Men’s Elite

LA Alpine came back and changed the game. With their high scoring offense, knockdown outside shooting, impressive tenacity, and full court defense, they have singlehandedly altered the landscape of what it will take to win in it all.  Alpine isn’t particularly big, but highly respected Coach Tony Wong has these guys prepared for anything. These players never let up, and they are as disciplined a team as we have ever seen. It used to be that everyone was gameplanning for how to beat Seattle, Chicago, and Washington. There’s a new sheriff in town, and if you want match up with Los Angeles, you better have solid ballhandlers, smart basketball players all the way around, and lockdown perimeter defenders. MVP James Chen is as nasty as he wants to be once he steps behind the three point line, swingman Jonathan Chu (All-NACBA) cannot be contained by anyone, utility guy Jeff Lim does everything right, PG Benny Hoang (All-NACBA, Top 25) is a throwback to the Alpine Dynasty of yesteryear, and the 6-4 Young twins are mismatches for all but the most adept caliber of Chinese playaz. Alpine is still the favorite in everyone’s mind until someone proves otherwise. They run, they jump, they press, they ball and they’ve inked a 19 year old 6-4 Taiwanese phenom named Long Mao Hu. Watch out.

It’s like Washington CYC A has been watching Groundhog Day since 1999. They contend. They fall short. Eight Final Fours since ’99, 4 Finals appearances. No one has been on the edge of glory longer and fallen short so often flat on their face. Do you remember when the AFC kept serving up the Buffalo Bills as sacrificial lambs? Three straight Final Fours, and two straight Championship losses since Fort Lauderdale. But there’s still hope in the Nation’s capital. This roster will feature no fewer than 9 All-NACBA performers, and from one to twelve, the consensus is that this is the most talented roster in the NACBA. 6-2 Hank Huang is a refined post presence, the Lees are the only family with NACBA Top 30 siblings, Keith Wang can still shoot 3’s whenever he wants, Kenny Ho defends and scores, and Bobby Hsieh is the smoothest lefty 2guard around. A trio of Frisco guys later, they’re going to be tough. The question is, can the curse of the Bambino be broken?

This might be the Seattle Bladerunners’ last hurrah in the Men’s Elite if the rumors spread by Coach Yu are true. If that’s the case, then expect the Bladerunners to make a strong push for their kazillionth Championship. We expect nothing but excellence out of anyone putting on that Maroon & White, and with the guys they’re bringing in this year, no one will leave disappointed. In the pivot, 6-4 Jim Shih and 6-7 Tony Hsu will hold it down more than adequately. At the forward slots, 6-7 NACBA Top 25’er Kyle Kiang, All-NACBAIT performer Ryan Dunn, and 6-5 Thomas Fang (Cal-Berkley) are an imposing trio. At the swing slots, 2010 MVP Stephen Chang (NDNU) and European Pro Wesley Hsu can score buckets in flurries. Tim Wang is an underrated commodity as he makes teams pay when they double team others. At the PG slot, the highly acclaimed Song Cun (NACBA
Top 25) and evercool Austin Yuen (2009 MVP, Top 30) will be one of the best platoons ever seen, as they both have overseas professional experience.  Seattle just might have the roster to handle Alpine’s revered press.

NY USAB A is a team that’s peaking at just the right time. Once the aging CYC and Bladerunner teams ride off into the sunset, we can expect the next five years to be full of epic Alpine-USAB battles. Bill Chan’s flagship team looked pretty strong at this year’s Pre-NACBAIT Classic, going 4-0, with wins over Markham FCCM, Washington CYC, the Toronto Dragons, and the NY RL Cruisers. With Nick Mui (Top 18), Devin Figueroa (Northeastern U), and Kevin Chang, the Warriors have the skilled perimeter players to do damage. They will miss the jumpers from Menley Khuu and Justin Kao this year, but they should do fine as Jason Chin and Zach Liu can do the job. 6-4 pivotman Joe Vines (Slippery Rock) is determined to succeed,and he had an excellent Pre-NACBAIT Classic. The Warriors may still be a year away from their ultimate goal, but then again, this team did win it all in 2007 when Mui was just a 19 year old baby. Plus, the return of Sam Luong (2007 MVP) could be the X-factor in USAB A’s success.

