BN Roundup: Perfect in the 'Plex

The 15U, 16U, and 17U Puma NXT teams traveled to the DFW Metroplex for the 3rd Puma NXT session of the young 2024 season. After collecting 8 total wins during session two, Head Coach Jeremy Tatum and the staff were prepared to improve a bit closer to home. "It helps to only drive a couple of hours which gives the weekend a home-court advantage feel," Crawford said. The weekend began on a hot start, with 16U and 17U getting double-digit wins late Friday night. 16U's 54-44 win over G5 Global would be the second-closest margin of victory any of the three teams would see all weekend.

On Saturday, the morning provided the most games, with all but two tipping off before noon. Out of the seven Saturday games, Ballers Nation teams not only earned victories but in dominating fashion. For context, below are the points per game averages from Saturday's games alone:

15U: 50 Points Per Game

16U: 73.5 Points Per Game

17U: 58.5 Points Per Game

Not only would this momentum carry into Sunday, but it would be the icing on the perennial cake. All three teams sat atop their respective pools, with 15U standing alone as the only team with a 4-0 record in Pool I. 16U and 17U also earned perfect 4-0 records while tying for the top spots in their pools. Ballers Nation was the only organization to have teams in all three age groups leave the Metroplex with a 12-0 record. "I think that's just a testament to the high expectations we not only have as coaches, but as an organization," Head Coach Ricky Wilson said. "Monroe [Puma NXT Session 2] gave us a fantastic starting point to help us all understand what to expect from a competition and an environmental standpoint. The process continues to show the fruits of its labor!"