After winning the title last year, Uptempo lost two of their starters to free agency. But rather than fall into that post-championship slump like some teams, they're right back where they left off - at the top of the NRF standings. A large reason for that is Nick Blatchford. If Uptempo has any plans to repeat, it's going to depend on how good Nick can be. Take a few minutes to learn a little bit more about Nick...

Name: Nick Blatchford
Team: Uptempo
Industry: Basketball
Job title: Founder & Executive Director for New Heights NYC
What do you do for your job? Oversee the operations and manage the staff of New Heights, an organization that runs programs and events focused on the youth basketball market. Train and supervise coaching staff and coach a New Heights travel team.
Age: 37
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Shoe size: 12
Position: G
My Home Court: El Faro Beacon, Harlem
Playing Experience: High School
Favorite Sneakers: Jordan 11 and Nike Air Flight 3/4
Favorite Player: Magic Johnson (all-time) and Dwayne Wade (current)
Favorite Team: New Heights 17/U
Go-to-Move: Catch and shoot
I play: Much slower and less athletic than days before…..
Coming up I admired: Magic and Len Bias
My basketball moment: Mostly coaching kids to tournament championships