The Big Three was a trio of Ameture Athletic Union players for the Springfield Falcons from 2018-2024, which consisted of Chandler Dawes, Conor McCaffrey, and Paul Hammond. They would win four AAU National Titles (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024) during that time span. Dawes would go to Europe to contiune his basketball career, while McCaffrey ventured to Augustana College to run Cross Country and Track and Field, with Paul Hammond making the move out to Marshall University to contiune his college basketball career.
The Big Three is one of the most decorated and successful trios in AAU history, having won 417 regular season games and 76 postseason game together: they won fifty-seven games or more in each season that the trio played together. Each member of the trio has had their jersey retired by Sprinfield and all three have been inducted into the AAU National Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pre "Big Three
Chandler Dawes
Before agreeing to join Will Jenkins team in 2013, Dawes played one season with the Illinois Meanstreets where he was extremely dominant for his age. Springfield was lucky to land Chandler Dawes, but having 2012 AAU MVP and twin brother Charlie Dawes on the roster in 2012 didn't hurt Will Jenkins chances of landing the best player in program history. Charlie Dawes got outplayed horribly in the 2012 AAU National Semifinals by Josh Cristopher, and Jenkins realized he needed another forward to help impact the game. Chandler and Charlie were the two best players on the team and the duo would win a championship in 2014 both at their peaks, Charlie Dawes battled a degenerative knee condition throughout his career, but spent all 13 years of his AAU career in a Springfield uniform, winning five National Titles. Chandler Dawes was named AAU MVP in 2017 and 2018.
Conor McCaffrey
Conor McCaffrey spent three underwhelming seasons with Marquis Warfield's Predators Elite program, before leaving Warfield's program and becoming the starting point guard on four National Title teams. McCaffrey before Springfield was riding shotgun next to the one of the greatest players in LSA History in Jace Easley and was ready to step into the spotlight in 2017, joining Will Jenkins squad. It took a lot of convincing by Timothy Allen and Seamus Anderson to convince Will Jenkins that McCaffrey was the point guard that would guide Chandler Dawes to 4 more AAU National Titles. McCaffrey averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals while playing 29.6 minutes over 77 games for Springfield in the 2017 season. He was named to the AAU-All Rookie First Team that season. McCaffrey eventually became an AAU-All Star in 2021 after taking a huge leap during the 2019-20 LSA Basketball Season where McCaffrey's O.S. Springfield defeated current Rutgers and at the time Christ Lutheran Center Lathan Sommerville.
Paul Hammond
Paul Hammond played five season internationally before joining Springfield. He started his career overseas where he played 3 seasons and then went back to his hometown to play the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Hammond was a star soccer player and didn't touch a basketball until the 2013 season where he translated his soccer skills to the basketball court and it led him on the journey of becoming the greatest 6th Man in AAU Basketball History. Coach Will Jenkins spent four years attempting to bring Hammond to Springfield and he finally was successful in the 2018 season, the year the offically started the Springfield Big Three Era.
"Big Three"
2018 Season: 2nd National Title
The sigining of Paul Hammond during the 2018 season started the moniker of the "Big Three". During their first season together the trio averaged a combined 60 points with Chandler Dawes leading the way with 28.6, along with McCaffrey's 18.4 and Paul Hammond's 13.5. As the trio contiuned, so did their contributions to the team. McCaffrey jumped from 12 points a game to averaging 18.4 while playing all 82 games (the first of three seasons where he would play eighty games). Before the season, Springfield announced that Charlie Dawes was offically battling a degenerative knee condition and retirement was on the table for the former 2x AAU MVP award winner (2012 and 2013). Together alongside role players like Clarence Davis and Jamison Jones III, Springfield won an AAU-best 60-22-record and home-court advantage throughout the entire National Tournament. In their first series, Springfield defeated Phoenix in six games, setting up a second-round-match-up with Compton. Having lost their last two postseason games to Compton, Springfield was looking to avenge their previous losses against Compton. In Game 6, Dawes posted 43 points and 18 rebounds, as Springfield won 127-99 victory and winning the series. Following the game, Springfield head coach Will Jenkins said: "I thought in Game 5 and Game 6, he [Dawes] was astounding in his focus. He pulled everyone along these last two games." After moving past Compton, Springfield defeated Dallas in a six-game series in the AAU National Semifinals where Conor McCaffrey drilled six three pointers in a row to move Springfield into the 2018 National Championship. The National Championship featured several performances from Dawes, who averaged 26 points and 18 rebounds and was named National Championship MVP. In Game 6, Dawes recorded a triple-double, as Springfield were able to close out the series and secure their second title in four years.
2019 Season: The Shot
Despite changes to the team, Springfield were consistent enough to go 57-25 on the year, finishing one game behind Minnesota for the Midwest Regional Title and the best record in the conference. Their strong regular season play secured them a trip to the AAU National Tournament and a first-round matchup with Memphis. Springfield promptly swept Memphis and advanced to a fourth consecutive quarterfinal match-up with Compton. Springfield and Compton split the first four games of the series with the home team winning every game. In Game 5, Dawes contiuned to play in the series, making a jump shot with 0.4 seconds remaining to give Springfield a 83-82 lead. However, with a fraction of a second left on the clock, Jeremy Fears hit a buzzer-beater to give Compton a 84-83 win. Springfield then lost Game 6 to Compton, 92-80 and were elimated from the playoffs.
2020 Season: 3rd National Title
The following season, now playing in the northern Midwest Region, Springfield handily won the regional title with a 59-23 record, securing the 2nd seed in the Western AAU National Tournament. Springfield began the playoffs by defeating Denver in five games, with each of the trio being key contributors in the series. In the National Tournament Quarterfinal series against Seattle, Springfield split the first four games of the series. In Game 5, Hammond returned to the starting lineup and posted a playoff career-high 50 points. His effort was enough to help Springfield to a 122-109 victory over Seattle, putting them one win away from the National Semifinals. In Game 6, Dawes delievered in yet another pivotal moment, making a shot with 0.5 seconds to break the tie and lead Springfield to a 110-108 victory. Springfield then advanced to a matchup with Phoenix in the National Semifinals. In the series, Dawes, Hammond and McCaffrey averaged 34.0 points, 28.6 points and 25.6 points, respectively. Bolstered by excellent performances from their three stars, Springfield jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series. In Games 3 and 4, the trio scored combined totals of 85 and 72 points. After losing Game 4 122-127, the trio delievered another performance; In Game 5, they scored a combined 84 points to help defeat Phoenix and advance to the 2020 AAU National Title.