Next Level Invitational/NY2LA Championships: Friday Standouts (National)
The NY2LA circuit wrapped up this weekend, with most of the tournament play being played Thursday. Friday was the beginning of pool play for the Next Level Invitational, as well as the championship games for the NY2LA circuit teams. Teams that are not on the circuit finished up open bracket games, and by Friday night everybody was playing pool games for the Next Level Invitational. Here are my top performers from Friday:
Manning “Tre” Baumgardner (Blaze 17u) – Baumgardner looked like a legitimate D1 player in his matchup with Reach today. In fact, he outplayed and overshadowed teammate and Ohio State commit Musa Jallow. He was doing everything offensively – scoring, facilitating and even grabbing an offensive board here and there. He scored from all three levels efficiently. Despite this being the NY2LA semi-final game, most people in the gym thought it to be the championship game, as these were the two most talented 17u teams in the gym. Baumgardner stepped up big time on the big stage.
Vashawn Sims (Example Sports 17u) – Sims was making plays all over the court in his team’s matchup against TEAM. Despite being a sub-6′ guard, he rebounded and defended as well as anybody. He played with a ton of energy and heart, allowing him to seemingly be all over the court at all times. He wasn’t just an energy player, however; he was scoring and facilitating well too. He hit several big, tough, clutch shots to do everything he could to win, including the go-ahead and-one with less than a minute to go in OT.
Logan Windeler (Example Sports 17u) – Alongside his teammate Sims, Windeler played great against TEAM. Windeler came out the gate and hit 3 consecutive threes – prompting TEAM’s coach to use a timeout almost immediately. Standing at 6’8′, he’s a fantastic shooter who can hit from anywhere. He impressed me with his ability to pull-up both ways. In addition to playing well early, Windeler also had a huge and-one to give his team the lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
Flynn Cameron (AUSA Hoops 17u) – Cameron looked really, really good against Elite Nation today. He did everything offensively – I’d guess he accounted for at least 65% of his team’s points. He scored from all three levels efficiently. He made some really nice passes, displaying not only good court vision but also an ability to put the passes right on target. He also defended well, tallying several steals and a block or two.
Corvon Seales (Quad City Elite 17u) – Seales was at it yet again today, doing his best to repeat his outstanding performance from the day before. While maybe not as dominant today, he still showed tremendous scoring and playmaking abilities. After watching him play for the second time, I was really trying to figure out why he doesn’t have at least one D1 offer.