GRBA Nationals: Saturday’s Top Performers (Part 1)
Saturday marked the first day of bracket play here in Fort Wayne, meaning it was win or go home. For 2018s, if they lost it would bring an end to their AAU career. This meant the stage was even bigger and the pressure even higher, as most players surely would want to end their AAU career on a win. There were plenty of coaches in attendance, most notably John Beilein and Tom Izzo, among others. Here are some of my top performers from Saturday’s action in Fort Wayne:
Kevin Easley (George Hill Rising Stars 17u) – Easley is that lethal breed of a superstar with a role player’s heart/motor. He had two big games today in bracket play, leading his team to a pair of wins over Elite Nation and Indy Heat (EYBL). As far as performance goes, Easley did everything – he scored, facilitated, played defense and rebounded all while doing the little things such as diving on the floor for loose balls. He’s a 6’7″ wing who’s strong enough to bang inside as well as skilled enough to make plays from anywhere inside of half-court. For example, he hit multiple threes while recording well over a double-double in both games. Easley played great in his matchup with Michigan commit Brandon Johns, winning the head-to-head as well as the game.
B.Artis White (The Family 16u) – White had himself a great day, showcasing his elite skill in both games today. He is one of the quickest players on the court at all times which, when combined with his great handles, makes him nearly impossible to stay in front of. White mixed it up offensively, shredding defenses from beyond the arc as well as penetrating and finishing at the rim with consistency. He also did a bit of playmaking, finding the open man when the defense collapsed on him. White is not just an offensive specialist, however; he was pestering opposing guards all day, generating multiple turnovers or simply stripping the ball-handler himself.
Josh Perkins (Elite Nation 17u) – Perkins was an absolute monster in his squad’s win over Hudson Elite. He had the first 12 points for his squad, dominating the paint in a Shaq-like manner. He was in complete control of the glass throughout the entire game, helping his team get extra possessions while limiting the opponents to just one shot per. Perkins had a strong second half in addition to his first-half explosion, finishing a few more tough looks at the rim. There was no other way to describe Perkins’ performance in that game besides simply dominant.
Rocket Watts (The Family 17u) – While the entire Family squad played well in their annihilation of the team they played today, Watts stood out among the rest. He nearly had a triple double, tallying 22 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. He caught fire from deep like we’re used to seeing Watts do, burying at least three trey balls in the second half alone. In addition to scoring, he was facilitating at a high level, evident by his 9 assists. Watts also had a couple nice finishes at the rim as well.
Christian Harvey (George Hill Rising Stars 17u) – While Easley was definitely the main workhorse for this Rising Stars squad today, Christian Harvey was a key piece as well. Playing with some sort of cast/wrapping around his left wrist, Harvey made timely, clutch plays in both games. What really stood out was his ability to penetrate and finish at the rim over much taller/longer defenders. He has great handles and is very shifty – both of which his utilized to create offense for his team when nothing else was going. He displayed great toughness both playing through whatever injury occurred to his wrist, as well as taking hits/hard falls throughout the day. While statistically he may not have dominated (however, he was by no means subpar), he makes this list because he stepped up in big moments throughout the game. Simply put, he was cold-blooded clutch today.