Chi Town Tip Off Recap: 16U Sleepers
The Chi-Town Tip-Off took place Friday, April 16th through Sunday, April 18th. The event, which featured over 250 teams and some of the top programs in the Midwest, was one of the biggest events of the young grassroots season. My…
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Continue ReadingThe Chi-Town Tip-Off took place Friday, April 16th through Sunday, April 18th. The event, which featured over 250 teams and some of the top programs in the Midwest, was one of the biggest events of the young grassroots season. My focus this weekend was on the 2023 division. Several players used this mega platform to plant their names firmly on the recruiting radar. In this article, we take a look at some of the top Sleepers from the event.
Aaron Trelstad 6’3 SG Iowa Mavs – Trelstad was one of the top snipers at the event. The Mavs stud was effective not only behind the arc but also with a nice mid-range game. His best game was perhaps his 5 3 point performance in which he finished with 17 points.
Stephen Reed 5’11 PG Wisconsin Playmakers – The Playmakers played in a ton of close games, meaning Reed had to make several high-pressure late-game decisions. I thought overall he did a good job. Reed protected the ball and showed good paint touch getting ability off dribble drives.
Blake Anderson 6’3 SG Team Iowa – Anderson played well for Team Iowa. He has good size and strength for the position and managed to bully his way to the rim for buckets. He was at his best when he could put his head down and attack the rim.
Jimmy Rasmussen 6’2 SG ML14 – Rasmussen was sneaky good. ML14 shared the ball quite a bit so he didn’t get a ton of shots, when he did, however, he managed to show the ability to knock down 3’s from the corner. He used that shooting threat to show the ball, lift defenders and attack the rim.
Donavan Collins 6’0 PG ML14 (featured image) – Collins was at his best when the game was sped up. He’s a good defender, so getting steals and turning them into instant offense was part of his MO. On offense, he showed a tight handle and the ability to be effective when he got into the paint. Several times Collins was able to either draw and kick for 3 or draw and dish to his teammates for layups.
Shemar Benton 6’1 SG Iowa Prep Platinum – Benton provided some defense, effort and energy for IPP. Every successful team has a player like him, willing to do the dirty work to help his team win. I was impressed with his lateral quickness as well as his quick 2nd jump ability, which allowed him to snag his share of boards.