What was surprising was how easy Team Takeover made it look against some of the best competition in the country.

Team Takeover went 8-0 in the tournament and beat their opponents by an average of 13 points per game. Coach Keith Stevens said the goal was to hold every opponent to less than 35 percent shooting, which was exactly what happened.

"Last year we felt we should have won the title, but we lost in the quarterfinals," Stevens said. "These guys just finished what they started last year. The thing that really helped us out was team chemistry and focus."

The team features four players from Prince George's County: DeMatha High School's James Robinson and Mikael Hopkins, Gwynn Park's Brandon Ford and Bishop McNamara's Ibn Muhammad.

Robinson is one of the youngest players on the team and started at point guard. The rising junior scored 24 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the championship game against the St. Louis Eagles, which featured University of Florida recruit Bradley Beal.

Robinson said it's easy playing point guard for Team Takeover since everyone on the team can score.

"All you have to do is get the ball near them and everyone can take it from there," Robinson said. "There were no slouches in this tournament because even the teams that struggled were elite. It was great meeting a lot of the top talent from across the country. You really get a chance to bond with the players and become a family."

Ford came off the bench for Team Takeover in the tournament and guarded some of the best players in the country throughout the summer, including Beal, University of Kentucky recruit Marquis Teage and Florida recruit Austin Rivers. The rising senior, who averaged 19.2 points per game for Gwynn Park last season, said it took some time getting used to coming off the bench, but he realized it was best for the team.

"You check your ego at the door because everyone on this team is the man for their high school team," Ford said. "I had a fun time this summer and this helped me stay humble and focused. How many players can say they went against the same people I did during the summer? That was my last tournament with this team and that's how I wanted to end it."

Ford, Hopkins and Muhammad all enter their senior seasons and have played their last game for Team Takeover. Hopkins, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 14.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game for DeMatha last season. Muhammad, a 5-foot-9 guard, averaged 6.9 points per game for McNamara last year. Robinson has one more year returning and said he will be back.

"I am going to miss those guys and have great memories playing with them," said Robinson, a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 5.8 points per game last season. "I now have the experience and next year I am going help lead this team and hope we can reach our goals."

jhudson@gazette.net