Earl Watson’s Fantastic 40: Day 1 Standouts and Must Watch Players
Las Vegas, NV – With live period rules changing the landscape of the AAU summer scene in Las Vegas, many questions arose about the last weekend of July and the first week of August. These questions and many more were…
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Continue ReadingLas Vegas, NV – With live period rules changing the landscape of the AAU summer scene in Las Vegas, many questions arose about the last weekend of July and the first week of August. These questions and many more were answered at the first inaugural Earl Watson’s Fantastic 40 created by Dinos Trigonis. Many top circuit teams from Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and also independents highlight the field. Thursday kicked off with a bang as several players established themselves as must watch players for the rest of the week.
Moussa Cisse – Expressions Elite EYBL, Christ the King
The 5 star big man out of New York was a disruptive force around the rim. Cisse made a statement one the first night of action as he owned the paint by recording 8 blocked shots. Cisse is an athletic big who has potential to be an elite rim protector. He has the ability to patrol the paint and utilize his length, wingspan, and quick jumping ability to pin shots off the backboard and swat them out the air. On offense, Cisse possesses explosiveness and is eager to throw down dunks whenever he can. He is a true rim runner who is a true vertical threat at any given moment. Moussa still has the potential to add a true post game to his arsenal and be a dominant force for years to come.
Daishen Nix – Simply Fundamental, Trinity Prep
Arguably known as the best passing PG in high school basketball, Daishen Nix opened up his debut at Earl Watson’s Fantastic 40 by putting on a scoring display. Nix played in the event’s opening game and promptly dropped 26 points in a 71-30 win over Salt Lake Rebels. Daishen illustrated a plethora of acrobatic moves to the basket combined with his improved shooting ability. Standing in at 6’5″ and 205 pounds, Nix towers over opposing point guards and is able to use his strength to over power them in the paint. Some chatter in the gym may compare him to Jason Kidd but with more athleticism. At every Simply Fundamental game, attendees may bare witness to several chase down blocks courtesy of Nix. The big guard from Alaska might not even be done growing as he comes from a Polynesian bloodline with increased height potential.
Kerwin Walton – D1 Minnesota, Hopkins
There were several flames on the nets by the end of night one and Kerwin Walton was one of the main culprits behind them. The sharpshooting 6’4″ guard from Hopkins, Minnesota had a huge Fantastic 40 debut en route to eight 3 pointers and 28 points in a win against Expressions Elite EYBL. Not only does Walton possess a feathery shooting touch, he also brings it on both sides of the court. Walton does a good job of moving his feet and not allowing penetration from his man. He has excellent lateral movement which shows a lot of potential in him being a high quality defender.
Nick Blake – Las Vegas Knicks, Middlebrooks Academy
No other player improved their stock more than the swingman out of Las Vegas. After a huge season at Middlebrooks Academy, Blake has torn apart his competition establishing himself as a premiere name on the AAU scene. He is continuing his rise into August as he opened up the first night of play with a 25 point game. Blake has an advanced offensive game in his armory as he is able to score on all 3 levels. Blake’s growth spurt has blossomed him into the prototypical swingman NBA prospect size at 6’6″ 190 pounds. Nick has been able to use his new height and body combined with his increased explosiveness and athleticism to overpower and attack the basket. He constantly drives in looking to dunk the ball at any given chance. Even more impressive is his footwork and ability to shoot the ball. Blake is a versatile offensive player in the way that he can run a curl and catch and shoot the ball, and also create for himself off the dribble when needed. The Las Vegas swingman has NBA 3 point range and defenders will have to defend him beyond the line. Blake’s game is must see and UNLV will be lucky to have him joining the program next year.