The Hoop Madness Spring Showcase: Sunday Top Performers

<p>As they are essentially a brand new team, ML20 needed an opportunity to play against some competition before hitting the super competitive adidas Gauntlet. They got that opportunity this past weekend at The Hoop Madness Spring Showcase and in the finals against Hoop Salem 17U, ML20 utilized their size, strength, and athleticism advantage at practically every position to win the Gold Bracket Championship, 92-63.</p> <p>"This is a good group of kids," said ML20 head coach Troy Berry.  "They have a high basketball IQ and through playing together and working hard, the sky is the limit for this group."</p> <p>Kenzel Massey led ML20 with 21 points off the bench, sinking four threes. Tari Eason accumulated 18 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots while Sataievior Ayilola added 17 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Drayton Caolie paced Hoop Salem 17U with 17 points.</p> <p>Earlier in the day, Northwest Prospects 16U beat The Program Red, 75-59, for the 16U bracket championship.</p> <p>Here are the top performers from the final day of the tournament.</p> <p><strong>Tari Eason (2020 Federal Way HS/ML20)</strong> - Eason is our pick of performer of the day. The 6-foot-8 forward was all over the place on both ends of the floor, flying to the hoop to throw down power dunks or coming over from the weak side blocking shots. Eason is a tremendous run and jump athlete and his great length only adds to his incredible effectiveness. He noted that he is working on improving his perimeter skills to truly be a wing and an update from him will be posted soon on PrepHoops Washington.</p> <p><strong>Kendall Munson (2020 Puyallap HS/ML20)</strong> - Munson is blessed with a mature body and he has a motor to match. The 6-foot-8 forward was near unstoppable to stop on the block either posting up or facing the basket and there were very few rebounds in his area he did not get on either end of the floor.</p> <p><strong>Kenzel Massey (2021 Lakes HS/ML20)</strong> - Massey is a long and lanky 6-foot-7 and has a very smooth stroke from the perimeter. While at times his shot may seem a little flat, it was pretty dead on most of the day and Massey was able to hit some bombs from distance. He is far from just a shooter as Massey was outstanding in transition and had his share of power dunks on the break.</p> <p><strong>Sataievior Ayilola (2020 Central Catholic HS/ML20)</strong> - One of the Oregonians on the ML20 roster, Ayilola has always been tantilizing due to his athleticism for his powerful 6-foot-8 frame. He was near unstoppable for ML20 especially in the championship game as he finished every drive to the basket often with a powerful dunk. Ayilola is done with high school eligibility in Oregon so it remains to be seen what his future may hold, whether it is college or prep school.</p> <p><strong>Mason Lomax (2020 Sprague HS/Hoop Salem 17U)</strong> - Lomax had a solid all-around tournament. The 6-foot-2 guard mainly played off the ball but in the opportunities he did play the point, he showed good decision making and made some nice passes to find open teammates. Overall offensively he impressed with the way he took what the defense gave him and didn't force the issue. It was his last second drive and basket in the semis helped propel Hoop Salem 17U to the title game.</p> <p><strong>Kaden Horn (2021 Mountain View-WA HS/Northwest Prospects)</strong> - Horn was a key player in the Northwest Prospects capturing the 16U title. There's no question Horn is far from a finished product physically as he measures 6-foot and a buck-fifty in weight, but he more than makes up for it with his smarts, motor, and incredible shooting ability. Horn was deadly from three both from beyond the arc and on traditional and-one plays</p> <p><strong>Jace Chatman (2021 Mountain View-WA HS/Northwest Prospects)</strong> - Chatman is a smooth operator from the perimeter and is capable of turning it on offensively as needed. In the 16U title game, the 6-foot-3 sophomore put in into another gear when his team was down and took over the game with his perimeter shooting and ability to create off the dribble. Chatman is extremely skilled with the ball and comes from a talented lineage as his father (BYU) and brother (Boston College) have both played Division I basketball.</p>