DREW LEAGUE X LIVE BEYOND – AALIYAH GATES

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JUSTIN DAVIS NAMED WEEK 8 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dawg Pound has impressed in their second Drew League summer, and now, they've got their first-ever Player of the Week in Justin Davis. Counting up 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists Saturday afternoon against Surgeon, Davis distinguished himself as one of the newest big dawgs of the Drew League. Coming off a stout 100-99 win over Problems in week 7, Dawg Pound has proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. Going from an 8-seed in their first year to one of the top 6 teams in the league is no small feat (they are currently in a three-way tie in Gilbert Wilburn division, with the potential to land anywhere from #2 to #4, depending on how Cheaters/Elevate shakes out this week). But they've barreled through some of the Drew's top competition, only losing two of their eight games so far (the second by only 3 points), to living up to their billing as all "pitbulls, no puppies." Davis has been a huge part of that, ending two of their wins as highest scorer, and consistently contributing not just scoring, but also stalwart defense and keen-eyed playmaking. While Dawg Pound arguably has no alpha, they've been moving as a pack, and their team-first mentality is paying off.

MONTREZL HARREL NAMED WEEK 7 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Black Pearl Elite was last year's runner-up, and it appears they took their loss in the championship to Tuff Fades personally, going undefeated for the first 7 weeks of the 9-week season. That's not all they took, though. One of the most prominent names on Tuff Fades' banner belongs to BPE's not-so-secret weapon and week 7 Player of the Week, Montrezl Harrell. Monsta Trezz had 33 points 14 rebounds and 3 assists in a dominant performance, showing off his size, strength, and determination to return to form after an injury last year against a Nationwide Souljas team that fought to the last. Harrell has been the snake's head in all but one of the games he played in this summer, proving to be an unstoppable force in the paint and a willing shooter from three. The BPE crew has wholeheartedly embraced Trezz, who said he had his reasons for not running with Elevate (the renamed 2023 Tuff Fades squad) this summer. Coach Lemar Gayle has advocated vociferously throughout the summer for an MVP berth, and even his teammates have taken up the drumbeat. As the last undefeated team this season, they've got a heck of an argument for taking everything they want this year - awards, titles, and Drew League history

WALI HEPBURN NAMED WEEK 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rex 6 has had a rough go of their debut season at the Drew, but it's not for lack of effort – or talent. Case in point, Wali Hepburn, who led Rex 6 to a stunning, 82-79 victory over Dawg Pound in overtime with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting a perfect 3/3 from three and making 4 of 5 free throws. The Philadelphia born DII product basically had to put up those numbers to take Player of the Week honors over the Blazers’ Jerome Randle or Reapers’ Steph Hicks, who both scored 30 points in their games on similarly efficient shooting. Wali and the rest of his squad from the City of Brotherly Love are having their “welcome to the Drew” moment… but they also appear on the verge of turning a corner and proving that they belong after defeating one of our top five power ranking teams. That he scored the game winning three on a picturesque, buzzer-beating long bomb from near halfcourt makes Rex 6’s triumph closer to the sort of underdog narrative that builds legends in the basketball world. Of course, to solidify his and Rex 6’s, Wali has to lead them to the promised land – and with 3 weeks left, there's just enough time to secure a playoff berth, the next step to writing another chapter in their story.

SEK HENRY NAMED WEEK 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

With just 4 seconds left on the clock in I-Can All Stars’ 26-point beatdown of Rex 6 on Sunday, Player of the Week Sek Henry pitched one last jumper from just over the halfcourt line watching as it sailed through the hair and whispered through the net as the buzzer sounded. It was an appropriately cold-blooded move for a player nicknamed The Viper. Here's the thing: there was never any doubt the unnecessary shot was going in. There rarely is. Henry possesses one of the silkiest jump shots in the Drew League, a high-arching thing of beauty as smooth as the danger noodle from which he takes his nickname. It's made him the most dangerous weapon in I-Can's arsenal, the point of the spear for a high powered offense that can get darn near anything it wants, any time. The only thing disappointing about the final play – at least for Sek, if not for Rex 6, who didn't really need the salt in the wound of the blowout – is that it did NOT give him his 50th point of the game. Instead he would just have to “settle” for 47 points 3 rebounds and 3 assists on the way to being named Player Of The Week and walking away with the highest point total of the season so far.

