“The 2013 Team (Part II)”

What you may or want to believe about this next topic is your opinion. However, the 2013 Swoosh National Championships in Las Vegas was not the finest hour of Team Industry Basketball. The elements leading up to the event and the elements surrounding the event caused one of the most infamous moments of the 2013 season.

Prior to the Swoosh National Championships, Industry was going in to Vegas without four players. Three of the four players were apart of the crucial eight man rotation that contributed to Industry going 14-6 the first half of the season. With four players out, Industry was left with only eight players to play in a stacked Varsity bracket that featured 2013 runner ups Alaska Gold, Las Vegas Lakers, Bolingbrook Elite, and the eventual 2013 Fab 48 Bronze Champions and Swoosh National Champions Simply Fundamental.

Despite being inexperienced in Las Vegas tournaments, Industry knew it would have to dig deep in order to capture their first National Championship in program history. After going through five schedule changes, Team Industry’s first opponent was the Las Vegas Lakers. Industry fought hard in the first half but was unable to capitalize in the second half as the Lakers defeated Industry by 21 points. After a meeting with his players later that evening, Coach Troy told his players there was still hope in the water to get to the Championship game. It will eventually have to take a much better effort for 40 minutes the next two games.

“Day one is behind us and we must put on a much better effort come day two if we want to survive.”

-Coach Troy

As day one concluded, day two would eventually turn out to be the exact opposite of what Coach Troy said. In fact, day number two can be described…..as a nightmare. Team Industry took on Bolingbrook Elite from Chicago in their first game. With a 13 turnover performance, Team Industry lost 34-63 giving Team Industry not only their worst loss of the season, but also ended their shot at a National Championship.

Because of the lack of effort given by the players, following the game the boys ran in the outside parking lot. Fed up with attitudes and fed up with the overall effort, Coach Troy did what very little travel ball coaches would do. Unfortunately this didn’t sit well with several players as Industry would go into the next game with seven players with Coach Troy suspending one of his starters. Eventually Industry fell to their next opponent Simply Fundamental 37-59. After a meeting with several parents, it was decided that Team Industry would forfeit their fourth and final game of the tournament.

In the weeks that followed, Team Industry would lose three players and there were questions surrounding the remainder of the season. However, Industry would repackage and acquire two new players to the roster. Their names were David Gonzales of San Gabriel High School and Andres Flores from St Anthony’s Middle School. In addition to the new players, Team Industry also brought on the older brother of point guard Jason Reyes, Jonathan Reyes to help coach Team Industry. With the NBN Bring the Noise Tournament on the horizon, Industry would learn the names of their next opponents……..HeadStart, The Big Ballers, and the Blue Devils.

Now what makes this unique is not because of the first two teams mentioned, but the name of the third team mentioned. The Blue Devils made up of the three former Industry players that formed their own team to compete in the Bring the Noise Tournament. After defeating HeadStart in day one of the tournament, Team Industry knew day two was going to be a long day. In the first game Industry took on the Blue Devils in what was one of the most anticipated games of the season. Struggling early against their zone, Industry regained their focus and took the lead in the second half. Eventually Industry capitalized on their opponent by installing Coach Troy’s infamous “Under Two” offense against them with five minutes to go in the game. Dealt with a mixed reaction, Coach Troy knew what he was doing the ENTIRE time as Industry held on for the win.

The second game however, will go down as the most MEMORABLE game of the season as Team Industry took on the Big Ballers with a shot of ending the tournament undefeated. Described as a sea saw matchup, Team Industry and the Big Ballers battled it out for two halves as the Big Ballers led towards the end of the game by three. However, it was the turnaround and-one three pointer that tied the game with ten seconds left in regulation in which sent the game in overtime. In overtime, both teams continue to battle it out, but it was Juan Covarrubias’ three pointer that gave Industry a two point lead with eight seconds left. After a nearly made half-court attempt by LaMelo Ball, Edvin Peraza captured the rebound that gave Industry a 17-9 record and their second undefeated tournament of the season. This game also provided the curtain call for its lone senior Fhorest Padilla as he played in his final game in an Industry uniform.

Team Industry would later go on to complete the rest of their season as promised going 6-2 and capturing two second place finishes in the Swoosh Labor Day Classic and the NBN Labor Day Tournament. Team Industry would finish the 2013 season with an overall record of 22-11.

A lot can be said about the events that happened in Vegas. Whether spoken positively or negatively, Vegas changed the foundation of Team Industry Basketball. We saw the culmination of two brothers, role players became starters, new players stepped up, and the future was shown right before our very eyes. Things may not always seem black and white because change eventually comes. How we choose to move on is simply up to us. Say what you want, but there’s no doubt Vegas was the best thing to happen to Team Industry because without Vegas……….. it wouldn’t have led to this……………….

To Be Continued…….

Next Entry: “The Dream Team (2014 17u Team)”