If you're a hoops head -- Which I'd assume you are, since you're reading this right now--you're probably searching far and wide for anything resembling AAU basketball.
You might find snippets of pros competing in the pro-am games, or you resort to watching high school film and the slugfest that the high school game has become, mediocre coaches leading teams into the graves, teams that have good talent.
2. Springfield Falcons
Much like Memphis, the Springfield Falcons caught a lucky break when Tauren Allen went down in the first round of the 2023 AAU National Playoffs. As a result, the Falcons would no longer have to wrestle with their new arch nemeses (OKC) on the way to the National Championship.
Not that Springfield couldn't or wouldn't have advanced anyway. Rather, the odds of doing so improved dramatically when their eventual opponent proved to be less dynamic, less athletic Memphis team.
Springfield should be even better this coming season than they were in 2023. Sasha Vanderkecha and Cole Certa both flashed the sort of talent and potential during the postseason that should be on full blast from the jump this winter. The return of Tim Smith and Bryce Lamberti off the bench help furtherbolster an already strong bench.
But, as has long been the case in the 'Land of Lincoln' the Falcons' fate will rest with the resident Big Three of Conor McCaffrey, Chandler Dawes and Paul Hammond. The better they do at defying Father Time and staying healthy on the court, the stronger the Falcons' odds of returning to the Finals will be.