The NY RL Cruisers made it all the way to the Pre-NACBAIT Classic Finals in March. New faces Ming Wang and Chris Chin give the veteran Cruisers a deeper bench. If they aspire to make it to the third day, the extra players will definitely be a necessity. NYC played Alpine tough last year, and they have the size to abuse them down low once they break LA’s full court pressure. The Cruisers have one of the most patient offenses around.  They may be a little predictable at times in the halfcourt, but if no one can stop it, then who cares?  Chin, CB Liu, Ian Yu, and Eddie Wang will be the keys for RL’s guys; if they can knock down jumpshots from behind the arc on a consistent basis, then Tony Hu will have one on one action all day long and the Cruisers should make the Final Four.

The Toronto Dragons A are right there in the mix. Andrew Suen and Kenny Ao are a dynamic combination. Kenny is the clear Alpha male, but Suen has no problems stepping up when opportunity knocks. Both of these guys have excellent athleticism and fundamentals at the defensive end, and with bigs Christen Chan and Denny Lee behind them to swat shots, they can even gamble a bit.  PG Jordan Chiang is a well known clutch producer with his scoring and assistability. Matt Lum can defend bigger guys and he can score as needed.  Newbie 17 year old combo guard Henry Tan has a bright future thanks to his ability to get to the basket. The Dragons have the pieces for a Monday finish, as they have done before.

The Toronto Titans underachieved in 2010 and never seemed to get back on track in 2011. A first day waxing at the hands of Alpine didn’t help the situation, and missing their floor leader Acer Huang only compounded the mess. But the mood is always upbeat whenever Basketball Canada mainman Ron Yeung is around. The Titans have too much basketball ability not to reach Monday. James Chen is an awesome 6-9 center with a soft touch and passing skills. And if you had one possession left as the clock was winding down, and you could pick any one player in the whole tournament to create a shot mano a mano, over half the people polled would take 6-7 Carlos Andrade to be their Jordan. Tony Ho is a tremendous hybrid player with length, and Acer Huang is a vet with big game experience. 5-4 PG Moses Ma is a real talent. Pencil these guys in to be bracketbusters.

Markham FCCM took the Consolation title in Boston, as SG Darren Liu (2010 Open MVP) was on top of the world. Liu always has big performances on the biggest stages. FCCM has all the necessary components. They have smart guard play, role players like Dan Liu, Tommy Cheong, and Hubert Wong do what’s asked, and their forwards play tough interior defense. Markham can play uptempo and they can play a slow down halfcourt game. They can handle the rock, and they play unselfishly. Watching these guys go up against the more renowned big dogs should be exciting. FCCM is hoping Richmond turns into Cinderella’s royal ball.

Men’s Open

With 13 teams, expect there to be fierce competition all the way through Monday. The Philly Suns A will look to returning All-NACBAIT 6-0 PF Quoc Tran to give them the energetic play they need. Emil Buccilli (USP) is a 5-11 do it all type, and Wayne Fung moves up from the Suns B team to give Philly some speed in their 2-2-1 trap.  If they are to reach the Open Championship once again, they’ll need to maintain their intensity from start to finish. The Toronto Kagers were a Final Four team last year, losing a heartbreaker to the NY Crossbearers. Although Dennis Kim’s team will be shortrostered, don’t expect this crew to play with any less heart. The Kagers generally don’t lose games to lesser teams and usually manage to turn some heads, so they are considered a contender once again. NY Fast Break takes the drop down into the Open after they didn’t do as well as they would have liked in the Elite the past couple of years. The talent is there for a deep run to Monday’s Final Four thanks to all of the Texas talent they have picked up. Cali Davis Dynasty suffered through their worst campaign ever last year. Injuries and a host of new faces didn’t exactly result in positive performances. The rest of the Mens Open division might not be ready for a talent like SG Stephen Tee. Pair him up with Brandon Lewis and Rich Lum, and you have an elite caliber perimeter grouping.