FRANKLIN SESSION NAMED WEEK 4 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

You knew it was coming eventually. Franklin “Nitty” Session is the Week 4 Player of the Week. After Elevate’s 74-66 victory over Reapers Black Ops on Sunday in which he turned in a vintage Frank Nitty performance (37 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), Frank said he’s back to having fun at the Drew – and he shared the wealth, putting on a show for fans, complete with his signature trash talk for his opposite number on the Reapers, the Reapers bench, the refs, and fans all over the gym. His game was punctuated by high-flying dunks, 40-foot jumpers, unstoppable drives powered by that impossible-to-time first step of his, and of course, a crazy lob, this time to new addition Doc Bradley (although it wasn’t Doc’s biggest alley-oop of the day, which came from the finally recovered Markus Monroe throwing it from half-court and finishing over two defenders). The four-time MVP is quick to tell anyone who’ll listen he doesn’t want a ‘ship this year, but the way he’s playing, it doesn’t look like it. Elevate’s got back-to-back Players of the Week and still looks like they’ll be one of the teams to beat for anyone looking to replace their Tuff Fades banner next summer.

BRANDON MOSS NAMED WEEK 3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

“Wait until Bag gets back” was a common refrain from the Elevate core for the first 2 weeks of the 2024 season. Although the team came into week 3 with a .500 record, it was clear that when 6’10 forward Brandon Moss – affectionately referred to as “Body Bag” thanks to his signature slam dunk celebration – they fully expected him to revitalize the team, bringing back the “Tuff Fades” identity they still haven't lost despite their rebrand. In his week 3 debut, Body Bag didn't disappoint. 33 points and 6 rebounds later, it's clear that the multitude of opportunities Moss received after last year's Drew League championship have sharpened his nose for the ball, which he'll drag down from heights that seem unreal to the average human. The 2-man chemistry between Bag and Frank “Nitty” Session is core to what makes their team so dangerous. The lob threat means you can't leave the lanky leaper alone in the paint, and with Nitty’s eye for open shooters and lightning fast first step, Body Bag’s mere presence on the court gives opponents too many variables to calculate on defense… and then, he turns out to be just as mobile as the team's captain, creating a massive migraine for anyone looking to stop them from repeating.

Drew League X Live Beyond – Big 50 & Son Tyrone Riley

The Drew in collaboration with California's new Live Beyond campaign highlights our very own, Big 50 & his son Tyrone Riley IV. They share with us about overcoming adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how the Drew League, basketball, mentorship, and tools to manage stress have helped them reach new heights.  Check out more information on California's new Live Beyond campaign to support healing and living beyond. Visit livebeyondCA.org.

Drew League X Live Beyond – Big 50 & Son Tyrone Riley

The Drew in collaboration with California's new Live Beyond campaign highlight our very own, Big 50 & his son Tyrone Riley IV. They share with us about overcoming adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how the Drew League, basketball, mentorship, and tools to manage stress have helped them reach new heights. Check out more information on California's new Live Beyond campaign to support healing and living beyond. Visit livebeyondCA.org.

Darren Collison Named Week 9 Player of the Week

A pro's pro, Darren Collison of Task Force may not often put up the splashiest numbers or dazzling highlight reels, but he's the engine that keeps his team's offense ticking away, often helping them to overcome more star-studded teams week after week. In Task Force's finale against I-Can All-Stars, he scored 19 points while assisting on a whopping 13 of his team's goals, topping the season's high water mark set by 3x MVP Franklin Session of the #1-seeded Tuff Fades in week 1. Again, he's the engine and the gas.

