Top Glue Guys from Bishop McGuinness Classic

<p>Obviously, you have your starting five who are typically the ideal guys to start a game for you. It doesn't always mean they are the best five on the team. Sometimes, there are sixth, seventh and even eighth men who may be a top three player on the team, but fit better with the bench unit.</p> <p>Think of the Thunder for instance. Their starting lineup is Russell Westbrook, Terrance Ferguson, Paul George, Jerami Grant, and Steven Adams. Dennis Schröder, the sixth man, is arguably the fourth best player on the Thunder and his impact backs that statement up but he fits better by coming off the bench.</p> <p>There were five players from the McGuinness Classic that served those roles very well.</p> <p><strong>Deer Creek, Senior: Miles Slater</strong></p> <p>Slater was one of the best shooters in the tournament and he also served as the top glue guy for the Antlers. He's clearly the leader of the team and essentially serves as a coach on the court. His hustle resonates through the rest of his team and they follow his lead.</p> <p><strong>Midwest City, Sophomore: Nykale Smith</strong></p> <p>Smith is a sophomore that starts for a top-five team in the toughest class in Oklahoma high school basketball. That comes with a lot of pressure and he continuously stepped up and delivered. He's not known to be a scorer but he does all the dirty work for the Bombers. Additionally, he is one of the few high school players that prides himself on hard-nosed defense.</p> <p><strong>Norman, Sophomore: Jaden Bray</strong></p> <p>Just like Smith, Bray is young but has a lot of raw talent that only needs to be developed more. He leads this team in hustle points and after the second night of the tournament, his hustle translated into 12 points to push his team right past Bishop McGuinness.</p> <p><strong>Bishop McGuinness, Junior: Jason Nolan</strong></p> <p>Nolan is the most athletic player for McGuinness and it shows. He's listed at 6-foot-3 but is noticeably shorter than me, and I'm 6-foot-2. He happens to play power forward, though, and he's always good for pulling down rebounds and catching the occasional alley-oop for the Irish. He's their energy guy.</p>