Kenny Goldman Basketball League Crowns Spring Champions

Champions were crowned on the basketball court Sunday at the as the Kenny Goldman Basketball League brought its season to a conclusion.

While the season was a success, the championship games were more lopsided than in the past — the closest game of the day ended with a 10-point victory.

The team 10 and Under Evolution, coached by Brandon Neely, started the theme of blowouts early, defeating Run n Gun 41-21. Utilizing a quick-strike offense off of its opponent's turnovers, the Evolution completed an undefeated season.

"We get in the gym on Saturdays and work on that, the fast break and fundamentals," Neely said. "That's what it is all about, hitting your shots and taking advantage of opportunities."

While the 10 and Under Evolution came away with a victory, the 12 and under version of the team — also coached by Neely — fell to the Ballers 38-25 in a game that featured a sizable mismatch in the front court. 

"We had a couple of the big kids get going and control the paint, but we also knew we had to play hard and pursue the ball," Ballers coach Devin Banks said. "Even when they started pressuring, we had faith our kids knew what to do."

It was the fourth championship for the Ballers. Banks said the team has been together for 2½ years. 

In addition to helping the growing collection of trophies for the Ballers, the ideal of teams sticking together has helped the league's talent and competition grow overall.

"We've had a lot more teams stick together, including some AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) teams that have played as a group," league director Bruce Wineman said. "I think it's helped the league improve overall, and this (the lopsided victories) weren't the norm; we usually have championship games really close, some even into overtime."

The Vikings, coached by Ed Moss, won the 14 and Under West Division, defeated the Court Dogs 52-31 as the Vikings relied on a strong perimeter shooting game that was led by a trio of 3-pointers from Tyler Davis. 

In the other 14 and Under division, the East, the Crushers defeated the Michigan Vikings 53-43 in a game that almost had a late comeback from the runners-up.

The final championship game of the day was the most lopsided as the Vikings defeated L's on the Beach 66-32 in the 18-20-year-old division — a score that may have owed its wider margin to the fact that  the L's on the Beach played most of the game with just four players due to foul trouble. 

"(It's) the fitting end to another successful season," Wineman said.

While the spring session of the league is over, a summer session will begin play July 5, with early registration open until June 28. For more information or to register, email bball@jccdetroit.org.