Bruce’s Best: Top Players from the Las Vegas Live

<p> With another BigFoot Hoops event in the books, the real work begins for the Prep Hoops Staff. Prepare for comprehensive coverage of the tournament throughout this week. Here is a breakdown of the 17U All-Tournament Teams and MVP.</p> <p><strong>MVP: Melvin Holloway IV 5’9 PG Texas Mel Elite 2020</strong> – It was hard to decide between Holloway and Kaleb Cheers. Holloway was better in the Semi’s but Cheers was better in the Finals. The tiebreaker was the fact that Holloway made the key play in the Finals with a steal and coast to coast layup to seal the victory.</p> <p>1^st team</p> <p><strong>Owen Koonce 6’4 F Colorado Titans 2020</strong> – Koonce showed off his athleticism all week. He was able to get to the rim virtually at will, and he has a great mid – range pull up game. He's a willing defender, who doesn't have a signature skill, however he posses several very good ones.</p> <p><strong>Trace Ross 6’2 G Utah Chargers 2021</strong> – If you haven’t seen Trace Ross play yet, you need to. He’s a heady point guard with a D1 skill set. Great handle, 3 point range, and the ability to allow his team to play at a tempo that they can be successful at. He put on a show in a hard fought quarterfinal loss against Dallas Showtyme. </p> <p><strong>Jalen Williams 6’4 G Dallas Showtyme 2020</strong> – He was impressive all week. Williams is a fabulous athlete who excels playing downhill. He forced several turnovers in Showtyme’s pressure defense allowing them to get out and run.</p> <p><strong>Kaleb Cheers 6’4 F Texas Mel Elite 2020</strong> – He’s not 6’6 as listed but he was a dominant low post presence all week. Cheers is a great rebounder, with good hands and feet. He was the best player on the floor for most of the Championship game.</p> <p><strong>Daniel Foster 6’4 G Aussie Prospects 2020</strong> – Foster showed off his playmaking ability all week. At 6’4 he is a legit point guard, with handles who can also shoot it.</p> <p>2^nd Team</p> <p><strong>Zach Tripplett 6’5 G Aussie Prospects 2020</strong> – Tripplett was the best shooter all week. He has a textbook release and understands how to free himself up by coming off screens. He had one poor shooting performance in the Semi’s against Colorado which probably cost him a spot on the first team.  </p> <p><strong>Pete Boyle 6’8 F Colorado Titans 2020</strong> – Anyone looking for a stretch 4 has found him in Boyle. He is a pick and pop specialist that knocked down threes at a high rate.</p> <p><strong>Kyle Karstetter 6’7 Eastern Washington Elite Red 2020</strong> – Karstetter showed how dynamic he can be. He shot the ball well, but also rebounded, and displayed a sound ability to put the ball on the floor and create a shot for himself. Because of his role on his high school team, there is a legitimate chance that he could end up being one of the Nation’s top prep scorers this year.</p> <p><strong>Wesley Sellers 6’1 G Texas Mel Elite 2020</strong> - Sellers shot the ball well all week for the champs. He combined the ability to knock down catch and shoots, with a solid mid – range game.</p> <p><strong>Sherman Brashear 6’5 Dallas Showtyme 2020</strong> – The lethal lefty is a pure scorer. He got his off the offensive glass, on dribble drives and off of catch and shoots.</p> <p>3^rd Team</p> <p><strong>Max Allen 6’8 C Vegas Elite Henderson 2022</strong> – Big Max is coming along nicely, playing up this weekend with Vegas Elite Henderson he used his size and strength to dominate his opponents. Despite facing double and triple teams most of the week, he produced effective numbers.</p> <p><strong>Ricky Lujan 6’1 G D1 New Mexico Ambassadors 2020</strong> – Lujan does not impress you with his size or physicality, however once he steps on the floor it’s a different story. He displayed tremendous athletic ability and was able to create for himself and his teammates whenever he wanted to. I’m really looking forward to watching him play this week in the Hustle Region Finals.</p> <p><strong>Trey Ward 6’3 G Colorado Titans 2020</strong> – Perhaps the most creative passer I saw all week. Ward is an intriguing prospect, who has the skill and IQ to play the 1 but also possess enough athleticism to be an effective 2 guard. He caught a crazy OB under lob in the championship game.</p> <p><strong>Stephan Faramade 6’8 F Texas Mel Elite 2020</strong> – The big man battled all week. He’s a good rebounder and showed a nice touch around the rim. Still a bit raw with his post moves he did most of his work off catch and finishes and the offensive glass.</p> <p><strong>Donte Houston 6’8 Dallas Showtyme 2020</strong> – Houston showed a lot of heart battling nagging injuries all week. The highest ranked prospect at this event could have just shut it down, instead he gave his team everything he had, while helping them to the semis. Good post player, with a nice face up game out to the college 3.</p>