Levance Fields has garnered plenty of attention here as of late, (here and here) and for good reason. His formative asphalt roots personify veteran leadership, rugged defense and stylish play on the ‘wood. Peep the highlights from last Thursday’s Sweet Sixteen matchup between Levance’s Pitt Panthers and the Xavier Musketeers. Fields’s between-the-legs Boogie and high arching fader from 3 had me envisioning blacktop glory and soon-to-come professional dollars (or Euros) for the burly Brooklyn guard. His defensive positioning and steal on the ensuing possession weren’t bad, either.

I was dissapointed that Wisconsin point guard Trevon Hughes didn’t garner attention in Sean’s “Playground Tested” write-up from the other day. Actually, I’m not sure if “Pop” matured in NYC’s finest playgrounds, but he’s from Queens and his herky jerky ratchet is definitely asphalt-inspired. (Hughes went to a millitary academy near Milwaukee and our grassroots sleuths never sniffed him out, so perhaps he journeyed West before he could obtain some Big Apple love.) Down 31-19 at the intermission, the 12th seeded Badgers stormed back behind seven straight points from Keaton Nankivil, several three-pointers from sharpshooter Jason Bohannon and lockdown D to take the Florida State Seminoles into OT. Attempting only two shots in the first half, Tre turned it on in the extra period, hitting a circus lay-up and getting the AND ONE with a ‘Nole hanging on his uni with 2 ticks left. Peep the video above and other highlights after the jump!
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