Hard Work Region Finals 15U: Top Sunday Shooters
On our final day of play at Hopkins High School, I saw a lot of guys who could shoot the rock, these were the players who shot it the best for their teams. Reis Kessel– 6’0″ guard- Team RISE Up…
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Continue ReadingOn our final day of play at Hopkins High School, I saw a lot of guys who could shoot the rock, these were the players who shot it the best for their teams.
Reis Kessel– 6’0″ guard- Team RISE Up
Reis has the ability to light it up from anywhere on the floor. On Sunday Reis displayed his beautiful looking jump shot during his play in the 15U Gold Championship games. He can create his own shot, shoot off the dribble, and catch and shoot. He plays with great poise and strokes it with confidence. One thing that really stands out about Reis is his form. It’s excellent. As a 15-year-old, Kessel has already developed a true jump shot with great elevation. A real shooter’s form. He moves wonderfully without the ball to get to his spots, utilizing off-ball screens and hard cuts. In Team RISE Up’s semifinal and final Gold Championship games, he made 3 or more threes in each game. Reis has the green light from just about anywhere since he can shoot it well from the mid-range, three-point line, and around the basket. He has good footwork and is a smart catch and shoot shooter. Does not hesitate when his number is called, as soon as he steps onto the court opposing coaches scream to their team “SHOOTER”. His mechanics are there, the footwork is great, and he moves well without the ball to find his shot. These are three traits any great shooter has and he has already developed them at a young age. This is NOT a player to leave open.
Braxton Mohr- 6’2″ wing- South Dakota Network Coach P
Braxton is a smooth lefty with a high release point that allows him to shoot over defenders. He shoots it from deep and shoots it well around the basket, too. Braxton provided a much-needed perimeter spark for South Dakota Network during their Gold Championship run. He’s got a really great first step that he often uses after-ball fakes to get around defenders flying by. This is a sign of a smart shooter; recognizing when and how the defender will close out and reacting to what the defender does. Braxton on multiple occasions correctly read the defender to either pump fake and sidestep into a rhythm jump shot or to blow by the defender closing out and attack the rim with a full head of steam. Braxton is another guy who can shoot the dribble and create his own shot, he knows where his spots are on the floor and he abuses them. Being a taller perimeter threat is something that he uses well to his advantage, as I mentioned earlier his high release point is something that will definitely help him succeed in his career as a sniper.
Alex Trotter- 5’11” guard- Pride Roc Selkridge
Alex is a stockier guard who plays a very cool and collected brand of basketball. I did not have much opportunity to watch him and his Pride Roc teammates play on Sunday but when I did, his shooting impressed me. One admirable quality Trotter has as a shooter is the ice in his veins, he does not shy away from the big shots and big moments. In fact, he wants to take those big shots and he does. In an exciting come from behind victory against Minnesota Magic, Trotter hit a big shot with around a minute to play to give them the lead. He ended up securing that win with two clutch free throws. Alex has a real fluid jump shot, his mechanics are correct and he shoots it in one, clean motion with no hitch. He seemed to be a bit of a floor general for Pride Roc as he spent some time directing the offense for his team. This puts defenders’ attention on him which makes it tougher to get open looks from deep, however, this doesn’t stop Alex from getting into his groove. He shoots it with confidence which is key as a primary shooter.
Carvin Fish- 6’3″ post- Team RISE Up
Another stand-out shooter from Team RISE Up was Carvin Fish. Carvin is a stretch big who has an extremely quick catch and shoot jump shot. He does not hesitate to rise above the smaller defenders and pull the trigger. Fish displayed his perimeter shooting as he helped his squad compete in the Gold Championship game. He appears to be a primarily catch-and-shoot type of shooter but at his size, this is not a problem, he does not necessarily need to create his own shot as his team is flushed full of probing guards who love to drive and dish. All Carvin needs to do is be in the right place at the right time, which he always is. Carvin does a good job of reacting to the defense and moving to the open spot to get that pretty shot of his off. He made a couple of big threes down the stretch in his semifinal game on Sunday and that surely helped get the team’s energy going. Yet another guy you cannot leave open.