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Examples of Exposure Events We Attended (2025 Reference)

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As we build our Ares 17U Elite (Class of 2027) program, families often ask what kinds of events we target for competition and exposure.

This post is a reference list of tournaments we attended or planned in 2025. It’s meant to show the type of exposure weekends we pursue — not to lock in our upcoming event schedule. For the upcoming season, dates may be locked, but event names and venues can change based on availability and eligibility/certification requirements.

How We Choose Events (Our Selection Criteria)

We don’t just chase hype. We choose events based on:

  • Competition quality (deep brackets, strong matchups)
  • Exposure environment (college coaches and decision-makers typically present)
  • Operations (venues, scheduling, reliability)
  • Eligibility/certification requirements where applicable
  • Fit for our athletes (the right stage for our roster)

Our goal is simple: put athletes in real games, against real competition, in environments where exposure is meaningful — and support it with recruiting-ready media.

2025 Exposure Event Examples (Reference)

1) AOG NorCal Summer Tip-Off (2025)

  • Dates: July 5–6, 2025
  • Location: The Grounds, Roseville (NorCal)
  • Why it fits: A strong NorCal environment to compete early and set the tone before heavier travel weekends.

2) HoopSource “Portland Rise” (2025)

  • Dates: July 11–13, 2025
  • Location: Portland, Oregon
  • Why it fits: Competitive out-of-state matchups and a different scouting environment than California.

3) MadeHoops Finals SoCal (2025)

  • Dates: July 17–20, 2025
  • Location: SoCal – multiple locations.
  • Why it fits: A Southern California setting with strong talent density and a traditionally strong exposure footprint.

4) Bigfoot Hoops Las Vegas Classic (2025)

  • Dates: July 24–27, 2025
  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Why it fits: Vegas weekends are often packed with competition and scouting attention, making them useful closing events for the summer.

Important: These events are listed as examples from 2025. Future schedules depend on event availability, requirements, and final roster planning.

What This Means for the Upcoming Ares Elite Season

For the upcoming season, we will publish:

  • Our locked travel weekends
  • The final event names/venues
  • Any eligibility/certification requirements that apply

We’ll also share what families can expect in terms of:

  • weekly development standards
  • travel expectations
  • recruiting support and media deliverables

Ready to Apply for Ares 17U Elite (Class of 2027)?

The first step is the application. We review film + fit and invite selected athletes to tryouts.

Get a Tryout Invite Apply here >

Ares Basketball 13/14u Dominates 4ballers Tournament: A Weekend of Stellar Performances

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The Ultimate Fieldhouse witnessed an electrifying display of basketball prowess as Ares Basketball’s 13/14u team took center stage at the recent 4ballers tournament. The team showcased an outstanding performance that left fans in awe, with standout players making their mark on both ends of the court.

Offensive Brilliance: Mateo, Julian, and Josh Shine at the Point

The trio of Mateo, Julian, and Josh orchestrated a seamless offensive strategy, running the point with precision and executing plays that kept the opposition on their toes. Their skillful ball-handling and strategic decision-making proved to be a driving force behind Ares Basketball’s success throughout the weekend.

Defensive Dominance: Joel and Gabe Secure the Paint

While offense wins games, it’s defense that wins championships. Joel and Gabe stood out with exceptional defensive performances, showcasing their prowess in rebounding and providing crucial outlets. Their tenacity in the paint played a pivotal role in stifling opponents’ scoring opportunities.

Overall Excellence: Jeremy’s Birthday Dub Extravaganza

One player, however, stole the spotlight on both ends of the court—Jeremy. This dynamic player not only met expectations but exceeded them with a stellar showcase of skills. From locked-down defense to relentless hustle, Jeremy left no stone unturned. His defensive efforts included impressive box outs, 4-5 steals, and a commitment to shutting down the opposition.

Jeremy’s offensive contributions were equally noteworthy, amassing an impressive 25 points across both games. His selfless play extended to setting screens for guards, creating opportunities for explosive plays. As if that wasn’t enough, Jeremy achieved the ultimate birthday gift – a victorious “birthday dub” that underscored his commitment and passion for the game.

The entire Ares Basketball team displayed an undeniable synergy, working cohesively to secure victories and leave a lasting impression on the 4ballers tournament. With offensive brilliance from Mateo, Julian, and Josh, defensive dominance from Joel and Gabe, and the overall excellence of Jeremy, Ares Basketball 13/14u showcased the true meaning of teamwork and determination.

As the tournament dust settles, Ares Basketball stands tall, proud of their accomplishments and ready to take on the next challenge. The 4ballers tournament will undoubtedly be remembered as a weekend where individual talents converged into a collective force, propelling Ares Basketball to victory.

Spring Season Kickoff Basketball Tournament

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Basketball tournament action

We are back and we kicked off our first basketball tournament with a great start! 7 teams were able to represent our club participating in 20 games over the weekend at Courtside Basketball Center in Rocklin, CA. It was a lot of fun watching our teams finally hit the court and enjoying each other’s company.

[Read more…] about Spring Season Kickoff Basketball Tournament

Ares Wins at Trust The Process Fall Showcase Tournament

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As the season seems to be blowing by, we are all excited to watch the teams grow. The teams seem to start understanding where they need to be and what needs to be done on the court. Recent drills to fine tune some fundamentals on both offense and defense, rebounding, and playmaking, really paid off this last tournament.

