WCE Memorial Day Classic: Vegas Elite 16-15U
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Over Memorial weekend I attended West Coast Elite’s Memorial Day Classic at the Tarkanian Basketball Academy in Las Vegas, NV. I focused primarily on 17U but viewed a couple 16U games. Vegas Elite has one of the better programs on…
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Continue ReadingOver Memorial weekend I attended West Coast Elite’s Memorial Day Classic at the Tarkanian Basketball Academy in Las Vegas, NV.
I focused primarily on 17U but viewed a couple 16U games.
Vegas Elite has one of the better programs on the West Coast. Their 16’s played in the OPEN division and their 15’s played up in 17U Gold.
I mention most of the players from the talented Vegas Elite teams including one AZ player:
Chuck Bailey Chuck Bailey 6'4" | CG Donda Academy | 2023 CA-S (Vegas Elite 16 EYBL)
-A combo guard with good size and length. He loves getting into the lane off of hesitations moves and then finding a cutter or drives and kick or scores through contact with his thicker frame. He loves the crossover into a mid-range pull-up and makes catch-3’s. He can post up smaller guards and rise up and score in the paint. He uses his length ad size on defense rebounding, collecting steals and being active. He consistently makes contested shots in the lane with that thicker frame.
Jordan Ross Jordan Ross 6'3" | PG Link Academy | 2023 #132 Nation MO (Vegas Elite 16 EYBL)
-One of the better pure PG’s at the event. His handle is tight to go along with his great size at 6’2+. His feel and pace are very high. His timing on his passes are precise. He has a good burst and first step but also changes his speed, keeping the defender off balance.
Souleymane Barro PF 6’7 Layton Christian/UT (Vegas Elite 16 EYBL) (Pictured)
-A pogo stick athlete gets off the floor in a blink of an eye. He is a very good rebounder and will challenge anything near the rim. He has impeccable timing to block a shot. He defends in space on the perimeter and is an active defender using his strength. He keeps the ball high after he rebounds and goes back up to score.
Sterling Knox (Vegas Elite 16 EYBL)
-One of the teams better shooters has good length and sneaky bounce. He plays the game smartly and always seems to relocate for an open shot. He gets hot quickly from deep and has one of those releases that look good every time. He rebounds well in his area and creates a little for himself but is mostly off the catch.
Keenan Bey Keenan Bey 6'6" | SF Bishop Gorman | 2023 State NV (Vegas Elite 16 EYBL)
-An extremely athletic forward who has serious springs. He blocks out of area shots and rebounds at a good rate with a super quick second jump. He is active on both ends of the court and defends well in space.
Angelo Kambala Angelo Kambala 5'10" | CG Liberty | 2023 State NV (Vegas Elite 16 EYBL)
-A true combo-guard who is one of the better shooters. He has deep range and a quick trigger. He also is a good passer using his left or right hand. What I love about him is his ability to defend. He talks all game long on defense and has quick hands and feet. He also is very fast. You see it as he separates from his defender to get free plus on D. He does many subtle things well and plays bigger then his height may suggest.
John Mobley Jr John Mobley Jr 6'0" | PG Wasatch Academy | 2024 State #55 Nation UT (Vegas Elite 15 EYBL)
-A pure PG who has a high feel for the game. He makes passes with his left or right hand look easy and consistently makes extra passes. He can step back off the dribble and let it fly from deep with serious range. He has good anticipation to steal the ball with quick hands.
Taj DeGourville Taj DeGourville 6'4" | SF Red Rock Academy | 2024 State #203 Nation NV (Vegas Elite 15 EYBL)
-A highly skilled wing who can shoot and pass it. A surprisingly good passer for his position who can thread the needle. He has a thick body and uses it to rebound and score it inside. He makes the game look easy during stretches and has a nice 3pt stroke.
Ryder Elisaldez Ryder Elisaldez 6'1" | CG Bishop Gorman | 2024 State NV (Vegas Elite 15 EYBL)
-One of the better run and jump athletes that you will find. He has good open court speed and will flush it down with authority. He loves getting downhill and collects steasl and rebounds using his athleticism. He also is a sneaky good passer who can drive and kick.
@WCEBball memorial tourney… @VegasEliteHoops @gormanhoops 🎥@theballdawgs @Coach_SedHoop @trigonis30 @FCPPangos @BallerTV @ChrisPoPoola pic.twitter.com/dWwrJZNae1
— Ryder Elisaldez (@ElisaldezRyder) June 3, 2021
Josiah Cunningham Josiah Cunningham 6'2" | SG Coronado | 2024 State #225 Nation NV (Vegas Elite 15 EYBL)
-An athletic guard who has good body control in the air and can score through contact consistently. He has a nice build/frame and he is a good rebounder using his elite second jump. He plays with a good motor and is a physical defender in space.
Chris Nwuli F 6’6-6’7 2025 Bishop Gorman/NV (Vegas Elite 15 EYBL)
-There are top-notch 2025 prospects on the horizon that I have seen, and I will definitely have to add Nwuli to the short list at the top. He is fluid, gets off the floor effortless, runs the floor and brings some skill. He can hit the catch-3 plus put the ball on the floor and go baseline and finish in traffic. He can play both forward spots and is one of those players you will here about shortly. He is most likely headed to Bishop Gorman.