Santiago Archieri/ Staff Writer

With the spotlight always being carried around by the big time names of the city, sometimes fans forget about the lower-level leagues around the nation that produce top notch talent and exciting basketball.

The Miami Midnites team plays summer basketball in the Florida Basketball Association, and has merged in to the American Basketball Association, or the ABA for the regular season. The Midnites are currently in their second season after being established in 2014 and look to take part of their third campaign in the FBA in the upcoming summer.

In the FBA, the Midnites have seen nothing but success. They are back-to-back champions and have only had one loss in two years, a one point loss and a game that the Midnites were penalized with 10 technical fouls. Regardless, they have cruised by their two seasons in the league.

The ABA has 84 teams spread out in 14 divisions and it features Canadian teams. The winner of each division goes on to the ABA playoffs. The Midnites are a part of the Florida division, with six other teams in Florida and Georgia. While in their second ABA season, the Midnites are starting to dominate the Florida Division.

“The ABA is getting better, the competition is getting better, but the group that we have is good enough to get to the finals again, and now that we got our feet wet in the finals, we can mold our team to win the championship,” says Freddy Edouard, also known as the Midnites defensive specialist.

Last season, the Midnites went 17-3 in the ABA and lost in the finals, two games to none, against the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks, a powerhouse that has gone undefeated in their last three seasons.

But the Midnites are a team on the rise in the ABA, shattering records in just their second season being a part of the program. Earlier this season, they scored a new franchise high 210 points in a 210-101 win against the Columbus Blackhawks.

The recognition of the team expands globally as well. The Midnites are the professional developmental team of Maccabi Haifa, a professional team in Israel, also known for touring in the United States in the offseason, capping off notable games against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers in October 2015. Last season, Midnites player Amir Ashaude was promoted to the Israeli affiliate and has been overseas since.

Freddy Edouard says this has become a natural occurrence for him.

“It wasn’t my first time seeing my team mate seeing play professionally elsewhere, but it is a nice feeling every time. It shows that if you keep working hard time after time, you will be rewarded.” Edouard is a longtime friend of Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside, and says it is yet another example of how hard work will be rewarded.

The Miami Midnites are preparing for the playoffs in March, where they now hope to dominate not just the Florida Division, but the entire league. Fans can follow the Midnites on Instagram and check out their website for team updates.