Inspire Rise Above Tournament: defenders that stood out
July live period is over, and plenty of Arizona’s talented basketball players are back in-state to compete before school and, eventually, high school basketball starts.
Here are some of the defenders that stood out at the Inspire Rise Above Tournament in Gilbert, Arizona:
Shavere Yarde of Inspire Albert hustled around the floor, making steals and deflecting passes of opposing guards with all his energy, despite having few subs to give him time to rest. Especially on the first day of competition, observers could see his blue jersey flashing throughout the court and disrupting other teams.
Ibrahima Camara of Alpha Males used his athleticism and quick feet to make the nights of opposing wings difficult. He is tall enough to switch onto big men, but saw his biggest success making it hard for opponent ball handlers to get into the paint and make plays. He came up with a few steals that got the Alpha Males out in transition for easy baskets.
Kamrin Evans of AZ Future showed a lot of heart, though playing for a team that did not put up much of a fight overall on defense. His length and quickness, paired with his hustle, allowed him to compete with players of all sizes and styles in the tournament.
Jaylin Fleming of Team Wygant Elite hustles every game, and was really communicative, both with his team on defense and against the guys he lined up against. He got into other players’ chests and made moving hard with the ball, while deflecting a few passes and coming up with quality defensive rebounds.
Jalen Graham of Alpha Males, as always, provided some great rim protection for his team. Towering above most players on the floor, with long arms, he could block and contest a lot of shots, without even having to jump too much. When this worked, he was able to pull down boards.