Finding brotherhood in basketball

The SEMO Elite Basketball program does more than give local athletes a chance at national exposure to college recruiters.

It gives them exposure to a new family.

Led by coach Tommy Delph, the local not-for-profit AAU traveling team made a trip to the AAU 16U D1 National Championship in Orlando, Florida.

Composed of high-school players from Cape Girardeau Central, Sikeston, Missouri, and Forrest City, Arkansas, Delph's basketball organization is more like an extended family.

Riding shotgun in the team van was Delph's wife and SEMO Elite Basketball "team mom," Beverly Delph.

After a one-night stop in Atlanta and a team trip to the Georgia Aquarium, the team arrived in Orlando for pool play on July 19.

While the seven-man squad had one of the shortest benches of any team in the tournament, the team rarely showed signs of in-game fatigue.

After losing two of three games in pool play, SEMO Elite Basketball entered tournament play July 21.

The team defeated the Georgia Impact 63--60 in the first round of tournament play and beat the Columbia Hoyas 69--56 in the second round Friday evening.

What the team lacked in height, they made up for with persistent defense -- forcing turnovers and capitalizing on fast breaks.

"We never give up. No matter what the score is. You can be beating us 50--0, we're not ever giving up," said team point guard Chauncey Hughes of Cape Central.

Off the court, players were always at one another's side like average, high-school friends. They played on their phones, played video games and listened to music.

"It's like we're one big family that knows each other," forward Randal Moore of Forrest City said. "So we play together as one."

In the third round of tournament play and one win away from the final four, SEMO Elite Basketball was down four points with two minutes left in the fourth quarter when they forced a turnover.

In a diving scramble for the loose ball, shooting guard Jajuan Whitby of Forrest City collided with two players on the opposing team and received a concussion.

SEMO Elite Basketball lost by 3 points.

With Whitby cheering them on from the bench the next game, the team's bond grew even stronger.

At the week's end, the team took home eighth place in the nation.

The SEMO Elite Basketball team was a representation of much more than athleticism. Teamwork was demonstrated on and off the court, despite players coming from different high schools, and it was shown that basketball can teach much more than how to put a ball through a hoop.

bmatthews@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652