Next Level Invitational: Friday Standouts (Part I)
Cole Henry, 6’9 F (Martin Bros 17U)
Easily the best we’ve ever seen this versatile forward play, and also easily the best performance we saw today from any player in any state. Henry was making some dazzling passes and had an even more mesmerizing dunk. Best of all, he was exhibiting great patience and poise offensively, and didn’t settle or force anything. It sounds like he played his way into some additional mid-major attention after this performance.
Dillon Carlson, 6’2 G (Martin Bros 17U)
Defensively, Carlson was great, and it was one play in particular which was catalyzed by Carlson’s D, that we won’t soon forget. Hr was harassing his man in the backcourt and ended up swiping him clean, without hesitation he grabbed the ball and rifled a 25 foot strike to a streaking Cole Henry, who then put in a monster smash over two guys. It was maybe the best sequence I’ve seen this offseaosn.
Hosea Treadwell, 6’2 G (Kingdom Hoops Elite 17U)
We’ve maybe written about Treadwell more than any other player this spring, but the Hoover guard deserves the ink, and he does again today. He has a knack for starting games quiet and ending them with a bang, and that’s what he did today in a win for Kingdom Hoops over WOTN. He finished that one with a game-high 18 points, and was especially crucial down the stretch when his team needed him most.
Trayvon Williams, 6’3 G (Kingdom Hoops Elite 17U)
Again Williams impresses, just like he’s been doing about each and every time we’ve seen him for two years now. There were no showy dunks or crazy athletic plays, just a solid mid-range game and some serious leadership to help his team to an impressive win over a good WOTN squad. Williams notched 16 points in that win.
Nathan Johnson, 6’6 SF (Kingdom Hoops Elite 17U)
The 2018 Waukee graduate has re-classed to 2019 and will play at Hargrave Prep next winter. He’s been playing with Kingdom Hoops this spring and summer in the meantime, and was very good today, especially in crunch time. With Johnson, you’re always waiting for a monster jam, but he can burn you from the outside, too. He showed that today, canning four 3s en route to his 15 points. Twelve of those 15 came in the second half.
Colby Vincent, 6’4 SG (All Iowa Attack 16U)
He started the game against Mercury Elite red-hot, and set the tone early. In all, he canned four 3-balls, that’s his specialty after-all, especially on this team. But he’ll be a guy that can and will do a lot more than just shoot 3s for Carroll next season. When he does shoot 3s, though, that’s a very good thing.
Tamin Lipsey, 6’1 G (All Iowa Attack 16U)
Iowa State offered him last month, and now all eyes are on the incoming freshman phenom. I had to wait to get his picture after the game because there was other media that beat me to it. Such is the nature of the high-major Divison I prospect. Lipsey is remarkably skilled and is a guy that has an uncanny ability to his game. We’re guessing that’s why the Cyclones offered.
LJ Henderson, 6’2 G (Quad City Elite 16U)
He was nursing a sore hip, but you could have fooled me. That was reported to me after the game, and that makes what I saw from Henderson even more impressive. He didn’t score much, but he didn’t need to, or have to. He was, however, a primary ball-handler and a very good ball-handler, and the one basket he did have was an athletic and creative finish up at the rim.