OT Select Champ Weekend Mega Preview

OT Select Championship Weekend is here and we are just days away from the third ever OT Select champion being crowned. Four teams remain in the hunt for the title; ISO WRLD, Cold Hearts, YGE and Venom Tears; and the best players in high school basketball are competing at the pinnacle of the sport. Make sure to tune into games all weekend long either in person or via Overtime Select’s YouTube channel 🏆

Friday, August 14:

📍 7 p.m. - YGE vs. ISO WRLD

📍 8:30 p.m. - Venom Tears vs. Cold Hearts

Saturday, August 15:

📍 5 p.m. - OT Select Championship Game

🔥 TOP STORYLINES 🔥

ISO WRLD

📍 Record: 2-0

📍 Points Per Game: 79.0 PPG

📍 Avg. Point Differential: +26.0 PPG

📍 Leading Scorer: Kaleena Smith (19.5 PPG)

ISO WRLD comes into Championship Weekend as the presumptive favorite after dominating the competition in week two. Kaleena Smith and Nation Williams make up the most formidable duo in the league as the two are perfect complements for one another. Smith is the jitterbug scoring guard leading the team in scoring at 19.5 PPG while also dishing out the second most assists in the league at 8.0 APG. Williams is the bruising forward who is averaging 19.0 PPG of her own while also leading the league in rebounding at 18.0 RPG 🌎

ISO WRLD has some unfinished business to attend to after making the championship game each of the last two years and falling short on both occasions. Smith has served as the captain of all three iterations of the team but it is with this collection of talent that has her and her team as the favorites going into Championship Weekend for the first time in her career 👀

Cold Hearts

📍 Record: 2-0

📍 Points Per Game: 85.5 PPG

📍 Avg. Point Differential: +14.5 PPG

📍 Leading Scorer: Morghan Reckley (21.5 PPG)

For as dominant as ISO WRLD was in their two regular season games, there is a case to be made that the Cold Hearts were the even more dominant team. The Cold Hearts lead the league in scoring at 85.5 PPG through two games and that is helped along in large part by the highest scoring duo in the league. Morghan Reckley is OT Select’s leading scorer this season at 21.5 PPG while captain Jordyn Palmer is also a top five scorer at 19.0 PPG. The Cold Hearts have pummeled opponents so far this season and they will lean heavily on these two top scorers to continue to do so on their path to the Championship 🥶

The Cold Hearts were one of the better teams in the league last season, led by former OT Select MVP Kate Harpring, but fell in stunning fashion at the hands of ISO WRLD in the semi-finals. Now the Cold Hearts are the deepest team in the league with four players ranked in the top ten of their respective classes. On top of Palmer and Reckley, the Cold Hearts also feature elite scorer and 2029 number one player Kristen Winston and the dunking extraordinaire and number four player in the class of 2028 Nyajuacni Riak. The Cold Hearts are serious title contenders and their combination of top talent and depth is a large reason why 😤

YGE

📍 Record: 2-1

📍 Points Per Game: 73.0 PPG

📍 Avg. Point Differential: -4.0 PPG

📍 Leading Scorer: GG Banks (20.5 PPG)

After missing out on Championship Weekend last year, YGE is back and that is thanks in large part to the heroics of captain GG Banks. Banks is in her third year as captain of YGE and she has never been tasked with more responsibility than she is on this team. Banks has scored or assisted on 83 of YGE’s 146 points this season, AKA she has been involved on 56.9% of YGE’s points this season which is the largest percentage of any player in the league this season by a large margin. For YGE to reach their maximum potential at Championship Weekend, Banks will need some of her teammates to step up and take on some more of the scoring punch 😮‍💨

YGE is back for their second stint at Championship Weekend and their first since season one of OT Select. Banks has led the team all three seasons and she is ready to take the leap and lead her team to the Championship Game for the first time in her career. Banks will need teammates Jaylah King (14.5 PPG) and Loriel Murray (11.0 PPG) to keep delivering but more importantly she’ll need some other teammates to raise their level. Former OT Select Dream Tryout winner Amaya Manuel is one of the top candidates for an expanded role while the miniature version of Banks, class of 2029 standout Khloe Ison, could also be in store for more responsibility this weekend 🦌

Venom Tears

📍 Record: 2-1

📍 Points Per Game: 67.0 PPG

📍 Avg. Point Differential: -1.0 PPG

📍 Leading Scorer: Micah Ojo (13.0 PPG)

The Venom Tears enter Championship Weekend as everyone’s favorite underdogs but they should be underestimated at your own peril. After winning their Bubble Breaker game in dramatic fashion, the Venom Tears enter this weekend with their sights set on continuing to upset their way all the way to their first ever title. Captain Micah Ojo was the star of the first three games for the Venom Tears, leading the team in scoring while also establishing herself as a blocking demon. Ojo broke the single game record for most blocks with seven and now has the most blocked shots of any player in OT Select history 😰

