Local hoops stars team up with Team FVV and hit the National Puma Circuit
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — There are two basketball seasons for high school players. The regular season from late November through early March when they play for their high school teams. Then there's AAU season which is happening now in the spring. This AAU season sets guys up for their high school seasons, and the local AAU team with the most local talent is Team Fred VanVleet.Team FVV's U17 team is like an all-star team of top players from local high schools. Guys like Brandon Chatman of Guilford, Auburn's Champ Parker and Amir Danforth. East's Mikwan Marshall and Brian Harper, and Pecatonica's Zion Braimah. There are standout players from other areas on the team too.'We have all the talent across the city. All around the NIC-10. All around Chicago, Peoria, Wisconsin,' said Danforth.'Like you said, it's an All-Star team always fun,' said Parker. There's a lot of talent on the team. Practice is going to be hard every day. It's a lot of fun having a team like this.'The head coach of the Team FVV's U17 team is former Freeport standout and former Highland Community College coach Luke Norman. The general manager is Joe Danforth. He's the guy who built this Team FVV program.Over the weekend, Team FVV had some rare home games. For the first time it got to host a NXT/PRO Puma Circuit Series event. Most of the games were played downtown at the UW-Health Sports Factory.'We joined the circuit when it was New Balance four years ago when all of these guys that's 2026 (graduation year) were eighth graders,' said Joe Danforth. 'I had a talk with the director and told him, if you guys ever expand, I would love to get you guys in Rockford. So, after a bunch of sit down talks with them and the Sports Factory and all that, team FVV was able to get NXT/PRO Puma to come here.Joe Danforth says that typically, Team FVV spends every other weekend on the road competing.'From Indiana to Ohio to Michigan to Virginia to Texas, so we are everywhere.'This past weekend, Team FVV went 3-1 in four games. Overall, the guys' record is 13-3. They're ranked ninth out of 150 teams in the Puma Circuit, but AAU ball is about more than winning games. It's also about getting seen by college coaches.'That's how I got most of my college recruitment,' said Amir Danforth.For Amir Danforth, playing for Team Fred VanVleet is an honor because Fred VanVleet is his uncle.'It's really special just how it carries some weight to his name, you know, we just want to make his name look good. We don't want to disappoint him.'Team FVV's next tournament will be in Wichita, Kansas which is where Fred VanVleet played college ball.
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