The Toronto Dragons B had high hopes the past couple of years, but haven’t reached the promised land just yet. Look for PG Tommy Wu to surprise with his energy, and F Adrian Wong to lead the team. Peter Tran and Winston Chen are responsible for the interior. The NY USAB Warriors B are going to be a mishmash of faces. With Kevin Cai, Greg Hsu, and Jeff Chan moving up from the Junior Champion USAB 18’s, USAB will be stacked at the guard slot. Veteran F’s Chi Ming Pun and Kevin Quach are going to be the guys whose play determines how well the Warriors do. Little Joe Chin can fill up the scoresheet, but it will really boil down to whether Pun and Quach can rebound and defend the paint. The Winnipeg Storm makes a return after a hiatus, and expects to be in the running for the title and a bid to the Elite in 2013 Bloomington. They’ve got their work cut out for them, as their captain blew out his knee. But with Blair Chan-Kent (Univ Winnipeg) returning, and with the high octane play of energizer bunny Cuong Tran, the balanced Storm is shooting for the stars.

LA Blob City will sport new threads this year as the team formerly known as the Anchormen will move up to the Open after taking the Friendship Championship in Boston. Returning MVP Jeremy Jeremy Yeung is lights out from threeland, 5-6 PG Brian Houng is a diamond in the rough, and 6-5 C Henry Kwan is going to do all the things that go unnoticed. Blob City has a nice little squad, but moving up a level might be tougher than they think. Vancouver Boiling Point will feature former HK pro Philip Mang, who played his college hoops at the University of Calgary. Every player on this team played at least high school basketball and they’ve got a couple guys who played at the college/university level so the talent should be there. They’ve got size in 6-7 Sing Kuk and 6-6 Roger Wei, so don’t expect to prance down the lane for easy deuces. This is a veteran team with chemistry. The Vancouver B2B Saints, although rookies to the NACBAIT, have been around about three years.  They have captured the CTC championship (most prestigious Vancouver tourney) two years running and they have a couple players with NACBAIT experience, so they are a darkhorse candidate. Ken Kuo (Langara) is the go to guy here, while 6-3 Michael Li played basketball at UBC Okanogan.

Vancouver Strathcona features some of the most talented young Chinese players in the region. Notable members include James Lum (Simon Fraser University), Warren Liang (St. Mary’s University) and Tommy Nixon (University of British Columbia). This will be Coach Ming’s first foray into this environment but they should be fine. Strathcona will attempt to dictate the game’s tempo via aggressive defense and an uptempo offense. With tremendous speed and shooting from all five positions, they’re a surefire Monday pick and many an insider’s predicted winner. The field will be rounded out by the Toronto Downtown Raiders and Vancouver NPG A.

Men’s Friendship

Montreal Mars A made the Finals last year, before losing to the LA Anchormen in a hard fought match. Andy Chen returns after an ankle injury derailed their title train in 2011. But the going might be tough without their All-NACBAIT performers from last year C George Wu and G Chris Yee. Nevertheless, with Chen and gunner James Tsai doing the job, Mars will compete till the very end. The NY Falcons had one of the most athletically gifted teams in Boston, but couldn’t close games out against more grizzled veteran teams. Now that they have a couple NACBAIT experiences behind them, there is no reason this team can’t reach the Final Four and possibly go beyond. Tom Law has been working hard to get the rest of the team on Henry Lam’s level. The Falcons will contend if Elvin Fung and Jeff Lau play up to their potential. The Toronto Dragons Alumni team has solid veterans. The core of this team is comprised of guys who have Elite division Final Four experience, so this year would be as good as any for them to bring home their first Championship Belt. Clement Chu was super explosive in his younger days, Albert Tseng shot about 65% from the field, Mark Chin was a ballhound, while Gary Cheung used to do the Joakim Noah thing. Father time takes some things away, but with their courtsense and chemistry, I’ve got the Dragons being a real challenger.

