D.U.K.E. 2028 wins 5th Grade Boys national tournament

The Bartow County-based D.U.K.E. 2028 boys basketball team won the 2021 Teammate Basketball 5th Grade Boys National Championship June 24-27 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. D.U.K.E. 2028 won all six of its games in the tournament that included a field of 17 teams from multiple states.

D.U.K.E. 2028 was 3-0 in Pool C with wins over NLPB 204 (North Carolina), Dews Elite Hurricanes (Ohio), and Beach Xplosion 2028 (Virginia) to qualify for the tournament’s Gold Bracket. The team then won three straight games in bracket play to win the national title.

In the quarterfinal round of bracket play, the locals beat Team Fly 2028 (North Carolina) 44-33 before topping Team United (North Carolina) 40-22 in the semifinals. D.U.K.E. 2028 then rallied from nine points down with less than two minutes remaining in regulation of the championship game to send it to overtime. In the extra period, the Bartow-based squad pulled away for a six-point win, 58-52, over GESI Young Ballerz (Georgia).

Kaiden Kent, Kayden Blackwell, and Trace Hawkins all hit three-pointers in the final two minutes to force OT in the title game. Blackwell and Case Shropshire had key steals in the sequence while Blaine Groce was credited for setting a clutch screen. Shropshire then knocked down an opening three from behind the arc to open the overtime surge.

Players (L-R): Brayden King, Braylin Mills, Trace Hawkins, Case Shropshire, Kaiden Kent, Blaine Groce, Kayden Blackwell, Kylen Pope (not pictured: Chadon Woodley and Nathan Woods) Head Coach: Quintin Kent (back, middle) Assistant Coaches: Tyre Hawkins (back right) and Tyler Blackwell (not pictured)