The Greater Hartford Pro-Am Summer Basketball League got underway this weekend with about 300 people filing into Fox Middle School Saturday for a doubleheader and nearly as many showing up Sunday for a tripleheader.
And the best is yet to come. Though each of the 10 teams has played one game, many marquee players have not made their debuts.
No UConn players have played yet, but four will participate once the proper paperwork is filed. Hasheem Thabeet will play for defending champion All Axxess. Jerome Dyson will play for Nu Skool, which features former Husky Doug Wiggins (29 points Saturday). Nate Miles and Jonathan Mandeldove will play for Attorney Deron Freeman. Mandeldove was in the stands Sunday and said he is eager to get started.
"From what I've seen, it's a great league," he said. "The level of talent is really up there."
Games, which are free to the public, are played Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. In addition, there will be a doubleheader Friday, July 25. Games begin at 6 p.m. on weekdays, 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Because the Pro-Am is an NCAA-sanctioned league, Division I players are allowed to participate and coaches are allowed to attend as spectators. Hartford coach Dan Leibovitz watched as three of his five incoming freshmen played Sunday.
"It's a good way for new players to get running and get moving," he said.
In the first game Sunday, Tetrick Stonar, who is from Hartford and plays at the University of New Haven, scored 37 to lead 456 Unlimited to an 87-82 victory over Attorney Deron Freeman. Next, Chris Prescott, who attended Northwest Catholic and will be a freshman at St. Joseph's, scored 22 to lead All Axxess to a 104-90 victory over Camp Antrum.
In the final game, Roosevelt Lee ( New Britain, IBL, ABA) scored 32 to lead Suns Promotions to a 103-87 victory over Doc Hurley Foundation.
Hawks freshmen Genesis Maciel and Malcolm Campbell (both 6-foot-9 centers from Los Angeles) played on All Axxess. Maciel had 17 points and eight rebounds. Campbell had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Charles White, a 6-1 guard from Philadelphia, scored eight for Attorney Deron Freeman.
manthony@courant.com
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