Premier Shootout: Top Performers (16U)
The 16U division drew a great crowd this past weekend at the Premier Shootout at Bellevue College. In the championship bracket, Seattle Rotary 16U EYBL claimed the “A” bracket championship and the Seattle Stars walked away with the “B” bracket…
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Continue ReadingThe 16U division drew a great crowd this past weekend at the Premier Shootout at Bellevue College. In the championship bracket, Seattle Rotary 16U EYBL claimed the “A” bracket championship and the Seattle Stars walked away with the “B” bracket championship. Other notable 16U teams that looked really good were, Team Zach Lavine 16U, FOH Seattle 16U, Eastern Washington Elite and Seattle Select High Academic who arguable had the toughest schedule of the tournament, but fell short to Seattle Rotary 16U EYBL.
Below are some players that stood out over the weekend:
C/O 2021: 6’5 (SF) JT Tuimoloau (Eastside Catholic HS) – Seattle Rotary 16U EYBL. JT was a dominate presence on the offensive and defensive end. The #1 ranked Class of 2021 football recruit in the country, attacked the basket under control, knocked down open jump shots, made great passes out of the double and triple team, he also looked amazing leading the break off of defensive rebounds. JT did it all!
C/O 2022 6’6 (SF) Tyler Linhardt (Kings HS) Team Zach Lavine. When you talk about the future of high school basketball in the state of Washington, Mr Linhardt will more than likely be in this conversation. Currently ranked #1 in the C/O 2022 rankings for Prep Hoops Washington, Tyler competed in the 16U division and was able to create space off the dribble to score or set up teammates. Tyler knocked down open shots and also used multiple post moves to score on smaller defenders. Tyler also showed some athleticism this weekend by moving his feet to defend smaller guards and also had a nice baseline dunk versus Seattle Rotary.
C/O 2022 6’6 (SF) Tyler Mrus (Seattle Prep) Seattle Stars. Tyler is another Class of 2022 player who played extremely well. He was extremely active on offense and defense. He played under control and dominated the glass due to his athleticism. Tyler looked very comfortable in transition and competed extremely well against some of the top prospects this tournament.
C/O 2021 6’6 (SF) Hudson Hansen (Bellevue HS) Friends of Hoop. Hudson is a very long athletic player who did a little of everything this past weekend. Hudson rebounded extremely well and also showed a consistent mid range jump shot. Hudson showcased his ability to play multiple positions and his length and effort put him in the right spots defensively.
C/O 2021 6’5 (SF) Casey Jones (Eastlake HS) Friends of Hoop. Casey Jones once again played extremely hard over the weekend. There was a buzz in the crowd about this young man. Other players watching Casey play would refer to him as a “bucket”, and that’s exactly what he did all weekend. He defended well to prevent opponents from scoring buckets, and he also consistently scored buckets in multiple ways. Casey had a monster dunk that brought the crowd to its feet. He was very clutch in the final game versus Team Zach Lavine, where he scored the final two buckets, including one at the buzzer to lift his team to victory.
C/O 2021 6’5 (SF) Charlie Dietiker (Issaquah HS) Team Zach Lavine. Charlie was very consistent all weekend. Charlie played extremely physical attacking the basket off of the dribble and also crashing the offensive and defensive glass. Charlie plays aggressive inside, but is also very comfortable handling the ball and making the right decisions.
C/O 2022 5’9 (PG) Braeden Smith (Seattle Prep) Seattle Stars. Braeden showed off his quickness this weekend for the Seattle Stars. Braeden managed the flow of the game extremely well and also was efficient shooting the basketball. Braeden is another Prep Hoops Washington, Class of 2022 top 5 ranked player who looked very comfortable and at times the best player on the floor at the 16U division.
C/O 2022 6’0 (PG) Bennett O’Connor (Mt. Si) Team Zach Lavine. Bennett is a tough PG who played hard and under control all weekend. Bennett handle the pressure very well versus Seattle Rotary and also made some clutch shots throughout the weekend. Bennett was another one of the few few Class of 2022 players competing in the 16U division.
C/O 2021 6’1 Cobi Campbell (PG) (Puyallup HS) Friends of Hoop. Cobi Campbell was a floor general this weekend for FOH Seattle. Cobi controlled the flow of the game and consistently made the right plays. In game one of the Premier Shootout, Cobi went absolutely unconscious from behind the arch draining five 3’s in the first half. In the 2nd half, Cobi used his strength to beat smaller defenders to the basket and also set up his teammates extremely well. Cobi is a very smart player who is extremely efficient.
C/O 2021 6’2 (PG) Chike Ezeonu (Seattle Prep HS) Team Zach Lavine . Chike is a very athletic guard that you couldn’t keep your eyes away from this weekend. Chike was able to blow by defenders and get great elevation on his jump shot. He also defended and rebounded the ball very well. Unfortunately he struggled a little versus the Seattle Rotary’s pressure, but overall, the upside is there for this kid.
C/O 2021 5’10 (PG) Shane McGaughey-Fick (King HS) Seattle Select. Shane showed a High IQ and was probably one of the elite passers over this past weekend. Shane also was a consistent shooter this weekend. He played a huge roll in his teams success.
Overall the 16U division was loaded with talent. 16U teams Seattle Rotary EYBL, Seattle Select, Team Zach Lavine, Friends of Hoop, Eastern Washington Elite and the Seattle Stars are all coached very well with a lot of good players. Stay tuned for more articles on this Class of 2021 and 2022.