ROCK HILL, South Carolina (June 25, 2023) – The U.S. Open Basketball Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina, began with 62 teams vying for the opportunity to claim a championship at USA Basketball’s premier summer event. Full results can be found here.
On Sunday, 10 teams earned trophies after prevailing in their championship brackets.
Champions include:
Stars Bracket
- 8th grade boys – Hoop Society (TX) def. Kountry Wayne Elite 2027 (GA)
- 8th grade girls – AL Southern Starz 2027 def. Palmetto 76ers 14U (SC)
- 13U boys – Carolina Culture (NC) def. SC Takeover 2028
- 13U girls – AL Southern Starz 2028 def. Team Sims 13U (MA)
- 12U girls – AL Southern Starz 2029 def. Showtime Academy (IN)
- 12U boys – BlackOps (NY) def. SC Takeover 2029
- 8th grade boys – Hoop Society (TX) def. Kountry Wayne Elite 2027 (GA)
- 8th grade girls – AL Southern Starz 2027 def. Palmetto 76ers 14U (SC)
- 13U boys – Carolina Culture (NC) def. SC Takeover 2028
- 13U girls – AL Southern Starz 2028 def. Team Sims 13U (MA)
- 12U girls – AL Southern Starz 2029 def. Showtime Academy (IN)
- 12U boys – BlackOps (NY) def. SC Takeover 2029
Stripes Bracket
- 8th grade boys – Up Next Hoops (NC) def. D1 Sports Academy Elite (NC)
- 8th grade girls – Carolina Waves – Haddock (NC) def. Carolina All-Stars 14U (NC) - 13U boys – Team United 2028 (NC) def. Runnin’ Rebels (NC)
- 8th grade boys – Up Next Hoops (NC) def. D1 Sports Academy Elite (NC)
- 8th grade girls – Carolina Waves – Haddock (NC) def. Carolina All-Stars 14U (NC) - 13U boys – Team United 2028 (NC) def. Runnin’ Rebels (NC)
National Wheelchair Basketball Association
- NWBA Championship – Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets def. Lakeshore Lakers (AL)
- NWBA Championship – Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets def. Lakeshore Lakers (AL)
It was a remarkable day for the AL Southern Starz program, as their trio of teams each won the championship trophy across 8th grade girls, 13U girls and 12U girls divisions. Doug Bush, the Southern Starz director, expressed emotions of pride and gratitude for his organization and for the U.S. Open Championships.
"This was an incredible accomplishment because of the prestige of this tournament,” Bush said. “We fielded three teams this weekend and I am very proud of how each of them performed against teams from different areas of the U.S.”
In total, the AL Southern Starz went 13-0 this weekend with the 8th graders going 5-0 and the 13U and 12U each going 4-0. Even with an unblemished record, the decorated weekend will have lasting lessons for the champions.
“We come to compete and we come to get out of our comfort zone," Bush said. “It is really good to get out of your region and visit a different place to play. We are learning how to compete at a high level while having a lot of fun. We are constantly trying to teach the game and this tournament provides the grounds to do so.
“Games here provide the opportunity for all our kids to play and get the experience to see how different teams execute. Participating at the U.S. Open makes us all better coaches, players and teams. We believe in what USA Basketball stands for and we always look forward to this event.”
Winning three division championships was quite an accomplishment but it was just one part of the memorable experience. The U.S. Open had a gym filled with passionate basketball fans for three straight days. Bush couldn’t help but feel that the lasting legacy of the weekend is being surrounded by hoop fanatics.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I have never been at an event with girls, boys and wheelchair,” Bush said. “Our kids experienced real basketball this weekend. This is fun to watch, it shows how special this game and event is.”
The U.S. Open continues with 10th and 9th grade championships as a part of the NCAA College Basketball Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. Games tip off July 24 for the men, with the women beginning on July 28.