A fantastic read for any young hoops junky, or for anyone who enjoys a dive into the hearts and minds of young competitors. I personally am a middle-aged hoops junky and, nonetheless, loved this book. Volponi's Final Four captures the tension and drama of an epic final four game, and weaves in flashbacks in each of the key players lives throughout the story: The rage, arrogance and selfishness of a "one and done" freshman from the projects soon headed for the NBA draft lottery; the soul of his foil, a scrappy and heady point guard from war-torn Zagreb, Croatia; the experiences of their teammates from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. Ultimately, all the characters are changed by being a part of something larger than themselves in the crucible of the final four. The events and outcomes are real enough that one does not have to suspend disbelief or write this book off as a cute young adult-only book (although it certainly is appropriate for that age group). Four Stars from this middle aged hoops junky and avid reader!

Volponi does it again. This book is one of the best I've read in a long while. I recommend this book to all ages and encourage everyone to check out more of his books. I read this book in 3 hours by the way. It was that good.