The 2026 MADE Hoops Philly Clash kicked off on Saturday with a packed slate of games that saw teams try to build momentum heading into next week’s live period.
Here’s a look at some of the storylines and superlatives from Saturday’s action at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center:
Influencer Teams Draw Crowds
The presence of Rod Wave Elite, Drifty Coldhearts and Kai Cenat Elite in 17U action provided a different dimension to the weekend, as the content-creator teams – composed of top players from around the country – put on a show in front of standing-room-only crowds.
RWE and Coldhearts drew the biggest audiences, as fans packed around courts to see the likes of Bryson Howard, DeMarcus Henry, Adan Diggs, Darrell Davis, Gavin and Ghallagher Placide, Seven Spurlock and JJ Smith for RWE, while Cold Hearts ran with Caleb Lundy, Xavier Blake, Derrick Morton-Rivera and Zaahir Mumammad-Grey. Kai Cenat Elite suited up Eli Hemmings, RJ Smith and Jeremiah Adeji, among others.
RWE went 2-0 on Saturday, while KCE dropped its lone game to Mid-Atlantic Select MHC. After an opening loss to Team Final Black MHC, Coldhearts got the top individual performance of the night from Merrimack-bound 2026 guard Ayden Johnson, who dropped 50 points in a 110-86 win over Central PA Elite CC.
Team Iverson MHC 17U Goes 2-0
Team Iverson MHC 17U enjoyed a strong opening day, picking up a pair of strong victories.
Team Iverson opened with a highly-anticipated local matchup against K-Low Elite 3SSB, and things didn’t look promising early as they fell into a 13-point hole in the first half. They chipped away behind 2027 guard Nazir Tyler, who posted a game-high 22 and took over in the second half en route to a 63-45 win.
Tyler stayed hot in Game 2, posting 16 to lead the way in a 66-57 win over Uptown MHC. Kam Jackson finished with 14 points, Nick Harken 12 and Korey Francis 10.
Brady Moore had a game-high 20 in the loss for Uptown, who split on Saturday after picking up a nice 61-59 win over Sideline Cancer Ballers Purple in the morning.
TNE MHC Pulls off Comeback Win
Team New England MHC 17U and Team Takeover National MHC had one of the most competitive games of the day. TNE was down for most of the second half, as the guard play for National was giving them trouble.
Late in the half, TNE would find their rhythm and start to put together consecutive stops followed by scores. Shortly under the 2-min mark, the game was tied 58 a piece. The last two minutes belonged to lead guard Caleb Haynes, and sharpshooting wing Elijah Omar who hit two huge consecutive threes to lengthen the lead. Solis Blue was also a huge contributor, keeping TNE within striking distance most of the second half with his perimeter scoring.
Team Iverson 16U wins big vs Team Melo MHC
Team Iverson’s 16U went 2-0 on the day, defeating Team Melo MHC in their second game of the day to finish Saturday strong. Iverson would go on to win by 19 points, behind strong performances from Luke West, Douda Niare & Chaz Rodriguez.
West’s ability to draw multiple defenders and find the open man was a huge difference maker for Iverson’s success in the 2nd half. Rodriguez excelled in transition, while Niare made his presence felt on the glass and scored inside.
Saturday Superlatives
The Sniper – Nick Rebracca, 2027 Guard, Jersey Force MHC 17U
Rebracca came out on fire, hitting seven 3-pointers and posting a game-high 27 points in a 77-56 win over Sideline Cancer Ballers-Red on Saturday morning. Rebracca doesn’t need much time or space to get his shot off, and consistently made the defense pay for not closing out.
Downhill Scorer – Keyshawn Franklin, 2027 Guard, Battle Tested P32 17U
Franklin got to the basket early and often in an 81-69 win against Tre Mann Elite CC, finishing with a game-high 26 points. He utilized a lightning-quick first step and got downhill in a flash, and defenders were simply unable to stay in front of him.
Brick Wall – Omer Alp Elitas, 2027 Big, Mid Atlantic Select 17U
Elitas was one of the best paint defenders and rim protectors to compete in Saturday’s action. The 6-foot-9 big was very effective defensively, walling-up on drives, using his length to block shots and anchoring Mid-Atlantic Selects backline of defense.
