BABC ends Peach Jam curse

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Under head coach Leo Papile, the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) has been coming to the Peach Jam since 1996, reaching the championship game five times without winning a title.

The sixth time was a charm Friday night as BABC capped a dominating run in the EYBL Finals at the Nike Peach Jam with another convincing win in the championship game, beating Memphis YOMCA 84-67 in front of a packed house at the Riverview Park Activities Center and a live ESPNU national audience.

"We were in the first one (championship game) in 1996," said Papile, who is also a front office employee with the Boston Celtics. "We lost to the great Riverside team by two points with Ron Artest, Elton Brand, (Erick) Barkley. Ironically, all the guys that played on those teams were texting today saying 'get this one.'

"We've been in it every year. This is a good one for the program."

BABC won its three tournament games at the EYBL Finals by an average of 18 points, including a 23-point shellacking of defending champ Team Takeover in the quarterfinals.

"When we kick in defensively, we are as good as a team can be," Papile said.

And BABC may be as good as any club team in the United States this summer with a record of 77-1. That mark has been achieved with a roster that features just three seniors.

"We are a neighborhood team for the most part. You know, Greater Boston," Papile said. "We don't bring in guys from the outside, all the bordering and all that stuff. That's just the way we do it."

While much of the attention goes to probable event MVP Nerlens Noel, a 6-foot-10 rising junior center who contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots in the championship game, guards Jalen Brantley (24 points) and Rene Castro (12 points) were the spark.

"Both of those guys go kind of unnoticed," Papile said. "It's amazing the efficiency they play with. They don't pass the eye test by today's basketball standards, but they have the ability to play basketball the proper way."

Brantley had a huge week, averaging 18.5 points per game and connecting on over 50 percent of his 3-point attempts, including 4 of 5 Friday night.

"Dana Barros came out of our program, one of the great NBA 3-point shooters of all-time," Papile said. "I will say on record that's the best 3-point shooter I've ever coached."

"I just wanted to have a good game for my family back home watching the game," said Brantley, who named Louisville as his leader during the post-game celebration.

Noel entered the event ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps.com's Class of 2013 Top 100, but could climb in August after posting 12.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.9 blocked shots per game, keeping coaches like Kentucky's John Calipari and Florida's Billy Donovan in town until late Friday night.

Unheralded forward Georges Niang – an Iowa State verbal commitment – also came up big for BABC in the final with 21 points and seven boards. Niang's 31 points against Team Texas in pool play matched the best scoring effort of the week.

Guard Anthlon Bell of Bartlett (Tenn.) led Memphis YOMCA in a losing effort with 19 points. The Tennessee team led for much of the first half but a late run by BABC gave it a three-point advantage heading into the locker room.

The victory ends Nike's 2011 EYBL circuit that included stops in Hampton, Va., Los Angeles and Dallas. The league has been billed as a success and is expected to return in 2012.

Check back Monday for a complete wrap-up of the EYBL Finals at the Nike Peach Jam, including our All-Tournament team.