SWFL HOOPS
Local Gulf Coast Elite Travel Team Having Success This Spring
Aaron Seybert
SWFLhoops.com
May 12, 2008
Traveling teams around the state build their reputations on either having the best players or winning games and tournaments against top level competition, or both. Well there is a local travel team who is doing just that so far this spring. The Gulf Coast Elite 16-under travel team is comprised of some of Southwest Florida's top players in the 2010 and 2011 classes, and has already been very successful in three highly competitive tournaments thus far in the spring travel season. With a win at the USSSA 24/7 Clash in Clearwater, a top eight finish at the AAU Disney Easter Classic, and most recently a Division 2 bracket Championship at the AAU State Tournament in Clearwater on May 2-4 they have proven to themselves and the state that they are a team to be reckoned with. At the state tournament on May 2-4 they were sattled with the daunting task of being placed in probably the toughest pool which included AAU state powers Team Stat and Florida Elite. Team Stat is a Nike sponsored organization and Florida Elite has local star David Paulk as one of their top players. In their game against Florida Elite they only lost by 3, and would have probably pulled it out except for the fact that they were undersized inside. Team Stat 16u went on to win the whole tournament and Florida Elite 16u placed third. However, with GC Elite losing their pool games they were placed in the Division 2 bracket and went on to defeat the Adidas Hoopsters in the final game to take home the trophy. GC Elite 16u has put together a tough and busy schedule for the rest of the spring/summer and if they continue to improve and prove themselves at each tournament, we fully expect them to be at the AAU Nationals at Disney at the end of July. Look for more coverage of GC Elite as the travel season goes on including "One on One" interviews with players and more updated tournament results. Good Luck! Below you can find their current schedule for the rest of the travel season as well as their roster.2008 Schedule
3/07/2008 Clash in Clearwater (Clearwater)
3/20/2008 AAU Easter Classic (Orlando)
4/11/2008 Tournament of Champions (Tampa)
5/02/2008 AAU Gold Coast State/District Tournament (Clearwater)
5/23/2008 AAU Gold Coast (Super Regional) (Fort Lauderdale)
7/12/2008 Best of the South (Tampa)
7/27/2008 AAU Nationals (If Qualify) (Orlando)
2008 Roster
Nick Goshay, 6' 3'', Sophomore, Charlotte
Joel Hill, 6'3", Sophomore, Cape Coral
Denzel Hagan, 5'9", Sophomore, Riverdale
Troy Simmons, 6'0", Sophomore, Riverdale
Mike Johnston, 5'11", Sophomore, Riverdale
Tyler Manning, 6'3", Sophomore, Fort Myers
Terran McClendon, 6'0", Sophomore, Fort Myers
Evin Graham, 6'1", Freshman, Fort Myers
Bensly Melindor, 6'5", Sophomore, North Port
Colin Henry, 6'4", Sophomore, Fort Myers