The Philly Suns B look to get some wins behind statstar G Bill Fung and overactive PF Alan Ngo. LA Everest will be a slowbreaking and shorthanded squad. They do have former Alpine gunner Kevin Su, and he rarely misses from behind the arc.  Scoring PG Jon Chow can get to the cup, and can sink the jay. Big men Alex Lee and Tony Hoang will provide the muscle. But due to some last minute injuries and family obligations, this won’t be their strongest team. The Friendship field will be completed by the Boston Knights, Chicago DragonsMetta, Montreal Mars B, South Africa, and Vancouver NPG B.              

Men’s Senior 35 & Over

The Toronto CCYAA Seniors still have cornerstone Richard Zhu. They have won 7 out of the past 8 chips. Next.

The Boston Knights Seniors were about 1 minute from pulling off one of the most monumental Championship upsets in NACBAIT history last year. Now they’re back, hungry like the wolf.  G Rich Wong is an underappreciated commodity, Mike Yee plays like he was ten years younger, and Jason Ng does dirty work. Robert and Dave Yee can both score. This team has what it takes to do the impossible. Chicago Dragons 35 just might make it back to back years that a Chicago team takes home a title. With Joe Carlini (All-NACBAIT), Tony Ling (Northwestern, Top 30), and Brian Hale, they’re bringing out the big guns. Meanwhile, their elderly buddies, the Chicago Dragons 45 will be the most veteran team around. Coach Brenmark led them to the Masters title in 2011, bringing Gene Lee his first title ever. But at this point, moving down an age level might not get them any more wins. 

The Seattle Bladewalkers are not the new Bladerunners. You’ll see lots of familiar faces. Rich Yu, Perry Lam, and Carter Chinn will be the most recognizable, but it’s always good to have these guys and their families back in the mix. Just remember that these are the fellas who laid the foundation for the current group of all-planet performers. NY Skyline is a team assembled by basketball junkie Andre Liu. Brian Yang, Wilson Wang, and Young Yu will be a solid frontcourt.  Skyline has so many offensive weapons that scoring points won’t be a problem. Depth on the other hand, could be an issue if they make it deep into Sunday. The Winnipeg Storm 35’s went winless the last go-round, as they were too small and got outplayed by the competition. A couple pickups later, they think they might have what it takes to compete a little better. Double double threat Alain Wang holds it down in the paint, and Bernie Young is a fleet footed 3-point monster. These guys play a smart half court game perfectly suited for the Seniors division.

Women’s Open

The SF ArcAngels have made the Championship game for four straight years, and this is not the year to bet against their streak. Reigning MVP Tracy Tiao is going to kick butt, as is big sis/former UCLA Bruin Kelly Tiao. Individually, either one would be a tall order to gameplan for; but together, the Tiaos must keep opposing coaches up at night. A dose of Shorty here, some threes from Jen Sze there, a whole lot of Heather Lee toughness everywhere, and the ArcAngels are primed for another big hoist. Oh yeah- long & limber F Lulue Burton is back. They better not have flights out early Monday morning, because this team will be playing late.

The Toronto Black Dragons were dominant in 2010, but lost a couple of games in 2011.  They have taken a deep breath, and will once again be shooting for the moon. Kimberly Lee (SAIT/CCAA Player of the Year/never misses a shot), Rachel Niven (SLC/SAIT/OCAA Player of the Year/All-Canada/All-Planet), and Angie Leung (St Johns/NACBA Top 10/my favorite) may be the best 1-2-3 punch ever to play at this level, as their games are always ‘NSYNC. Not much will faze the Black Dragons, as they’ve seen it all before. If Niveal Pastrana and Amanda Lum can capitalize on all the open looks they’re going to get, Toronto could be headed for another title.

