The 2022 AAU National Championship was the championship tournament of the AAU's 2022 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Illinois State Champion Springfield Falcons defeated the Ohio State Champion Cleveland Shockers in a 4-0 sweep. This was Cleveland's first trip to the National Championship in their history and Springfield's fourth. Conor McCaffrey was named the series 'MVP. The series was on ESPN+ and covered heavily by ESPN and the AAU Network.
Game Summaries
Game 1
Springfield 86 - Cleveland 76
Cleveland entered the 2022 National Championship as newcomers. Game 1 was their first National Championship game in history, and the first for each one of its players. However, Springfield had been to the National Championship in three of the past eight seasons, winning a championship each time. With solid performances by Chandler Dawes, Conor McCaffrey, and Paul Hammond, Springfield won the series opener in convincing fashion.
Game 2
Springfield 103 - Cleveland 92
Springfield took a stanglehold on momentum in Game 2. Springfield's big three or better known as "The Soaring Falcons" overwhelmed Cleveland and Springfield led by as many as 29 in the third quarter. They dominated the game during the first three quarters and played show-time basketball. A furious 25-6 rally by Cleveland in the final quarter wasn't enough as Springfield took a 2-0 series lead.
Game 3
Springfield 75 - Cleveland 72
As a team Cleveland only shot 36%, but out-rebounded Springfield 48-41. On the game's final play, Cleveland missed a potential game tying 3-pointer, a 29 foot bomb that hit front rim and bounced off.
Game 4
Springfield 83 - Cleveland 82
Springfield started out strong through the first three quarters, leading by as many as 11. Cleveland would stage a rally near the end of the third quarter and the first five minutes of the fourth, scoring 14 consecutive points to take its first second-half lead of the series. However, Springfield would stage a 12-3 rally of their own to retake the lead and win the series in a 4-0 sweep.
Aftermath
After winning their 4th National Championship Title and there 3rd in five seasons, Springfield players such as Jamison Jones III and Jake Pollen were looking to move on to bigger roles on other AAU Teams. Outside of Dawes, McCaffrey and Hammond, along with an injuried and defensive minded Charlie Dawes, the roster of Springfield was considerably weaker, losing key role players.
Springfield and head coach Will Jenkins was forced to retool the roster, after which they were good enough to appear in the 2023 AAU National Championship where they fell to Miami in a hard fought seven game series.