Magic Memorial Day Festival: Top 16u Performers
Orange, Ca. — The four-day Compton Magic Memorial Day Festival featured more than 100 teams which competed among 11 divisions across the 17u, 16u and 15u levels.
The majority of our time was spent at Orange Lutheran high school where all four courts turned out game after game over the course of each day.
The host Compton Magic program dominated its way to the 17u BattleZONE championship over Team Bradley, while Dream Vision took home the 16u title over Compton Magic and Team Lillard earned the 15u championship with a win over Coastal Elite.
Here are the top performers from the 16u level.
Wilhelm Breidenbach, Compton Magic
Breidenbach missed the final two games of the weekend after colliding with an opponent, resulting in a gash above his eye which required three stitches to close. But before that point, the 6-foot-8 Mater Dei forward/center was a dominant force in the paint on both ends of the floor. Breidenbach was finishing dunks through contact, cleaning the defensive glass, and outworking every other big on the floor in transition.
Xavion Brown, Lakeshow
Brown is a freakish athlete at the combo guard position. He has an explosive first step out of the triple threat which helps him get into the paint at-will. Brown, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Sheldon High, uses his strength and body control to finish around the basket in a variety of ways. One Brown’s best attributes is his dedication to the defensive end of the floor. He sits down in a defensive stance, moves well laterally, and uses his length and big hands to disrupt passing lanes. The next step for Brown is to become a more potent shooter from the perimeter.
Xavier Dusell (left) and Xavion Brown were two of the top 16u performers at the Magic Memorial Day Festival.Xavier Dusell, Team Harden
Dusell is a smooth scoring two guard who had his 3-point stroke working all weekend long. The 6-foot-4 Chaparral High standout plays within himself and to his strengths, rarely forcing shots or offensive actions. Dusell showed some more confidence off the bounce this weekend compared to that of the Adidas Gauntlet event at Momentous Sports Center in Irvine back in April.
Coleman Hawkins, Dream Vision
Hawkins’ versatility came in handy for Dream Vision in its Battle Cup and BattleZONE championships. The 6-foot-8 forward out of Antelope High is a matchup nightmare for opposing big men because he can stretch the floor to 3-point range with consistency, can put the ball on the deck and create for himself or others, but can also serve a tradition big man part on the block in a scoring or distributing role.
Khalil Haywood, Pump-N-Run
Haywood may not have developed a defined skill set just yet, but his motor and activity on both ends shines through every time he takes the floor. The lanky 6-foot-4 Taft High wing moves well off the ball, exposing those open pockets in the defense, especially in the paint, where he uses his quick leaping ability to finish in the paint.
Isael Silva, Team Lillard
Silva was one of the most enjoyable players to watch on the weekend due to the way he goes about the game. The 6-foot-2 Jesuit High freshman isn’t the quickest or most athletic player on the court, but he never has issues getting to the spots he wants because of his basketball IQ, change of speeds, and how he makes his opponents play to his pace. Silva’s ability to put teammates in their best position to score helped Team Lillard reach the semifinals of the BattleZONE Platinum Division before falling to eventual-champion Dream Vision.
Dalen Terry, Compton Magic
After Wilhelm Breidenbach went down with an injury, Compton Magic needed Terry to become more aggressive offensively, and he delivered. The 6-foot-5 point guard is known for his vision, IQ and game-managing abilities, but it was his assertiveness in driving to the basket and finishing in the paint that allowed Compton Magic to advance to the BattleZONE championship where it fell to Dream Vision, 74-70.