. It's a real pain to get a July schedule together and then send it to coaches and parents then have to change the whole thing.

You would make things a lot easier if you didn't post stuff like this. The people that run SSA (see Justin Young) have no input on the Nike MDC field. They do host the event, but are not involved in any portion of the MDC other than that.

It is a Georgia Stars run tournament...

 

I agree that the MDC field is determined by Norman Parker and his GA Star's organization as is another event that is actually named after him. He obviously promotes his events and collects registration fees, but my association of the MDC and SSA is on the basis that he works very closely with SSA (Justin/HoopsSeen) on each of these events as they are hosted there, co-promoted, and the operational staff of SSA performs on his behalf at his events.

 

Not sure what you mean by making things easier by not posting stuff, but to the teams/players experiencing the tournament held at SSA there is not a tangible difference between Norman's events held there and the events that HoopSeen owns.

This isn't a new issue for Nike. They failed to certify the LeBron Camp a few years back and tried to push off blame then as well. Same thing happened this year if you want to dig deeper.

 

Bottom line. If you are running open evaluation events with your MEGA brand as the headline, you better not end up in the situation this has created. It's a bad look any way you spin it...

 

Spin or not, the fact is that Nike has programs like GA Stars, Boo Williams, & Team Takeover (for example) that through their Nike sponsorship contract can produce tournaments or camps utilizing the Nike branding. I am not disagreeing with what you are saying about the LeBron Camp because I do not know whose property that is, but in the case of the EYI it was not on "Nike" to certify the event. That responsibility lies with the program who is producing the tournament. Obviously Nike needs to better monitor the execution of their programs to the extent they can or they will suffer the brand damage resulting from a Nike program's lack of proper execution as you point out.

I just saw where the 17U and 16U schedules have been released for the Adidas Finals, and Quentin Goodin will be playing there with Indiana Elite. I believe he is the only KY kid that will be playing in this event at the 17U level... In the 16U age group, EG10 qualified and will have 1 or 2 KY kids as well. Are there any other teams or players I may be missing that qualified?

The 17U and 16U schedules have been released for the Nike Peach Jam and 2017 Taylor County PG David "Day Day" Sloan will be playing there with the St. Louis Eagles. He is the only KY kid that will be playing in this event at the 17u level.

 

In the 16U age group, We All Can Go qualified and will have Kyran Jones and Terry Taylor from Bowling Green playing (just added this week) but I think those are their only KY kids. Are there any other teams or players I may be missing that qualified?

The Adidas All In Classic is in Cincy that same weekend also. 7-17 ~ 7-19 and is NCAA certified.

 

Eddie Ford's Kentucky Hoop Fest is 7-15~7-19 is also certified.

 

I was told today at KBA that Hoop Fest was not that good of an event anymore.