The Finale: 16U Sunday’s Best
The Finale concluded with some solid basketball and plenty of back and forth affairs on Championship Sunday. Here are some 17U players that stood out for me on Sunday. Hayden Hoffman – Illinois Bears Basketball Hoffman is a shifty guard…
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Continue ReadingThe Finale concluded with some solid basketball and plenty of back and forth affairs on Championship Sunday. Here are some 17U players that stood out for me on Sunday.
Hayden Hoffman – Illinois Bears Basketball
Hoffman is a shifty guard that plays the right way. He takes care of the ball and is a threat at all times with his ability to see the entire floor, play on and off of the ball, and he can let it fly. Hoffman has a pass-first mentality but can shoot the ball. He shows flashes of a combo-guard that can score in bunches and is a difficult player to contain because of his ability to space the floor. He provides gravity for teammates and plays unselfish, so they were able to get open baskets as well. When Hoffman is on, he is on, and he had it going on Sunday.
Mason Black Mason Black 6'3" | CG Falcon | 2022 State CO – Pluto Prospects
Mason Black Mason Black 6'3" | CG Falcon | 2022 State CO was a force all weekend long for Pluto Prospect, and in the few games watching him, he was the leading scorer all weekend. Black possesses a polished game as he was going for big-time scoring games each time out. Black began the tourney with 26 points, 14 points, and in a hard-fought loss, he went out with a bang. Black scored 23 points in the final game and gave his team a chance to win. He has a pure shooting stroke with a quick release and competes hard on every possession. He started to get to the rim, has a confident mid-range pull-up, and lets the game come to him. Black has had a great summer, and that is in and out of town. He turned heads with his performance this weekend.
Anthony Allen Anthony Allen 6'5" | SF Broken Arrow | 2022 State OK – Tulsa Hawks
Allen has an excellent vision for a big man and knows his way around the rim. He has excellent footwork and body control and is an explosive stat stuffer. He’s versatile in being able to bang inside with the bigs and also handle the ball around guards. He was going coast to coast for finishes as he starts the break off of the rebound and boards in bunches. In the game that I saw, the rim protector played well above his size. He was finishing through contact, making opposing players think twice about going up with him around. His 17 points and eight rebound game set the tone for him to finish off the final game strong.
Riley Marshall – FlightAAO
FlightAAO made it to the championship game, and it was by playing as a unit. Flight AAO is a fun and resilient bunch and as balanced as they come. There were solid guard play and big guys competing down low despite not having a deep bench at all. One player that stood out for me was sharpshooter Riley Marshall. Marshall was one of the best marksmen on the day, and he shot lights out for the weekend. He found holes in the defense, was always moving, and is a high IQ player that understands where to be. His gravity opened up the floor for teammates, and he quickly swings the ball when he is in positions that he has to. Marshall is a player to build around that has unlimited range. He also is a confident ball-handler that is a great decision-maker, and that is a player that is dangerous. Solid weekend for him.
Tim Taiwo – Chicago Demons
The Demons were my favorite team to watch on the weekend. The team plays with style and is committed to both ends of the floor. They take pride in the way that they play and had a full team of go-getters that went after it. A player that caught my eye in multiple games but really came alive was that 6’3 wing/forward Tim Taiwo. Taiwo was a paint beast with handle. He has a natural feel for the game, and he scored when he wanted to. He ran the baseline as a slasher, was explosive once he got the ball in his hands and relished the moment. Taiwo was patient with the ball, and once he got it on the block would feel the defender to decide when to make a quick and strong move or find the open man. Taiwo was not to be denied at the rim and is a piece to build around that makes offense come easy.
Justin King Justin King 6'4" | PG Mascoutah | 2022 State IL – Illinois Bears Basketball
King is a big guard. He has a wicked handle, and not many players were able to stay in front of him for the weekend. He is slick with the ball, but while he is dancing, he is watching the play happen and guiding his teammates to easy baskets. He is an aggressive guard that attacks the rim, has incredible body control, and one of the best passers on the day. King excels in fast-paced games and gets out in transition and is a problem. He scored at will and did that in bunches. What really separated him was he also got it done on the defensive end as well. King was one of the best two way-guards that scored and refused to be scored on. When you take a look at his overall game, he had himself quite the weekend.