LA Aiya has finally done the deed and gone with a youth movement. Holdovers like the Allie Welsh, Kristen Welsh, Debbie Young, and Sabrina Yap remain. But the addition of a couple new faces might be able to reinvigorate Los Angeles, as they haven’t reached the Finals since 2007. However, the absences of top scorer Jessica Liang, rebounder Baby Shaq, and PG Sidney Giang will be pretty tough to get over. But PG Alice Wang is an All-NACBA performer, so it’s not going to be impossible.

Toronto CCYAA’s got the perimeter covered.  Cecilia Chan (NACBA Most Outstanding Player/Top 10) has an MVP award in her back pocket and would like to have at least one more. She’s been playing some Pro Hoops in Hong Kong, so she’ll be in game shape. The Cheng sisters and Christine Vuong are very good as well. The question will be whether they can defend the post. They have been looking for a solution, and if it does pan out, Monday is going to be another gameday for CCYAA.

The Washington CYC China Dolls endured a tough loss where it seemed like everyone was against them in last year’s Liberty Finals against the Sabres. Truth be told, they probably deserved to win the game, but that’s not what the scoreboard said at the end of OT. So they settled for second and an extra bottle of soda at the banquet. This year, they aren’t aiming too high with Pui Sham and Kalyn Lee still out with knee injuries.  But they do have PG El Birman (USP), SF Sandy Yu (PSU Abington), 3-point specialist Robin Goon, and the underrated Kristy Tung on the roster. If DC area legend Zeena Huang is able to make her rookie campaign happen this year, CYC could challenge some teams and pull out an upset. Coach Goon will do his darndest.

NY Sabres Green will look to compete and continue to improve after not reaching the playoffs in the Liberty.  Jolie Tang will be top dog here. The Toronto White Tigers have changed their name after some politics, but it’s going to be the same familiar cast of upstart young ladies that used to be CCYAA’ers. All-NACBA PF Kara Ngo can pop j’s, hit postups from either block, and is an absolute beast on the boards. Tara Man, Tracy Li, and company all have NACBA experience, so they won’t be starstruck by the bright lights.
The revamped Philly Lady Suns are better than last year. With the re-addition of pointgirl Shannon Yu (All-NACBA) on loan from the Fastbelles, new girl Kiana Ye, and C Taylor Lee hopefully playing like she used to, Coach Diep now has a triple threat of weapons to choose from. And Michelle Phan is a rebounding machine. This might be the best team they have had since the old program made 3 Finals from 2005-2009. The old Lady Suns team took countless hours in the gym and years to build. This new group feels like they can be just as good, if not better, and with Shannon back to give them some leadership, this is going to be a good start. The South Africa Titans participated in 2010, but were unable to gather enough troops to play in Boston. They’re back this year, with PG Lauren Looi ready to lead the way at both ends of the court. Katie Li and Kim Scarrow will be tough outs, and the Titans have added 6-0 Darcey Diehl to secure their frontline. They went winless in Toronto’s Liberty, so they are looking to improve in 2012.  Seattle SCAA features some of the very same gamers that won the 2005 Liberty Championship in Chicago. They’re now a little bit older, but also more experienced, and more in tune with each other. SCAA played stingy defense when they were last on the scene, and if they can match that intensity, they will get some wins.

The Vancouver Strathcona women are NACBAIT rookies, but they won’t play with jitters. With BCAA High School Provincial Tournament all-stars Karen Li, Jesseca Eng, and Jen Chao, the backcourt will be solid  They will also be bolstered with tenacious defense from sisters, Cynthia and Charlotte Lau (Quest Univ). Look for this team to play a combination of motion offense with a few quick hitters, led by coaches Greg Eng, Rex To and Mitra Tshan.  They have been practicing up to 4 times a week to gear up, so Vancouver will be in shape and ready to go for a Monday hometown Finals appearance.  Don’t be surprised if they make it that far, because we all know that home court advantage is worth 3 points per game.