Saturday we battled at the Trust The Process Fall Showcase Tournament held at Soldiertown in Oakland, California. 11u walked away with the championship and 13u walked away having an amazing tournament all around.

13u Ares Team

The 13u is a special group of kids. They range from age 11-13 and have shown a tremendous amount of growth of the last few months. There is no secret to who one of our key players are on the team. Torey who runs the point for out team has been an exceptional player and young man. As the team gets to know each other, there is only good things to come.

The 3 games 13u played were against Trust The Process, Scholars, and the Hayward Panthers finishing 2-1 for the tournament. All 3 games were great. Two, one point games and a win by 20. Even though these boys still have a long process ahead of them still, we are proud how far they have come along.

11u Ares Team

The 11u executed the game plan just like we practiced it the week of. They have gotten down the concept of the fast break and their defensive positioning was just right. These boys went 3-0 on paper, our last game of the evening we ended up playing a 12u team as a scrimmage and even a couple of the siblings who are almost/are 12 got to help and earn them self a ring.

With an actual record of 2-1 in the tournament, the 11u won big in the first two games and hung in there well with the 12u team they competed against.

Phenom Coach at Soldiertown

Alex and Rehmat got to compete and participate in the Phenom All American Camp help annually in San Diego. Their Coach Leo Svete from the camp happens to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and we ended up running into him at the tournament. The kids who participated naturally were happy to see him and were quick to pose with him between our games.

Coach Leo has played basketball both in College and in the European league. He holds training on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area and we hope to have him out to get a session in with our club. Alex and Rehmat both have been invited back to Phenom and they look forward to seeing their coach again.

Ares Basketball wins at WCBBA AAU Tournament

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After 3 months of training and playing against bigger, more advanced teams, the Ares boys got the job done.

11u held it down!

This past Saturday, we attended the WCBBA tournament held in the Concord California area and brought out the 10/11u and our 13/14u teams. Even though we only have one 11yo and one 14yo on each team, we normally play the upper bracket with both teams and don’t even bother asking for an exception to help push the kids, however, with missing a few key members for the older team, we played the 13u bracket this time around, and glad we did.

Our first game for the afternoon was against Prime. We battled hard for 40min to fall short by 4 points. Prime is known for putting together and training some top talent in the area and always a challenge to play against.

Second game was a lot different. I asked to be put in D2 11u and this tournament delivered. Our next game up was against the Titans 11u. You can tell most of these kids were about to turn 12 or were already 12 from their size and skill level, but that didn’t stop us from stepping up and do a great job against the Titans, winning by 8.

Third game I knew would be tough. SJ Unity had just defeated Prime in OT by 1 and if we beat Unity by 7 or more, we would win the tournament. The stage was set, the kids were ready to battle…

40min went by and we were looking to close out the game with a 10point victory. Out of the timeout the kids knew what they needed to do. Get a stop, don’t let them score, no 3’s, don’t let up.

5…4…3…

The whistle blows, foul on the 3point buzzard beater shot. SJ Unity player hits all 3 making it a tie between Prime and Ares…and since Prime beat us, they got first.

13/14u games were a lot better…3-0 better

For 3 months now we have been playing up against 14u teams which normally contain a mix of high school freshmen and 8th grade boys. The boys did well over the last few months hanging in there and playing some good basketball. I knew going into what our actual matchups should be that we would do well…but not as well as I thought we would since we would face off against some experienced teams.

Game one was against the East Bay Eagles. We got some history coaching against each other and my parents could tell by the way the other coach was acting. You can tell that he really wanted to beat me since it’s been years since he has been able to pull off a win against any of my teams…but I can save that story for another time.

The energy coming from the team was great the first game. There were still some chemistry missing but I the rotation was better this time around. Torey (I call him “Take-Over Torey”) really did well that game. There was no one on the other team that could stop him.

Game two was against the Bay Area Sharks. I knew that the team has been together for a while and he was watching our game against the Eagles so he knew he had to take care of “Take-Over Torey” in order to have a change. Over the next 40 min, there was constant pressure on Torey making the rest of the team step up…and they did an amazing job to pull off a win.

The third and final game was against the Aztecs. When I first saw we were playing that group I was a little disappointed. Last time we faced each other, we won my a big margin and was not sure what to expect. I am the kind of coach that will never under estimate our opponent no matter how much we won by the last time we faced off each other. You never know where they were in their process last time we faced off or if it’s even going to be the same kids.

As they walked through the doors, it was NOT the same team. I actually heard some of our parents sigh thinking its going to be a good but long game. The kids that came in looked like ballers, I will admit that. Even the kids who remembered this team from last time was starting to get a little intimidated…see…never underestimate.

I chuckled a bit.

I looked at our assistant coach and said “we got this” and called the team in for the huddle. After a short pow-wow and pep talk, they hit the court motivated to win the last game. Out the gates these guys were on fire! 16min went by and I had not realized that I had still to put in my bench. Score was 30-2 at the half.

In the second half I changed it up. I mixed some of my starters with the bench players and started to rotate them out every 4-5min. The kids knew what was coming to them and they were excited. They did so well, I was able to have some of my 10u players help and even almost score against kids much much taller than them.

Looking for a team?

Do you live in the Tracy, Stockton, Patterson, Manteca areas and looking for a travel basketball team? Visit aresbasketball.com to sign up for tryout information.