Taking success to New Heights, 16s claim another crown

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. – Terrence Samuel had a smile on his face over the final minutes of Tuesday’s Summer Classic East championship game. It was a content smirk, one of those this-is-too-good-to-be-true grins.

Soon, the rest of his New Heights 16U teammates had similar ear-to-ear smiles. Even coach Kimani Young couldn’t help himself.

Who could blame them after this week?

The AAU club had just completed a clean sweep over the first week of the live recruiting period, cruising to the Summer Classic East crown, 65-45, over powerful Team Final, Philadelphia’s premier program, at Competitive Edge Sports in King of Prussia, Pa. This title came just three days removed from the Adidas Invitational crown, a national title against many of the country’s elite.

Philip Hall

Forward Jordan Washington and New Heights won their second AAU tournament in three days, claiming the Summer Classic East crown on Tuesday.

“Coming off winning the Adidas tournament, they were playing with a lot of confidence,” Young said. “Everybody knows confidence is a huge factor in basketball. They’re playing the right way, they’re playing smart and they’re playing hard.”

Despite missing standout small forward Shamiek Sheppard of South Shore, New Heights was hardly tested in the two-day tournament, winning all five games by at least double figures. Topping Team Final was supposed to be a daunting task, with its two nationally ranked prospects, Davon Reed and Austin Colbert. But Nassir Williams and Teyvon Myers started the contest with consecutive 3-pointers, New Heights raced out to a 24-13 lead after a Jalen Jenkins 3-pointer and held a commanding 10-point cushion at halftime.

Samuel (team-high 12 points), the impressive South Shore point guard with offers from Iowa State, Cincinnati and Louisville, took command early in the second half. He dropped in silky medium-range jumpers, finished off pretty drives at the rim and set up teammates for easy shots off penetration. Jordan Washington (10 points, 12 rebounds) and Jenkins made their presence felt in the lane and Williams and Myers wreaked havoc on the perimeter.

"We're a family, that's why we're winning," Myers said. "We stay together at tough times."

There weren't any in the championship game. The lead never got under 10 in the second half as Team Final had trouble matching New Heights' productivity on the offensive end. Reed and Colbert, the two rising juniors with several high-major offers, combined for just 15 points, limited by a suffocating defense. One of the highest scoring teams in the country put up all of 22 points in the first half and managed just 23 after the break.

“That’s what wins championships – defense,” said Jenkins, the Cardinal Hayes rising senior forward who had eight points and 11 rebounds. “We played good help defense in the paint and we crashed the boards. Even when they got second chances, they weren’t good looks.”

The crown is this group’s fourth, including the spring. New Heights also claimed the Providence Jam Fest and Nike Baltimore Elite Classic. But they aren’t satisfied. They are now eying the Adidas Super 64 title during the second live recruiting period later this month.

“I knew were a good team, I knew we could win championships, we just had to play together,” Samuel said. “Now that we know how to play together, we shouldn’t lose at all.”

At this pace, anything seems possible.

zbraziller@nypost.com