GRBA Nationals: Saturday’s Top Performers (Part 2)
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:
Here is part two:
Tariq Shepherd (The Family 16u) – Shepherd makes this list for his impressive performance against Indy Heat. While his looks may be limited due to the fact that he plays alongside fellow guards Drew Lowder and B.Artis White (both who made top performers lists today as well), Shepherd makes the most of what he gets, putting up points very efficiently. Such was the case today when he started off with 7 of his squad’s first 14 points. While everybody else on his team started slow, Shepherd made sure to keep his team in the game until his teammates found their rhythm. He would continue his solid play throughout the rest of the game, finishing with a highly efficient 13 points.
Deng Reng (ET21 Buckeyes 16u) – Reng is a promising young player who plays with a ton of heart and toughness. when you couple that with good size, length and athleticism you have a beast both defensively and on the glass. He performed well in both of those areas today – he was a game-changer with his paint protection against the Lansing Prospectors. Reng is more than just an athlete, however; he has nice footwork, a soft touch around the rim and a reliable jumpshot out past the three point line. He has dominated the last two days, proving that yesterday’s game wasn’t a product of just getting hot, rather, a result of talent, heart and toughness.
Javon Cooley (ET21 Buckeyes 16u) – Cooley was the Buckeyes’ Deng Reng when Reng was off the floor. He played with a similar aggression that Reng did, attacking the glass on both sides of the ball, playing tough defense inside, as well as finishing strong at the rack. He scored, defended and rebounded at a high, efficient rate and was a big part of his team’s success against the Lansing Prospectors.
Drew Lowder (The Family 16u) – If B.Artis White or Tariq Shepherd play good, it’s almost a guarantee that Lowder plays good as well. Given how complete of a player he is, Lowder is pound-for-pound one of the best players in the state. He showcased this complete package ability in both games today. Offensively, he used elite handles and ability to change direction to get wherever he wanted on the floor, then used his great jumper or finishing ability to put the ball in the basket. Despite being sub-5’10”, Lowder can finish at the rim with the best of them, which is precisely what he did today. If he’s not feeling a drive to the rim, he will hit the defense with either a pull-up or step-back from midrange, something that he makes at a highly efficient rate. Last but not least, he’s capable of catching fire from deep at any moment, which he showed flashes of today. On the defensive side of the ball, he’s one of the best on-ball defenders at the guard position. He has great footwork and is more than capable of sticking to a ball-handler long enough to get that 5-second call. Also, he has nice hands and had 3 or 4 plays where he simply stripped the ball-handler.