KBC’s The Journey: Top 16u Performers
Lexington’s Kentucky Basketball Commission was host to the first ever The Journey tournament. Here’s a look at the top performers of the weekend. They are listed in no particular order. This list only features Kentucky players. 16u Standouts: Manimal Elite’s DaShawn…
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Continue ReadingLexington’s Kentucky Basketball Commission was host to the first ever The Journey tournament. Here’s a look at the top performers of the weekend. They are listed in no particular order. This list only features Kentucky players.
16u Standouts:
Manimal Elite’s DaShawn Jackson and Isaiah Mason – Jackson was really good all weekend for Manimal. He’s been forced to play on the ball more than normal due to an injury to KJ Crump. While he still has to tighten his handle and get better in traffic, DaShawn shot the ball very well this weekend and if he can make shots and avoid turnovers, his stock will continue to go up. Isaiah Mason showed off his entire skill set in the 16u Championship game. He made multiple threes, killed in the mid-range and tried to tear the rim down with a dunk in transition. If Mason can play that hard consistently, he’s going to be firmly in the mix for best player in the class.
Charlotte Court’s DeAjuan Stepp – Stepp has to play out of position with Charlotte Court as basically a post player but when he was able to get in transition and show what he can do, he looked much better than when he was stuck playing inside. DeAjuan is a wing at the next level and is a capable playmaker with the ball in his hands.
Louisville Prospects’ Sam Conley – Sam had a big scoring weekend for the Prospects and showed ability to score at different levels. Conley has been a known commodity in the 2021 class for a while but he used the weekend to assert himself as a top 10-15 player in the class and a future scholarship level college player.
M.A.T.T.S. Mustangs Ben Johnson and Scotty Draud – Ben and Scotty were right up there with Manimal’s Jackson and Mason as the top duos of the weekend in the 16u division. Draud had a 36 point outburst in the Saturday morning win over I-40 Runners while Johnson had 25 in the title game loss to Manimal. Both were scoring in double figures in all 4 games with the Mustangs this weekend. Both should expect to draw several coaches this spring and summer. With a good weekend, either or both could get their first scholarship offers this AAU season.
Louisville Elite’s Trey Stone and Johnny McCauley – Both Stone and McCauley filled up the score sheet this weekend while their Elite squad went 2-0 in pool play before falling in bracket play. Stone is a little more of a known commodity but was much better slashing than I’ve seen in the past when he was more of a catch and shoot player. McCauley was a revelation. Coming off a season where he didn’t crack the varsity roster at Male, Johnny scored the ball at a high rate and showed himself to be among the best point guards in the event.