Next Level Invitational/NY2LA Championships: Friday’s Top Performers (Michigan Only)
The NY2LA circuit wrapped up this weekend, with most of the tournament play being played Thursday. Friday was the beginning of pool play for the Next Level Invitational, as well as the championship games for the NY2LA circuit teams. Teams that are not on the circuit finished up open bracket games, and by Friday night everybody was playing pool games for the Next Level Invitational. Here are my top performers (from Michigan only) from Friday:
Mike Fletcher (Greenwood Elite 16u) – Fletcher had as good of a weekend as anybody here, as he had noteworthy performances seemingly every game he played in. Today, he dominated the first game of pool play in a blowout victory. Fletcher is a man among boys and showed it today – he owned the paint on both ends of the ball in all ways. He scored, rebounded and blocked shots. In fact, he was so dominant on defense that he tallied 6 blocks by the end of the game.
Khalid Fleming (Greenwood Elite 16u) – Fleming was Fletcher’s partner in defensive dominance today. He was an absolute dog on defense, harassing the other team’s guards from the second they touched the ball until the likely turnover he forced. Fleming is one of the best on-ball defenders in the state and proved it in this game. He would finish the game with 7 steals as well as countless more turnovers forced.
Luke Hyde (Elite Nation 17u) – Hyde is super strong and knows how to play physically, which makes him a tank in the paint. He’s a rebounding machine on both ends of the ball, something of which he displayed today. In his team’s matchup with AUSA Hoops, he had tallied a double-double just minutes into the second half. He’s not just a rebounder, however; he displayed an ability to hit midrange jumpers in addition to a nice post game. He really carried his team to victory in this game, as he played well from the tip. Also, he made the game winning layup with 1 seconds remaining.
Justin Fischer (TEAM Basketball 17u) – Fischer was one of the top performers of the entire tournament, as he played at a high level all weekend. It was his game today against NY2LA team Example Sports that stood out among the rest. He was on fire from the start, doing everything offensively for his team. Fischer’s passing/playmaking ability is always elite, which it was this. In addition, he also scored from all three levels – something he doesn’t always do consistently. Fischer also played great defense; he stole an inbounds pass and turned it into the game winning layup with 4 seconds left in the game.
Chandler Turner (Reach Legends 16u) – While Turner may not have been as dominant as other players on the list, he stepped up big time in the clutch which is super important. In the first game of the day, Turner hit multiple big shots within the last two minutes of a back-and-forth matchup with Quad City Elite. In this game, he would go on tho hit the game winning buzzer beater. In the second game of the against the Minnesota Comets, Turner had a big stretch for his team in the second half, hitting back to back threes and then tipping in a miss for 8 straight points.