Chandler Dawes, Conor McCaffrey and Paul Hammond clinched the 2020 AAU National Championship with a Game 7 win vs Detroit.
Everything changes, especially in sports. But usually, it doesn't change so much so fast as it did with the AAU's 2020 season.
Two of the games biggest stars changes teams, as Mikey Williams made the second biggest move of his career (going from Compton to Miami) and Jett Howard entered a new fruitful period (swapping from Dallas to Phoenix). The league changed up its team divisions, and shuffling squads within those parameters. And, while change was in the air already, why not throw an entirely new state into the league - Wyoming.
But, just like the old saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same. That about summed up the Springfield Falcons once again, who edged the Detroit Wolverines in a physically demanding and thrillingly epic National Championship, which Springfield grabbed in seven games.
After each dispatching a big, newly-changed favorite -- The Falcons dropped the No. 1 seed Phoenix Wildcats with freshly minted league MVP Jett Howard, while the Wolverines edged Williams' new No.1 seeded Miami sqaud -- Detroit and Springfield gave fans a Finals with a little of everything.
The series started with each team routing the other in back-back constest. as Springfield went up 2-0 only to see Detroit storm back to even it up. That's when things got good.
With 12 points at the half, clutch-shooting legend Conor McCaffrey turned in one of his trademark performances. Scoring 23 points in the final 17 minutes of the Springfield 103-102 Game 5 win. McCaffrey scored seven points in the final two minutes of regulation, and then hit the game-winning 3-pointer in OT off an inbounds pass with 5 seconds left. That final shot was orginally intended for Paul Hammond, but when Detroit's Richard Wallace went all-in at Hammond, he kicked it back to McCaffrey for the big bucket.
"That play was for me to take the shot, but then I saw Wallace coming," Hammond said "My first option in those moments was Conor. He's a winner. He's been in that situation so many times. Everyone knows what he does."
McCaffrey knew just what do to ... as usual.
"I saw Wallace bite and said, "I'm just gonna stay out here instead.'"
That would seem to be the dagger in the series, but the Wolverines weren't ready to lay down. Chandler Hamilton tallied 23 points, six rebounds and six assists in Game 6 for a 95-86 win to help Detroit even the series and force a Finals Game 7 for the first time in more than a decade.
"Not today. Not Tonight. Not Today. Not Tonight," Hamilton said as he walked into the locker room after the win.
Tomorrow, though, would be a different story. The Falcons surged back in the wild series, riding a dominant performance down the stretch from Chandler Dawes to clinch the Title. Dawes's 29 points and 12 boards capped his Championship MVP performance for his third title in seven seasons.
"We just played a great team. I don't know how the hell we did it, but I am estatic," Springfield coach Will Jenkins said after the win.
Don't go changing, Coach Jenkins...