Las Vegas, NV (July 24, 2023) – The return season of SlamBall is off to a rollicking start. There was no shortage of electrifying plays on both ends of the court during the first week of action, especially from Ty McGee (Littleton, Colo.), who turned in a record-setting performance for the Wrath, and Gage Smith (Elizabeth, Colo.), who was an impenetrable force for the undefeated Mob. McGee was named SlamBall Offensive Player of the Week while Gage earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. Those two players join Mob gunner Darius Clark (Blue Springs, Mo.), Mob handler Cameron Horton (Jacksonville, Ala.) and Lava gunner Bryce Moragne (Tampa, Fla.) on the All-SlamBall Week 1 team. The Mob’s Brendan Kirsch (Indianapolis, Ind.) was named SlamBall Coach of the Week.
McGee set a SlamBall single-game record with 43 points against the Rumble on Saturday night. He eclipsed the old record of 42 points, held by Stanley “Shakes” Fletcher, the current head coach of the Slashers. McGee, who accounted for his team’s first 22 points in the game, was accurate on 16 of 22 shots with 11 dunks. He leads SlamBall in total points with 91 and is second in dunks with 25.
All Smith did in the season’s first week was lead the league in stops (40), loose ball recoveries (37) and steals (10). His 14 stops against the Slashers on Sunday were the most by any player this season. The former Concordia basketball star notched double-digit stops in three of the Mob’s four games and made eight more LBRs in every contest. His 23 points were the most by any stopper in Week 1.
In his four games, Clark electrified SlamBall fans with his otherworldly leaping ability. The Guinness World record holder for highest vertical leap with a running start (50 inches) ranks first in dunks (27), second in points (83) and tied for first in hits (six). Clark scored at least 20 points in three of his team’s four games and five or more dunks in every outing.
Horton proved to be the ideal facilitator for the 4-0 Mob, leading SlamBall with 14 assists to go along with 36 points, the seventh-most in the league. The former Life University hoops star also connected on his team’s only made four-point attempt.
Moragne, the first overall pick in the SlamBall Draft, has lived up to expectations for the Lava, who lost both their games this season by four points. Just like he did on the hardwood at Florida A&M, Moragne is filling up the stat sheet. He leads SlamBall with an output of 24.5 points per game and is tied for third in the league with 14 dunks. His 70.8 shooting percentage (17-of-24) is the best in the league among all players with at least 20 attempts.
The Mob under Kirsch dominated the first week of SlamBall, emerging as the only undefeated squad. The Mob own a league-best scoring differential of 29.0 points per game. They are generating the most points per game (64.3) and permitting the fewest (35.5).
All-SlamBall Team – Week 1
Gunner Ty McGee, Wrath
Gunner Darius Clark, Mob
Handler Cameron Horton, Mob
Stopper Gage Smith, Mob
5th Man Bryce Moragne, Lava
Coach Brendan Kirsch, Mob