“We have been playing together for so long, most of us since 2008,” Tyler Japs said. “We have learned how each of us moves on the court and how to swing the ball for the best look.”
With the Summer 2024 season gearing up for the playoffs, the Flint Tropics have earned the fifth-seed in this season’s postseason. The team brought back nearly all of their players from their Summer 2019 team that won it all. They made a statement this season when they blew out Run TMC in Week 3, a familiar foe who clinched the top overall seed and finished the season with just that one loss.
The Flint Tropics are no strangers to the competitive nature of the Legacy Leagues. While they have been playing together in the league since 2017, their own legacy is rooted much deeper. The secret to their chemistry began long before they even entered the league.
“We’ve played together since middle school, throughout high school and college,” Nick Japs said. “We have had good chemistry throughout those years, and we’re all close friends too, so it’s been easy for us.”
Because of this, their love for this league lies in more than just basketball. Nick Japs explains how the league gives them an opportunity to stay connected when life gets busy.
“We get to stay in touch this way,” Nick Japs said. “We’re at the age where everyone is growing up with their families, so getting together is hard. This allows us to do that.”
While it is always their goal to have fun, the Flint Tropics are after the title this season. Their chemistry shines as they swing the ball in and out of the paint, but Tyler Japs explains that the key is something they learned when they were younger.
“We pride ourselves on our defense, and we learned that from a young age,” Tyler Japs said. He attributes the success of their system to their travel basketball coach Joe Buzzuto and high school coach Matt Craig.
“I also love showing that old-school defense and working for the best shot still works great in a run-and-gun age of basketball,” Tyler Japs said.
The Flint Tropics are second in the league in blocks as a team with 24, and are third in the league in assists (84) while maintaining the second least amount of turnovers. Matt Cyr is leading the way this season with nine blocks and 14 assists so far this season, while Dom Migliaro leads the team with an impressive 33 assists. As the season ramps up, the Flint Tropics are hoping for a healthy roster.
With a deep-rooted connection that extends beyond the court, they not only play for the title, but also for the enduring bonds that basketball has forged among them. As the Flint Tropics get ready to make another deep playoff run, their blend of long-standing chemistry and defensive prowess positions them as a formidable contender.
“If we have our full team, we’re easily the best team in the league,” Nick Japs said.