Boy’s Juniors 18 & Under

The NY USAB/QHCC Warriors 18 have the tournament’s longest team name, as well as the most Juniors titles in the history of the NACBA.  Bill Chan has passed off the leadership reigns to former All-NACBA pick Daniel Ng, who led USAB to dual titles last year in both the 15/Under and 18/Under divisions. Ng has a comprehensive knowledge of what it takes to win at this level. Expect the Warriors to come in with a spread offense predicated on unselfish drive and dishing. They will be led into battle by 6-2 high scoring forward/center Matt Xie.  Matt was last year’s Pre-NACBAIT Classic MVP, and didn’t disappoint anyone with his Boston performance. Combo G Thomas Cui is another familiar QHCC face who will need to perform at a high level, as last year’s MVP pointguard Jeffrey Chan moves up to the B squad, and lightning in a bottle 15/U MVP Kevin Chen isn’t making the trip. The Warriors will be more talented than last year, but lack the big game experience that has traditionally been one of their strong points.  Nevertheless, they’re a lock to make the Semis at the very least. The Boston Knights 18 were my underdog pick last year, and they made the Finals thanks to strong play from megatalented 6-3 SF Korey Mui and a great team rebounding effort.  With Mui in charge once again, Coach Szeto’s gang has a solid chance to do just as well, if not better.  They should be an automatic Final Four team.

The Philly Rising Suns 18 will be coached by NACBA Co-Chair and White House All-Star Harry Leong.  Leong will need to mesh the 18/U Rising Suns with his regular 15/U Young Suns due to travel costs, but it shouldn’t be a problem as the younger guys were born ready for the spotlight and are going to be the core of this organization for years to come. J Lai, Eric Yang, Steven Wu, and big Timmy are plenty big in the frontcourt and Li Deng is a capable guard.  The team that will be the immediate seeding disruption will be the Washington CYC 18’s.  The NACBA’s oldest franchise hasn’t had a Juniors rep since 2008, and hasn’t been truly competitive since 2005, but this year very well might produce the club’s first Chip in any division since 1999. The roster is loaded from top to bottom and this could be the most skilled team ever to play in the 18/unders. CYC won the Men’s Open Pre-NACBAIT Classic title in March, handily defeating the 2011 NACBA Men’s Open Runners Up, the Philly Suns A.  They did this despite only having about half of the guys who will be making the flight to Vancouver.  15 year old 6-9 PF Siyao Sun is going to be stellar, 6-3 ultra versatile SF Robbie Lim (Pre-NACBAIT Classic MVP) was a unanimous All-County selection,lanky 6-1 swingman Austin Liou can defend any position thanks to his unheard of athleticism, G Ervin Liang is lights out from anywhere in the gym, and young grasshopper Michael Li is going to sneak up on people with his all-around game. PG Justin Kung stays a step ahead and is sweet from the charity stripe. Factor in the addition of AAU standout PG Geoffrey Kao on rental from Phila Fastball, and CYC could bracket bust.

Toronto CCYAA Jr will miss 2010 MVP and do it all guy Henry Tan, who will be making the big jump to the Men’s Elite as he’s preparing himself for D-1 ball. But we know that Coach Wong always is able to assemble a Final Four worthy squad that exerts plenty of ball pressure. So don’t count them out just yet.  The Winnipeg Storm Juniors is a new team to the circuit and excited to be playing in their first NACBAIT. Coach Sung’s squad is a well balanced team that focuses on a systematic half court game. Any player on this team can step up at any given time. They Storm Juniors will take it one step at a time and hope to knock off one of the bigboys, as they’ve got shooters. The Vancouver Strathcona 18’s basketball team features a young but talented group of boys who are game day ready.   Strathcona will be small, but their quickness should translate into a run and gun style of play. With the tenacity of Jason Ip’s defense and the craftiness of Anthony Lam, Vancouver will be tough to slow down in transition. They’ll leave everything on the court and are looking for a title run late Sunday.