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This is the NACBAIT’s original division, created way back in 1981. Surprisingly, not a single team who was in the 2006 Boston NACBAIT Final Four reached the 2007 Arizona Final Four. With last year’s top four teams moving up the Elite division, this will mark a record 3rd consecutive year where an entirely new Final Four emerges. Who will cut down the nets in the most historic of divisions? We begin this year’s discussion with the only team to have reached a Final Four in this division- San Francisco CCU. CCU is back and so is All-NACBAIT guard Jeremy Lee (UC-Irvine). Unfortunately, fellow All-NACBAIT guard Jason Lee isn’t back, so Jeremy will really have to increase his production even more, if that is possible. The rest of the team is somewhat green, so nobody knows what to expect. The Toronto Titans took home the Open Consolation crown, as high rising 6-7 Carlos Andrade and 6-9 MVP James Chen (York University) were impossible to guard in the Consolation round. If superstar Peng Peng can make it to the tournament this year, the Titans would have an awesome team capable of upsetting up many Elite teams. The Titans have never made the Open playoffs, so this could finally be the year of the big breakthrough. The Toronto Kagers have made the Open playoffs in 2 of the past 4 years, but really suffered through a poor performance last year. They are looking to bounce back this year, as top defender Simon Tseng and PF Hoi Yeung will take the lead. The Montreal Kaitas A went only 1-4 last year, and they are looking towards improvement as outside shooting and rebounding will be the key to their success. Center Ken Hsiung will be their go to guy. The Toronto Blazers also had a few ugly games last year as they went winless. Injuries, foul trouble, and cold shooting were their big enemy. This team has been playing together for years now, so chemistry will not be an issue as the Blazers seek to perform at a higher level. 6-4 Mike Yeh will man the pivot, while Zhen Lee and Marcus Yuen will share the guard duties. The New York Rockits U, led by G Josh Pena (Marywood) and C Tim Chin will be one of the toughest outs this year in the division as they move up to the Open from the Friendship. With their all-out style and tough defense, they really turn every possession into a war. They will use their deep bench to push the limits of their opponents. The Washington CYC B team is basically a reunion of the highly successful 18 & Under teams of the early decade. Kevin Lee, Martin Hsieh, and Henry Chow will be a solid group of ballhandlers to go with center Terry Callier. This team will present matchup problems for other teams from the start. CYC has outstanding team speed and will be the best shooting team in the division. The New York Crossbearers A have been in and out of the Nationals picture for a few years now, as their last year of participation was in 2005. This instability will be the only question as the talent is there. Michael Chan and James Li will be their go-to guys. The Toronto Dragons B will enter the tournament as rookies in this division, but will have some veteran leadership provided by Clement Chu and Adrian Wong. Brian Chow will add firepower, as the Dragons hope to make a good showing. The final team in this division will be the hometown Philadelphia Suns Alumni. This group of Suns was the core of the Suns A team for years. If you can recall, this team was a NACBAIT playoff squad 10 years ago, and they remained an East Coast power until the turn of the century- after that, age took its toll. Now, with San Mac, Dave Chiu, and the 3 Lam brothers back in action, the Suns Alumni are looking to take a stroll down memory lane.

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Titans Prevail 18U Div.

Canton China to Montreal

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