JUSTIN DAVIS NAMED WEEK 8 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dawg Pound has impressed in their second Drew League summer, and now, they've got their first-ever Player of the Week in Justin Davis. Counting up 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists Saturday afternoon against Surgeon, Davis distinguished himself as one of the newest big dawgs of the Drew League. Coming off a stout 100-99 win over Problems in week 7, Dawg Pound has proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. Going from an 8-seed in their first year to one of the top 6 teams in the league is no small feat (they are currently in a three-way tie in Gilbert Wilburn division, with the potential to land anywhere from #2 to #4, depending on how Cheaters/Elevate shakes out this week). But they've barreled through some of the Drew's top competition, only losing two of their eight games so far (the second by only 3 points), to living up to their billing as all "pitbulls, no puppies." Davis has been a huge part of that, ending two of their wins as highest scorer, and consistently contributing not just scoring, but also stalwart defense and keen-eyed playmaking. While Dawg Pound arguably has no alpha, they've been moving as a pack, and their team-first mentality is paying off.

MONTREZL HARREL NAMED WEEK 7 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Black Pearl Elite was last year's runner-up, and it appears they took their loss in the championship to Tuff Fades personally, going undefeated for the first 7 weeks of the 9-week season. That's not all they took, though. One of the most prominent names on Tuff Fades' banner belongs to BPE's not-so-secret weapon and week 7 Player of the Week, Montrezl Harrell. Monsta Trezz had 33 points 14 rebounds and 3 assists in a dominant performance, showing off his size, strength, and determination to return to form after an injury last year against a Nationwide Souljas team that fought to the last. Harrell has been the snake's head in all but one of the games he played in this summer, proving to be an unstoppable force in the paint and a willing shooter from three. The BPE crew has wholeheartedly embraced Trezz, who said he had his reasons for not running with Elevate (the renamed 2023 Tuff Fades squad) this summer. Coach Lemar Gayle has advocated vociferously throughout the summer for an MVP berth, and even his teammates have taken up the drumbeat. As the last undefeated team this season, they've got a heck of an argument for taking everything they want this year - awards, titles, and Drew League history

WALI HEPBURN NAMED WEEK 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rex 6 has had a rough go of their debut season at the Drew, but it's not for lack of effort – or talent. Case in point, Wali Hepburn, who led Rex 6 to a stunning, 82-79 victory over Dawg Pound in overtime with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting a perfect 3/3 from three and making 4 of 5 free throws. The Philadelphia born DII product basically had to put up those numbers to take Player of the Week honors over the Blazers’ Jerome Randle or Reapers’ Steph Hicks, who both scored 30 points in their games on similarly efficient shooting. Wali and the rest of his squad from the City of Brotherly Love are having their “welcome to the Drew” moment… but they also appear on the verge of turning a corner and proving that they belong after defeating one of our top five power ranking teams. That he scored the game winning three on a picturesque, buzzer-beating long bomb from near halfcourt makes Rex 6’s triumph closer to the sort of underdog narrative that builds legends in the basketball world. Of course, to solidify his and Rex 6’s, Wali has to lead them to the promised land – and with 3 weeks left, there's just enough time to secure a playoff berth, the next step to writing another chapter in their story.

SEK HENRY NAMED WEEK 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

With just 4 seconds left on the clock in I-Can All Stars’ 26-point beatdown of Rex 6 on Sunday, Player of the Week Sek Henry pitched one last jumper from just over the halfcourt line watching as it sailed through the hair and whispered through the net as the buzzer sounded. It was an appropriately cold-blooded move for a player nicknamed The Viper. Here's the thing: there was never any doubt the unnecessary shot was going in. There rarely is. Henry possesses one of the silkiest jump shots in the Drew League, a high-arching thing of beauty as smooth as the danger noodle from which he takes his nickname. It's made him the most dangerous weapon in I-Can's arsenal, the point of the spear for a high powered offense that can get darn near anything it wants, any time. The only thing disappointing about the final play – at least for Sek, if not for Rex 6, who didn't really need the salt in the wound of the blowout – is that it did NOT give him his 50th point of the game. Instead he would just have to “settle” for 47 points 3 rebounds and 3 assists on the way to being named Player Of The Week and walking away with the highest point total of the season so far.

