While there were several very strong teams at the 2026 level of the NY2LA Association this season that could have won it all, it was Phenom University that took the championship. This season they got off to a strong start advancing into the semifinals at the loaded Swish N’ Dish back in April and only continued to improve greatly from there.
While there were plenty of players that had strong performances during the season for Phenom, it was the trio of Yusef Gray, Vaughn Karvala, and Thian Riak leading the way all year. At the 2026 level, there were not many trios like them that consistently played at a high level leading them to a highly successful season. Gray often led them in scoring with his tough attacking ability often getting all the way to the basket and finishing at a high rate. Karvala is an incredibly versatile guard at 6’5” with his skill set being a stat stuffer, he was one of the breakout stars during the season. With his great athleticism, Riak is a highly impactful wing with tremendous upside that was a playmaker on both ends all season long.
Kevin Pittman, Marcus Webb, and Jayden Ragland are all others who were key pieces throughout the season and during the championship tournament. Though it was Gray, Karvala, and Riak who led the way to the championship during The Final Chapter. During the championship run, Gray led them in scoring with 16.8 points a game but Riak also averaged 14.6 points and Karvala with 13.4 points leading the scoring attack to capture the championship. Below is their games from their championship at The Final Chapter.
First Game: 63-34 win over The Academy
Sweet 16: 63-54 win over MN Comets Elite
Quarterfinals: 67-60 win over Team Ramey
Semifinals: 68-62 win over MidPro South
Championship Game: 57-54 win over Chapman Basketball