Summer of 2019 Recap: Is it a Story of the Shoe Circuits?

The 2019 summer club circuit was as exciting as ever. The coverage, both big and small, is at its highest point to date. The game is growing in its visibility and, from some of the coaching and playing demonstrated this July, growing in its quality as well.
 
We applaud the fantastic efforts from the coaches, players, evaluation services, media, videographers, and photographers out there for their work and their attempt to bring attention to this beautiful game … Some dope stuff out there for sure!!
   
This question almost seems rhetorical as the opinions were plenty amongst the Twitterverse and were a topic of conversation with all that we interact with: parents, players, club coaches, college coaches, etc. 
 
We touched on the “Under Armour” effect in our spring recap article, and the league did a great job with representation and publicizing their product. Their Indianapolis stop ( Girls UAA II) was high quality and their UAA Final in Atlanta was innovative and hot. It is safe to say that the preseason favorite was FBC-United and they lead from the tip of the season to the final buzzer of the summer in taking home the inaugural UAA Championship. 
 
We mention the UAA circuit first because they are the new kid on the block, both corporately and circuit-wise. However, do not sleep on the Nike EYBL and the adidas Gauntlet – both came as strong as ever with their production as well. 
 
The  adidas Summer Championships in Atlanta are always a premier topic amongst college coaches because of the depth of programs, the state of the art venue, organization, parking accessibility, staff attentiveness, and let’s not forget – hospitality room - created by their dedicated team. 
 
The adidas Gauntlet had as much parity this year that it has ever seen. Each stop had dramatically different results. Some early injuries played a part in that. Ultimately, to win a circuit championship, some toughness and some luck have to prevail. Teamwork and togetherness got Indiana Elite Thunder the claim of the title of adidas Champion. 
 
The Nike EYBL is the most well established of the shoe circuits. The Boo Williams event stop in April and the Chicago TOC are longstanding mainstays of the club scene. Although Nike changed their format a couple of years ago, it still remains that their championship has all eyes pointed in their direction. Team Takeover established themselves as the favorite after winning Boo Williams, and they held the lead and finished as EYBL Champions in July. 
 
The unmistakable thing about the value of the circuits is that there is an element from the first tip in the spring that the players are playing for  something. These events have a unique feel to them because of it - there is an intensity and a focus and it creates year to year “rivalry” matchups because of the perceived favorites every season. The championship games have a sharpness to them that translates to the next level and these experiences are invaluable for the players. To win ultimately takes long-term focus, planning, and perseverance. It is quite the undertaking for the participants! 
 
Basketball is basketball and the brands don’t make the game, the players and coaches do. There are many teams who choose to remain with the “independent” tab and do not participate on the different shoe circuits. They have a freedom to pick and choose different events across the country and see a multitude of looks each year and there is some major benefit to that strategy as well. 
 
Whereas the circuits did seem to steal much of the conversation this season, do not mistake it for better basketball just because of branding. The opportunities for matchups with the shoe teams are relatively limited in NCAA events, but the independents held their own when they got their shot. 
 
Basketball is basketball … there are no definitive answers until the ball is tipped. The independents always make noise!! 


  2022 Raegan Beers of Hardwood Elite

 
Having multiple circuits as well as the independent teams creates quite the conversation amongst the competitive element out there because it is only natural to wonder:  Who is truly the best? Not on paper, not on social media, not in consensus opinion,  but on the court? 
 
Strong arguments can be made for a handful of programs every year. For anyone who has been around a while, the club circuit is matchup oriented – [Team A could beat Team B / Team B could beat Team C /  but.. / Team C could beat Team A] all because of how the teams match up. There is not a ton of time to game plan and change gears between opponents. 
 
It creates a fun dialogue that is only good for the game. But it leads to the question:

If it generates great conversation, can you imagine what the actual matchups and games would be like? 
 
You’re right:  THEY WOULD BE EPIC. And the game deserves it. Period. 
 
The game simply demands a CROSS-CIRCUIT/ALL-INCLUSIVE CHAMPIONSHIP. 
 
We have launched the attempt at  #ThePRIMEevent for year one, and it is going to be a very high quality event. But, the intent in year two is to blow the doors off of this one. We need the attention, intention, and the support of the basketball community and we will deliver on our end, trust that. 
 
The work has already started. 


The PRIME event : August 23 - 25, 2019 in Dallas, TX

Many believed this to be impossible, but it’s not. We have gotten support from all over the country – coaches, players, circuits, college coaches – and we deeply appreciate it. 
 
Next year at this time we will be releasing  #ThePRIMEevent2 preview, and you’re going to love it. 
 
ALSO: Be on the lookout for:  Summer 2019 Recap (Part 2) – 'Evaluation Methods' and Stock Risers as Jason Key and Shane Laflin share some insight, and then (Part 3) - 2020 Matchup Conversation. Jason Key simply Breaks. It. Down. regarding ideal position "matchup" comparisons in the 2020 class. 
 
-- Premier Basketball TEAM


2019 PBR Super 64 Champion Texas U featuring MVP Jerkaila Jordan (2019 Tulane commit)


The LA Sparks' Chelsea Gray and Premier's Shane Laflin at the PBR Super 64 on July 8th.