FRANKLIN SESSION NAMED WEEK 4 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

You knew it was coming eventually. Franklin “Nitty” Session is the Week 4 Player of the Week. After Elevate’s 74-66 victory over Reapers Black Ops on Sunday in which he turned in a vintage Frank Nitty performance (37 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), Frank said he’s back to having fun at the Drew – and he shared the wealth, putting on a show for fans, complete with his signature trash talk for his opposite number on the Reapers, the Reapers bench, the refs, and fans all over the gym. His game was punctuated by high-flying dunks, 40-foot jumpers, unstoppable drives powered by that impossible-to-time first step of his, and of course, a crazy lob, this time to new addition Doc Bradley (although it wasn’t Doc’s biggest alley-oop of the day, which came from the finally recovered Markus Monroe throwing it from half-court and finishing over two defenders). The four-time MVP is quick to tell anyone who’ll listen he doesn’t want a ‘ship this year, but the way he’s playing, it doesn’t look like it. Elevate’s got back-to-back Players of the Week and still looks like they’ll be one of the teams to beat for anyone looking to replace their Tuff Fades banner next summer.

BRANDON MOSS NAMED WEEK 3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

“Wait until Bag gets back” was a common refrain from the Elevate core for the first 2 weeks of the 2024 season. Although the team came into week 3 with a .500 record, it was clear that when 6’10 forward Brandon Moss – affectionately referred to as “Body Bag” thanks to his signature slam dunk celebration – they fully expected him to revitalize the team, bringing back the “Tuff Fades” identity they still haven't lost despite their rebrand. In his week 3 debut, Body Bag didn't disappoint. 33 points and 6 rebounds later, it's clear that the multitude of opportunities Moss received after last year's Drew League championship have sharpened his nose for the ball, which he'll drag down from heights that seem unreal to the average human. The 2-man chemistry between Bag and Frank “Nitty” Session is core to what makes their team so dangerous. The lob threat means you can't leave the lanky leaper alone in the paint, and with Nitty’s eye for open shooters and lightning fast first step, Body Bag’s mere presence on the court gives opponents too many variables to calculate on defense… and then, he turns out to be just as mobile as the team's captain, creating a massive migraine for anyone looking to stop them from repeating.

Drew League X Live Beyond – Big 50 & Son Tyrone Riley

The Drew in collaboration with California's new Live Beyond campaign highlights our very own, Big 50 & his son Tyrone Riley IV. They share with us about overcoming adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how the Drew League, basketball, mentorship, and tools to manage stress have helped them reach new heights.  Check out more information on California's new Live Beyond campaign to support healing and living beyond. Visit livebeyondCA.org.

Drew League X Live Beyond – Big 50 & Son Tyrone Riley

The Drew in collaboration with California's new Live Beyond campaign highlight our very own, Big 50 & his son Tyrone Riley IV. They share with us about overcoming adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how the Drew League, basketball, mentorship, and tools to manage stress have helped them reach new heights. Check out more information on California's new Live Beyond campaign to support healing and living beyond. Visit livebeyondCA.org.

Darren Collison Named Week 9 Player of the Week

A pro's pro, Darren Collison of Task Force may not often put up the splashiest numbers or dazzling highlight reels, but he's the engine that keeps his team's offense ticking away, often helping them to overcome more star-studded teams week after week. In Task Force's finale against I-Can All-Stars, he scored 19 points while assisting on a whopping 13 of his team's goals, topping the season's high water mark set by 3x MVP Franklin Session of the #1-seeded Tuff Fades in week 1. Again, he's the engine and the gas.

