To end an unforgettable season, the Immortal Wolfpack, an under-15 Amateur Athletic Union basketball team based in Ithaca, claimed the title World Champions after competing in the AAU’s Boys’ World Championship in Orlando, Florida, over the Fourth of July weekend.
Composed of roughly 10 rising high school sophomores, the Wolfpack competed against teams across the country to claim the coveted title. The team is based out of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center.
“We got bounced last year and earned seventh place. Going in and making a statement and dominating everyone was rewarding and really fun,” said Rahmel Mack, the team’s head coach.
According to the players, the team has been around since they were in the sixth grade and, despite the inherent roster turnover of youth sports, has been able to establish a rhythm together over the years.
Point guard Israel Mack has been on the team since 2018 and said that through the years, the team has developed and altered its chemistry to fit with “whoever was around.”
“When we work together and play together, our chemistry is unstoppable,” Mack said. “Our chemistry helped us win together as a team.”
To start the competition, the Wolfpack played a dominant game against Georgia’s Clayco Heat, finishing with 70 points to Clayco's 19. They subsequently bested Camp Elite from Florida, securing a 66-22 win.
“We knew what we came to Florida to do, we wanted to win the whole tournament,” said Jasmir Robbins, a member of the team. “We were locked in the whole time and we didn’t take our foot off the gas.”
On the second day of the tournament, the team defeated the Miami Tropics in a 63-34 win, securing them the No. 1 seed and marking a +124 point differential across three games.
The Wolfpack then comfortably beat the New Jersey Legends and the Syracuse Hoops, a familiar opponent, to advance to the final four teams.
In the semifinal, the Wolfpack faced off against RWIII Elite from Louisiana. In a tough, physical matchup, the Wolfpack advanced to the championship after a 52-46 win — their closest game throughout the tournament.
“The Louisiana game was a tough one but our chemistry and communication helped us survive and advance,” said Cyahr Brooks, a member of the team. “We never got mad at each other, we kept communicating and that helped us come out with the win.”
In the championship matchup, the Wolfpack took on the Florida Blue Heat. Last year, the Wolfpack lost to the Blue Heat in the Elite 8. Ready for redemption, the Wolfpack delivered a stunning 71-52 victory and captured the championship victory.
“When these big cities lose to this little, little gorgeous city, it’s a fun thing for us,” Mack said. “We’ve developed together and coming home with that trophy was cool for us.”
Reflecting on the tournament, the team said they enjoyed playing different teams from across the nation as they all have ambitions to play at the collegiate level.
“We all want to go on and play at the college level, so this experience of being able to travel the country and play different teams from different regions was good for our development as players,” said Isaiah Bodie, a member of the team.
Zeinab Faraj is a reporter from The Cornell Daily Sun working on The Sun's summer fellowship at The Ithaca Voice. This piece was originally published in the Ithaca Voice.
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the features editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and was the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. You can reach her at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
