Club GBB: 2018 Summer Jam Preview

The Summer Jam, in many respects, is the best tournament of the summer. Why? Teams are still fresh, the crescendo of July awaits, everyone is honing their skills, polishing their games. Plus it is the last tournament in Minnesota where all the big programs congregate. In July everyone basically breaks down to their respective shoe family tournaments. The star power for this event will not be eclipsed. In the top division of the Summer Jam (Minnetonka) there are 16 spots. Of those 16 spots only five will be Minnesota based teams (31.25%).  (Schedule here). North Tartan will have three teams in the Minnetonka division, but only two are Minnesota based. The TRU team is from Wisconsin. All Iowa Attack will be fielding three teams in the top division, four if you count their affiliate from Nebraska. Besides the neighborhood teams, the Summer Jam has been increasing their national pull by bringing in teams from the Virginia and DC and this year have brought in Essence, a team from Florida.

Here is a look at the footprints for the five Minnesota based teams. This stat evaluation is based on four or more games for each of these teams. The two North Tartan teams are the only two to have highs over 100. Of the twelve games charted NT teams have four games over 100 (the only teams to do so) and have seven of the eleven over 90 (63.6%). NT Coury tops all with a 130.9. NT Coury also has the widest swing between high and low with a differential of 52.9. But their low of 78 is close to the averages of the other three teams. NT Starks has a narrow footprint with a differential of 17.1. Their low of 98.3 is better than the high of the two Stars teams and the Fury. MN Stars Nelson has the lowest pp100 of 55.8 and their variability has a swing of 40.7.  The Fury has the narrowest footprint with a differential of 15.4. All three non-NT teams are hovering around 80 pp100. To win this tournament they will need to be testing the century mark each game.

Who will win? Last year, the Fairfax Stars from Virginia won their division with a 122 pp100. NT 11 EYBL (or Coury) won the Minnetonka division a year ago with an 82.5. My expectation that that will  not be enough to win this year with a loaded field.

Action tips off Friday at Kennedy with the finals on Sunday at Jefferson.

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