JUSTIN DAVIS NAMED WEEK 8 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dawg Pound has impressed in their second Drew League summer, and now, they've got their first-ever Player of the Week in Justin Davis. Counting up 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists Saturday afternoon against Surgeon, Davis distinguished himself as one of the newest big dawgs of the Drew League. Coming off a stout 100-99 win over Problems in week 7, Dawg Pound has proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. Going from an 8-seed in their first year to one of the top 6 teams in the league is no small feat (they are currently in a three-way tie in Gilbert Wilburn division, with the potential to land anywhere from #2 to #4, depending on how Cheaters/Elevate shakes out this week). But they've barreled through some of the Drew's top competition, only losing two of their eight games so far (the second by only 3 points), to living up to their billing as all "pitbulls, no puppies." Davis has been a huge part of that, ending two of their wins as highest scorer, and consistently contributing not just scoring, but also stalwart defense and keen-eyed playmaking. While Dawg Pound arguably has no alpha, they've been moving as a pack, and their team-first mentality is paying off.

MONTREZL HARREL NAMED WEEK 7 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Black Pearl Elite was last year's runner-up, and it appears they took their loss in the championship to Tuff Fades personally, going undefeated for the first 7 weeks of the 9-week season. That's not all they took, though. One of the most prominent names on Tuff Fades' banner belongs to BPE's not-so-secret weapon and week 7 Player of the Week, Montrezl Harrell. Monsta Trezz had 33 points 14 rebounds and 3 assists in a dominant performance, showing off his size, strength, and determination to return to form after an injury last year against a Nationwide Souljas team that fought to the last. Harrell has been the snake's head in all but one of the games he played in this summer, proving to be an unstoppable force in the paint and a willing shooter from three. The BPE crew has wholeheartedly embraced Trezz, who said he had his reasons for not running with Elevate (the renamed 2023 Tuff Fades squad) this summer. Coach Lemar Gayle has advocated vociferously throughout the summer for an MVP berth, and even his teammates have taken up the drumbeat. As the last undefeated team this season, they've got a heck of an argument for taking everything they want this year - awards, titles, and Drew League history

WALI HEPBURN NAMED WEEK 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rex 6 has had a rough go of their debut season at the Drew, but it's not for lack of effort – or talent. Case in point, Wali Hepburn, who led Rex 6 to a stunning, 82-79 victory over Dawg Pound in overtime with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting a perfect 3/3 from three and making 4 of 5 free throws. The Philadelphia born DII product basically had to put up those numbers to take Player of the Week honors over the Blazers’ Jerome Randle or Reapers’ Steph Hicks, who both scored 30 points in their games on similarly efficient shooting. Wali and the rest of his squad from the City of Brotherly Love are having their “welcome to the Drew” moment… but they also appear on the verge of turning a corner and proving that they belong after defeating one of our top five power ranking teams. That he scored the game winning three on a picturesque, buzzer-beating long bomb from near halfcourt makes Rex 6’s triumph closer to the sort of underdog narrative that builds legends in the basketball world. Of course, to solidify his and Rex 6’s, Wali has to lead them to the promised land – and with 3 weeks left, there's just enough time to secure a playoff berth, the next step to writing another chapter in their story.

SEK HENRY NAMED WEEK 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

With just 4 seconds left on the clock in I-Can All Stars’ 26-point beatdown of Rex 6 on Sunday, Player of the Week Sek Henry pitched one last jumper from just over the halfcourt line watching as it sailed through the hair and whispered through the net as the buzzer sounded. It was an appropriately cold-blooded move for a player nicknamed The Viper. Here's the thing: there was never any doubt the unnecessary shot was going in. There rarely is. Henry possesses one of the silkiest jump shots in the Drew League, a high-arching thing of beauty as smooth as the danger noodle from which he takes his nickname. It's made him the most dangerous weapon in I-Can's arsenal, the point of the spear for a high powered offense that can get darn near anything it wants, any time. The only thing disappointing about the final play – at least for Sek, if not for Rex 6, who didn't really need the salt in the wound of the blowout – is that it did NOT give him his 50th point of the game. Instead he would just have to “settle” for 47 points 3 rebounds and 3 assists on the way to being named Player Of The Week and walking away with the highest point total of the season so far.