Prior to this season, captain Micah Ojo had never advanced to Championship Weekend and the Venom Tears had never even won a game. This Venom Tears squad was built for this moment as they are one of the most well-balanced units in the league. On top of Ojo, the team also reps Kate Spain who is a blur in the open court and also one of the top playmakers on the team. Madi Mignery established herself as one of the best isolation scorers in the league who is a threat to score whenever she has the ball. The Venom Tears don’t have as much traditional “star power” as the other three teams in competition but that doesn’t make them any less of a threat to win it all when it matters most 🐍

⌚ PLAYERS TO WATCH ⌚

📍 Nation Williams (ISO WRLD)

Nation Williams was the best rebounder in OT Select history before this season started and she has just further cemented that title with 18 rebounds in each of her first two games this year. Williams now holds the three highest single game rebounding records in league history. With that said, Williams is more than just a rebounder and is in fact an early front runner for Defensive Player of the Year. Williams is one of just two players to register averages of 2.5 SPG and 2.0 BPG and her presence alone in the paint has been enough to deter people from taking shots around the rim 💪

📍 Kristen Winston (Cold Hearts)

Kristen Winston is the number one ranked player in the class of 2029 and her first ever OT Select action she showed the world why. Winston is the Cold Hearts third leading scorer this season at 15.5 PPG. In addition, she was also named the Bullseye Award winner for week one which goes to the best shooter in the league. Winston does a little bit of everything, including posting averages of 6.5 RPG and 3.0 APG, and will play a critical role in the Cold Hearts hunt for their first ever title 🎯

📍 Jaylah King (YGE)

GG Banks has taken all of the headlines for YGE this season and as a result, Jaylah King’s performances have gone a little under the radar. King is averaging 14.5 PPG which lands her just outside the top ten in scoring in the league this season and her shooting has been critical for YGE’s success. King has knocked down a blistering 41.7% of her three-point shots on six attempts per game. As a team YGE has struggled from beyond the arc through their first three games so it falls squarely on the shoulders of King to pull them out of their slump 👑

📍 Kate Spain (Venom Tears)

Kate Spain entered the season as one of the twins, alongside her twin sister Mia Spain, but she has quickly distinguished herself on the court as one of the better players in the entire league. Spain is the second leading scorer for YGE at 11.0 PPG but maybe more impressive is everything else she is doing. Listed as a guard standing at just 5-7 she has made a name for herself with her grit as she is second on the team in rebounds at 6.5 RPG. Spain also dishes the ball at a high level with 2.5 APG. Her connection with Ojo did not go unnoticed and is a big part of the reason the Venom Tears find themselves in this position 👭

🧮 ONE STAT FOR EACH TEAM THAT COULD DEFINE THE WEEKEND 🧮

🗜️ 53.0 OPPG (ISO WRLD)

ISO WRLD have been the stingiest team in the league up to this point, holding their opponents to a ghastly 53.0 PPG. Their defense has been impeccable and that has been thanks in large part to a league best 11.0 steals per game. You simply cannot dribble around Nation Williams or Kaleena Smith as each of them is averaging 2.5 SPG both of which are top ten marks in the league. So much of ISO WRLD’s success has been their defense which they have turned into easy transition offense. The old saying “defense wins championships” could not more aptly apply to ISO WRLD as they live by that mantra every single day 🗜️

🔥 85.0 PPG (Cold Hearts)

While ISO WRLD may have the best defense in the league it is clear that the Cold Hearts have been the best offensive unit so far this season. The Cold Hearts lead all teams with 85.0 PPG and it's not hard to see how they have managed to score so much. The Cold Hearts lead the league in FG% thanks to highly efficient players like Nyajuacni Riak and Jordyn Palmer who are automatic at the rim. In addition, the Cold Hearts are also some of the best ball movers in the league, dishing out 18.0 APG which is the second best mark at OT Select 🔥

🤕 14.0 PFPG (YGE)

YGE has done a remarkable job so far this season of keeping their opponents off of the free throw line, committing the second fewest fouls (14.0 PFPG) of any team. Against the very physical ISO WRLD it will be super important that YGE continues to limit their fouls, especially since ISO WRLD has been getting to the line 18 times per game. YGE has a big hill to climb in their battle against ISO WRLD but if anyone is up for it it’s GG Banks and this YGE squad 🤕

🔒 9.0 BPG (Venom Tears)

The Venom Tears are the premiere shot blockers in the league and they have one player who has done the bulk of the work on that end. Captain Micah Ojo is averaging a preposterous 5.5 BPG this season which is three more per game than any other player is averaging. As a result, the Venom Tears are the most fearsome paint defenders in the league which will be huge against the Cold Hearts who have distinguished themselves as one of the most efficient finishing teams 🔒

Championship Weekend is sure to be one for the ages so make sure you tune in on OT Select’s YouTube channel all weekend long 📱

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