TNT Elite Hoops Tryouts: Standouts Pt. 2/3
Orlando’s “TNT Elite Hoops” AAU squad is already gearing up for their spring and summer seasons, and the future definitely looks bright for them. On Sunday afternoon, they hosted tryouts for the elementary ages, all the way up to the high school senior level. I had a chance to stop in and peep some of their high school talent. Over 50 student-athletes tried out. Here are a few names to watch out for, part two of three.
Carlos Rivera: Here’s another hooper that made his impact by attacking the passing gaps and keeping his hands active. If Rivera was defending on-ball, you never saw him once get beat off the dribble—even by those who may have been a step quicker than he. Rivera has solid vision when making passes to the paint. He can be a great role player for the TNT squad.
Jared Koller: Koller knocked down a few threes off-the-catch, proving he can get a shot off quickly if the team needed it in any situation. When he’s off-the-ball, Koller’s great at staying mobile, cutting towards the basket, and going back-door along the baseline. He appears to have a solid basketball IQ for his age.
Max Holler: It was hard to defend Holler once he started to ease his way into the midrange area. Holler has the ability to take you all the way to the cup, or give you a little Dirk Nowitzki post-up, fadeaway. Max can definitely be a person that helps give TNT some clutch buckets, when needed.
Anthony Cruz: This junior can drive it in, hit the spin on the defender, and lay it in, with ease. Cruz was one of the tougher hoopers out on the court. He eats contact on the way to the cup, he’s great when it comes to fighting for loose balls. Every team needs a player with this type of tenacity. It comes far, few and in between.
Jace Spinelli: This sophomore was one of the top five best hoopers I saw at the tryout. He plays like he’s hungry. Spinelli is nice from the winged-three area, but has the smarts to know when to dish it out after driving into the paint. His energy level never diminished, but he also stays very composed on the floor. Definitely deserves to be one of the key men on the roster when the time comes.