FRANKLIN SESSION NAMED WEEK 4 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

You knew it was coming eventually. Franklin “Nitty” Session is the Week 4 Player of the Week. After Elevate’s 74-66 victory over Reapers Black Ops on Sunday in which he turned in a vintage Frank Nitty performance (37 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), Frank said he’s back to having fun at the Drew – and he shared the wealth, putting on a show for fans, complete with his signature trash talk for his opposite number on the Reapers, the Reapers bench, the refs, and fans all over the gym. His game was punctuated by high-flying dunks, 40-foot jumpers, unstoppable drives powered by that impossible-to-time first step of his, and of course, a crazy lob, this time to new addition Doc Bradley (although it wasn’t Doc’s biggest alley-oop of the day, which came from the finally recovered Markus Monroe throwing it from half-court and finishing over two defenders). The four-time MVP is quick to tell anyone who’ll listen he doesn’t want a ‘ship this year, but the way he’s playing, it doesn’t look like it. Elevate’s got back-to-back Players of the Week and still looks like they’ll be one of the teams to beat for anyone looking to replace their Tuff Fades banner next summer.

BRANDON MOSS NAMED WEEK 3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

“Wait until Bag gets back” was a common refrain from the Elevate core for the first 2 weeks of the 2024 season. Although the team came into week 3 with a .500 record, it was clear that when 6’10 forward Brandon Moss – affectionately referred to as “Body Bag” thanks to his signature slam dunk celebration – they fully expected him to revitalize the team, bringing back the “Tuff Fades” identity they still haven't lost despite their rebrand. In his week 3 debut, Body Bag didn't disappoint. 33 points and 6 rebounds later, it's clear that the multitude of opportunities Moss received after last year's Drew League championship have sharpened his nose for the ball, which he'll drag down from heights that seem unreal to the average human. The 2-man chemistry between Bag and Frank “Nitty” Session is core to what makes their team so dangerous. The lob threat means you can't leave the lanky leaper alone in the paint, and with Nitty’s eye for open shooters and lightning fast first step, Body Bag’s mere presence on the court gives opponents too many variables to calculate on defense… and then, he turns out to be just as mobile as the team's captain, creating a massive migraine for anyone looking to stop them from repeating.

Drew League X Live Beyond – Big 50 & Son Tyrone Riley

The Drew in collaboration with California's new Live Beyond campaign highlights our very own, Big 50 & his son Tyrone Riley IV. They share with us about overcoming adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how the Drew League, basketball, mentorship, and tools to manage stress have helped them reach new heights.  Check out more information on California's new Live Beyond campaign to support healing and living beyond. Visit livebeyondCA.org.

Drew League X Live Beyond – Big 50 & Son Tyrone Riley

The Drew in collaboration with California's new Live Beyond campaign highlight our very own, Big 50 & his son Tyrone Riley IV. They share with us about overcoming adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how the Drew League, basketball, mentorship, and tools to manage stress have helped them reach new heights. Check out more information on California's new Live Beyond campaign to support healing and living beyond. Visit livebeyondCA.org.

Darren Collison Named Week 9 Player of the Week

A pro's pro, Darren Collison of Task Force may not often put up the splashiest numbers or dazzling highlight reels, but he's the engine that keeps his team's offense ticking away, often helping them to overcome more star-studded teams week after week. In Task Force's finale against I-Can All-Stars, he scored 19 points while assisting on a whopping 13 of his team's goals, topping the season's high water mark set by 3x MVP Franklin Session of the #1-seeded Tuff Fades in week 1. Again, he's the engine and the gas.