#LiveSZNKickoff 16U All-Tournament Teams

<p>There were 33 16U teams in Lincoln, and they provided entertaining, high-level basketball all weekend long. I was thoroughly impressed with the competitiveness on display. It was difficult to narrow the list down, so I chose fifteen players to make up three teams. Let’s dive in:</p> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1^st Team</span></strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="981279" first="Evan" last="Barber"] - Team Rogue 2023</p> <p>Barber was the best 16U point guard in Lincoln this weekend. Proficient in the pick and roll, and a deadeye shooter. He is a physical player who seeks contact on offense, and bodies up on defense. It was clear Barber loved to compete on every possession.</p> <p><strong>Ciaran Pedulla</strong> - Team Buddy Buckets 2023</p> <p>Pedulla is a 2024 prospect who played up on 16U this weekend, and for good reason. He is an excellent passer in the open floor, who is willing to attempt the most difficult passes that a lot of players don’t even see. A good shooter from multiple levels, too, which helped Team Buddy Buckets stretch the defense past its limits.</p> <p><strong>Camden Bennett</strong> - 810 Varsity Hoops 2023 Burch</p> <p>It was so much fun to watch Bennett go to work this weekend. He uses shiftiness and his power to drive right into the teeth of the defense where he finished at a very high level. He can score with his back to the basket or facing up. If the defense loads up to wall off the rim, he gladly took the midrange jumper, and even stretched it out to three. He was 810 Varsity’s best passer, and one of their best defenders, too.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="962223" first="Khalif" last="Bettis"] - Minnesota Chill Elite 2023</p> <p>Relentless. Bettis comes at you in waves, and refuses to let up. He was always leaking out in transition off misses, and his teammates did a great job of getting him the ball so he could go to work against the scrambled defense. Even in the half court though, Bettis was surgical. He was one of the best paint finishers I saw this weekend, regardless of age level.</p> <p><strong>Brayden Shorter</strong> - Sho-Me Assault 2023</p> <p>The Sho-Me Assault 2023 group went undefeated in Lincoln, and I actually had a difficult time selecting a player for the first team. They share the basketball, play unselfishly, and all put forth great energy and effort. Shorter, though, stood out just a hair above his teammates. His rebounding in traffic was most impressive,  leading to several second-chances for their offense. When the ball was swung and found him, he confidently knocked down perimeter shots all weekend, but when the shot wasn’t there he made the right play with the ball, wherever it needed to go.</p> <p><strong>2^nd Team</strong></p> <p><strong>Ahlante Askew</strong> - Sho-Me Assault 2023</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="939078" first="Bryce" last="Tillery"] - Illinois HoopStars 2023</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1139378" first="Zach" last="Hays"] - Team Rogue 2023</p> <p><strong>Joe Ofori</strong> - Minnesota Chill Elite 2023</p> <p><strong>Parker Leeds</strong> - SSA Hoops Elite 2023-2</p> <p><strong>3^rd Team</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1156120" first="Aadhi" last="Ayyappan"]</strong> - Tulsa Hawks 2023 Blue</p> <p><strong>Derrick Lawrence</strong> - Team Buddy Buckets 2023</p> <p><strong>Ta’ndre Perkins</strong> - Sal Elite 2023</p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><strong>Luke Gray</strong> - Team Buddy Buckets 2023</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068564" first="Jadon" last="Cool"]</strong> - Tulsa Hawks 2023</p>