Adidas All-American Shootout (Best Of Awards)
I got a chance to see a lot of good players at last weekend's Adidas All-American Tournament at the Center of St. Louis Sports in Affton. After watching several players over the course of three days, I've decided to put together a "Best Of" list from the weekend. Here we go.
Best Shooter: Hayden Sprenkel 6'2" SEMO Storm 17U - The 2018 guard from North County in Bonne Terre was the top shooter of a band of happy 3-point shooters. He displayed remarkable range and accuracy. He launched them from just about anywhere and was cash money throughout the weekend.
Best Rebounder: Jamarr Williams 6'6" Gateway 17U - The 2018 power forward from Northwest Academy was a dominant force on the offensive glass throughout the weekend. He attacked the offensive boards like Cookie Monster attacks a bag of Chips a Hoy.
Best Shot Blocker: Leon Perry 6'6" Showtime Elite 17U - The long and athletic 2018 forward from Confluence Academy threw a weekend long block party with his length, athleticism and excellent timing. He blocked opposing layups and jumpers alike. He did not discriminate.
Best Motor: Cameron Williams 6'3" Gateway 17U - The 2018 wing from Hazelwood Central was a picture of constant motion and effort throughout the tournament. He was all over the court on both ends with his hustle and athleticism. Williams is the player you don't have to run a play for because he makes plays all the time with his high motor.
Best Passer: Cameron Van Leer 6'4" Gateway 17U - The 2018 point guard from Pacific was dropping dimes all over the Center of St. Louis Sports. Van Leer displayed excellent court vision all weekend as he connected on a number of pretty no-look passes to open teammates for layups and 3-pointers. His head was constantly on a swivel.
Best Point Guard: Caleb Cooper 5'10" Michigan Titans 17U - The talented 2018 guard from Lansing led his team to the 17U championship with an excellent tournament full of bucket-getting and facilitating. His speed and quickness, combined with his high basketball IQ, enabled him to control the pace of games to his liking, which was usually fast.
Best Scorer: Amorey Womack 6'0" Missouri Impact 17U - The 2019 guard from Maplewood was a potent scoring force at all three levels. He used his physical strength to get to the bucket and finish on the regular. If you backed off him, he could stop and pop the mid range jumper. If you dared him to shoot it from deep, he made 3-pointers. He was a problem.
Best Post Player: Cameron Hester 6'7" SEMO Storm 17U - The 2018 post player from Jackson was a load in the paint all weekend. He used his strength to get excellent position in the post and he finished well around the basket with both hands. Hester could also dunk in traffic. If he was double-teamed, he did a nice job of kicking a pass out to one of the hot-shooting teammates.
Best Finisher: Mitch Fairless 6'4" T.E.M. Select 17U - The 2018 jumping back wing from Duchesne enjoyed an excellent tournament, which included a couple of 2o-point performances. He did a great job of attacking the basket off the dribble and finishing at the rim. Whether it was in transition of in the half court, Fairless scored almost at will when he got to the rim.
Best Defender: Keyyaun Batchman 6'0" Gateway 16U - The 2019 point guard from Chaminade helped lead his team to the 16U championship with some excellent work on the defensive end. His combination of strength and toughness and willingness to guard made him a valuable asset in his team's run to the championship.
Best Duo: Amir and Armon Brummett: Team Manimal 17U - The dynamic pair of 6'4" wings from Decatur McArthur (IL) were exciting to watch throughout the tournament. Both could handle the ball, shoot the 3-pointer and get to the basket and dunk. They played quite well together, as you might expect.
