Best of the Midwest: Sunday’s Top Performers
Sunday marked the final day of action here in Grand Rapids. All teams were competing in bracket play, which meant win or go home. I’ve always said the biggest players step up in the biggest moments and there was plenty of stepping-up done today. There were still plenty of coaches in attendance, including Tom Izzo and John Beilein for the second day in a row. Here are some of my top performers from Sunday’s action in Grand Rapids:
Markeese Hastings (1Nation 17u) – In my opinion, Hastings was the MVP of the entire tournament. He won every matchup he and, including multiple matchups with high-major, future Big10 bigs. He made winning plays all weekend and stepped up when his team needed him. He dominated the glass and finished inside per usual. What was most impressive was his ability to guard/shut down the much larger bigs he was matched up with. Another reason Hastings tops the list is due to his performance in the platinum bracket championship game – Hastings started out hot from the gate, dominating with 3 or 4 buckets in the first 2 minutes. That set the tone for the rest of the game, as he would lead his team to the victory and the championship.
Lamar Norman (1Nation 17u) – Norman continued his hot streak in his first game of the day against C2K Elite. He caught fire like he’s done so many times before, raining threes and getting to the rack en route to a 26 point performance. In his second game of the day, Norman struggled in the first half against The Family. In the second half, however, a player from The Family started getting in his face and they exchanged words. Apparently that sparked something with Norman, as he would go off for 10 straight points and open the 1Nation lead to double digits, something the Family wouldn’t come back from. In the championship game against Indy Heat, Norman had a solid game as well. He makes this list for his performances in the quarterfinals and the semifinals, because if he hadn’t performed as well as he did in these games his squad may not have made the championship game.
Jonathan Robinson (Lansing Prospectors 16u) – Heart over height is the perfect way to describe Robinson’s performance against The Family today. Despite the loss, the 5’5″ Robinson did everything he could in an attempt to carry his team. He played great defense against one of the best 2019 guards in the state in Drew Lowder. In addition to great defense, Robinson was cooking on offense as well, both scoring and playmaking at a highly efficient rate. It was his play down the stretch that stood out most, however; down double-digits with minutes to go, Robinson started going off. He had 4 buckets in the last 2 minutes of the game, including 3 consecutive. He also forced a turnover or two as well.
Marcus Alston (Elite Nation 16u) – Alston is a tough, scrappy guard who can put up a ton of points in a hurry. He stands no taller than 5’11”, but he finishes in the paint like he’s 6’6″. He can score from all three levels and he did just that in his team’s gold bracket championship win over SportingU. He had a few nice buckets throughout the course of the game, but it was his play in the final 5 minutes of the game that really stood out. He got hot and had 10 of his 20 points down the stretch, helping seal the victory for his team. Alston played great all week and this was just the icing on the cake.
Mike Bothwell (C2K Elite 17u) – Bothwell did everything he could to match Lamar Norman’s scoring onslaught in his team’s loss to 1Nation. He came out swinging, making three straight shots to start the game out. He played with really tough, especially around the rim. He pulled down rebounds on both sides of the floor as well as finished strong around the rim. In fact, he had multiple and-ones throughout the course of the game. Bothwell did everything he could to help keep his team in the game – he would finish with 20.
Brandon Wade (1Nation 17u) – While Wade’s performance was once again overshadowed by teammates Lamar Norman and Markeese Hastings. With that being said, Wade’s performance is not to be overlooked. He is the engine behind a high-powered 1Nation offensive machine. Without his role as the primary ball-handler/playmaker, 1Nation would not have been as good as they were today. In addition to making plays for his teammates, Wade also scored the ball as he usually does. He would finish with double-digit points in all three of his team’s victories today.