Hometown Heroes Summer Tournament: Round 1, Day 2

Join us throughout the month of July as we matchup some of the best Villanova players of All-Time. This year they’re representing their hometowns and high schools, so be sure to check in daily to vote for your favorite players and the team that represents your home town!

Welcome back to another day of the VU Hoops 2019 Summer Tournament: Hometown Heroes. Be sure to check out our Tournament Hub for an interactive hometown map, updated bracket, and links to our tournaments from previous seasons. Now onto today’s voting!

We’re down to four teams in the Wright Region, and I’d argue there were no “real” upsets. Despite an early deficit, #1 West Philadelphia: W&WC won easily with more than 70% of the vote. #2 Massachusetts and Maine and #3 Central Jersey West won with even wider margins of victory. And of course, Ryan Arcidiacono and the #5 North Philly Suburbs continued their quest for a 4-peat.

But let’s not forget, Arch wasn’t the only player on last year’s 3-on-3 Championship team. In fact, two of the other three defending Champions (Howard Porter and Donte DiVincenzo) will be in action today as we vote on Round One of the Massimino Region.

Massimino Region

#1 South East USA vs #8 Virginia

What is this, the ACC? No, it’s even better, it’s a matchup of the Villanova players from the southeastern shores of the Atlantic. The #1 seed in the region includes players from North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. But the core of this team are the guys from Florida: Howard Porter, Johnny Jones, and James Bell. They’ll have to withstand Scottie Reynolds and a Virginia team fresh off a victory in the Play-In round if they want to advance.

#4 Connecticut & Rhode Island vs #5 Lake Michigan

This may be the toughest vote yet in the tournament. On C&RI you have members of the 1985 Champs including Harold Pressley and Harold Jensen, along with the Pinone brothers, Brooks Sales, and current Wildcat Cole Swider. Lake Michigan (aka Chicago+) features two time Champion and Player of the year Jalen Brunson, along with Ricky Wright and 70’s star Larry Moody.

#3 Brooklyn vs #6 Delaware & South Jersey

The Brooklyn team has a ton of great players from the last 40 years of Villanova Basketball. The three big names are Stewart Granger, Curtis Sumpter, and JayVaughn Pinkston. But Delaware & South Jersey offer some pretty huge names themselves. 2018 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, Donte DiVincenzo, and the player to make the first ever NBA 3-pointer, Chirs Ford, lead what could be the toughest 6 Seed in the whole tournament.

#2 North Philadelphia vs #7 Eastern PA: Allentown to Harrisburg

Kyle Lowry sits on top of the NBA right now, and his North Philly team will be hard to take down. He’s paired with 90’s stars Jason Lawson and Jonathan Haynes, as well as Sherwin Raiken who averaged double digit scoring for his late 1940’s career. The Eastern PA team that draws from the Lehigh Valley, the state capitol, and everything in between is led by “Bethlehem Steel” himself, Darrun Hilliard. He’s joined by Clarence Smith of the 1971 Final Four team and fan favorite Zeffy Penn.

Be sure to check back every weekday this month to see who advances and vote on the next round of matchups. For more, be sure to check out our Tournament Hub with an interactive hometown map, updated bracket, and links to our tournaments from previous seasons. Thanks for participating in the VU Hoops 2019 Summer Tournament!