By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
A boys’ basketball team based in Alamance County went undefeated across three tournaments on a national travel ball circuit that culminated with last weekend’s championship run in New Jersey.
Graham-based Mid-State Magic compiled a 13-0 record across games in May in Dallas, Texas, and stops this month in Las Vegas and then Manalapan, New Jersey.
Justin Cousin, who also coaches the high school boys’ basketball team at Graham High School, is the 17-and-under team’s coach.
The competition was part of the Uncle Drew Circuit, which is presented by NBA guard Kyrie Irving. He’s the event founder.
“Kyrie Irving attended the games and got to know us better by watching us,” Cousin said. “We’re his first 17-and-under champion. He was definitely impressed with our guys.”
The roster is nearly exclusively composed of players who’ve played for Alamance County schools.
Those players include Micah Woods and La-dario Johnson from Graham; Donnie Fairley, James Kenan, Landon Gardner, and Jaiden Franklin of Southeast Alamance; Mason Murphy and Jamarious Toney of Eastern Ala-mance; and Stormur Traustason of The Burlington School.
The multi-city tournament involved 50-plus teams. Mid-State Magic conquered a variety of teams, ranging from clubs from Washington state to Tennessee and Boston.
By the end, Irving, who played collegiately for Duke and is a nine-time NBA All-Star, was interviewing members of the Alamance County contingent on his Twitch channel.
“It was local talent and they made noise on a national stage,” Cousin said.
The final four victories came in New Jersey, with a triumph against a team from Houston in the championship tilt.
“We kind of scrapped it out,” Cousin said. “We definitely earned it.”
Fairley, who racked up 23 points in the final, was named the Most Valuable Player in the bracket. Woods led Mid-State Magic in scoring in the New Jersey portion of the competition.
Mid-State Magic wraps up this portion of its 20th anniversary season with this weekend’s Phenom Hoops event at The Rise Indoor Sports in Bermuda Run.
