Teams That Stood Out at the Dallas Showtyme Classic XIV

Grassroots basketball in Dallas/Fort Worth returned with a bang. Like everyone else, I missed basketball more than ever, and it was a pleasure to get back into the AAU atmosphere and witness competition again. The Dallas Showtyme Classic XIV put together an awesome tournament. They brought out all of the talents in the city and gave us some highly anticipated matchups with some of the top players in the state and the top teams in the metroplex. Here are a few teams that really stood out and caught my eye this past weekend. Drive Nation EYBL [caption id="attachment_1005351" align="alignleft" width="206"]<img class=" wp-image-1005351" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/IMG_7812-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="206" height="135" /> [player_tooltip player_id="787318" first="Dean" last="Balo"][/caption] Drive Nation’s 2023 crew didn’t lose a step during the break, they returned and completely dominated every game this past weekend. Each player that stepped on the court played top-notch defense, getting so many steals that eventually I lost count. [player_tooltip player_id="787344" first="R.J." last="Jones"] made his presence felt from the tip on both ends of the court, everything came easy to him. Jacovey Campbell’s game was on, he was the smallest guy on the court but he made the biggest impact. [player_tooltip player_id="787585" first="Jamyron" last="Keller"] showed off his incredible athleticism and threw it down every chance he got. [player_tooltip player_id="787318" first="Dean" last="Balo"] knocked down the three-ball and locked-up anybody that came his way all weekend. [player_tooltip player_id="787365" first="Ja’Kobe" last="Walter"] got whatever he wanted on both sides of the ball, he saw and played the game on a whole other level than his opponent, no team had an answer for him. Drive Nation EYBL showed great chemistry out there, they’re all high IQ players that always know where each other should be at all times. This team is loaded with some of the best players in their class, it’s going to take a lot of fire-power to take them down. <iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_hz_3qHjlq8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Texas Legion Elite [caption id="attachment_1003914" align="alignright" width="201"]<img class="wp-image-1003914 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2838-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="268" /> [player_tooltip player_id="959056" first="Cameron" last="Taylor"][/caption] Texas Legion Elite was one of the most impressive teams of the weekend, they came ready to play. Although they went 1-2 on the weekend, they still showed a lot of promise, doing an outstanding job against a couple of the best AAU teams in the Dallas area. Texas Legion feared no one, this crew is built off grit and grind and they consist of some of the most talented players out of Grand Prairie and Arlington. LaBrodrick Scott played with a high IQ, consistently found ways to make a difference. He’s a strong body athlete that can play multiple positions on the court. Robert Billingsley was very efficient on the weekend, his quick trigger jump shot was unstoppable. He did a great job of controlling the pace and letting the game come to him. [player_tooltip player_id="959056" first="Cameron" last="Taylor"] showed us all why he’ll be one of the best senior talents going into next season. His versatility is off the charts. He was the complete package on offense and defense; blocking shots, playing the passing lanes, hitting his shots, drawing fouls, facilitating, and snatching rebounds down. Kaden Morgan put everyone on notice, he impressed with the way he was able to run the point and also play off the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="1003841" first="Ja’Matthew" last="McGhee"] changed the game with his defense and intensity, he’s reliable, he’s a guy you want to go to war with. You know what you’re going to get from him, he’s always going to give his all and do whatever he can to shut his assignment down. Texas Legion Elite introduced us to some of the most underrated prospects in the metroplex and proved to be a very tough well-coached team. This summer may be big for them. <iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vETt9EYj_3s" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Southern Assault 15U [caption id="attachment_1004246" align="alignright" width="188"]<img class=" wp-image-1004246" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/IMG_7792-225x300.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="188" height="251" /> [player_tooltip player_id="892134" first="Justin" last="McBride"][/caption] Southern Assault had the most well rounded 2023 squad in the tournament. They had two lockdown point guards that were just relentless, a scorer that was on fire, and big men that dominated the post. [player_tooltip player_id="892134" first="Justin" last="McBride"] was in attack mode, he ran the court well, did a great job of driving the lane, and drawing the foul call. Mcbride gave up nothing easy in his paint, contested every shot that came his way. 6’6 Tylan Reed played his role to perfection, he came in played incredibly physical and controlled the boards. This kid is incredibly athletic with a strong body, he had no problem battling down low and playing the ball at the rim; a highly impressive weekend for Reed. [player_tooltip player_id="787323" first="Finley" last="Bizjack"] gave us all a show, he put his playmaking abilities on full display; Bizjack saw the court well and found his teammates any time they were open. Blake Muschalek made plays on both ends of the court, whether it was hitting his jump shots or wreaking havoc on defense, he played his role exceptionally well. Southern Assault may have been the most impressive 15U team out there this past weekend. <iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/USI3iB6vzlc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Southern Assault 17U [caption id="attachment_1004496" align="alignleft" width="241"]<img class=" wp-image-1004496" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Harrison-Ingram-2021-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="241" height="158" /> [player_tooltip player_id="594549" first="Harrison" last="Ingram"][/caption] This senior Southern Assault team is absolutely stacked with talent from top to bottom. Top player in the state of Texas, [player_tooltip player_id="594549" first="Harrison" last="Ingram"], was a man amongst boys. He knocked down jumpers with his smooth stroke, used his body to get deep into the lane, dropped dimes, and showed an amazing feel for the game, just flat out made it look easy. [player_tooltip player_id="779855" first="Wade" last="Taylor"] shot on was, it was rare to see a miss from him, his shot was a thing a beauty and hit nothing but net. This highly recruited prospect caused several turnovers with his tough defensive presence. Wade looked like the best player on the court with the way he outplayed and outcompeted his opponent. [player_tooltip player_id="887085" first="Cooper" last="Sisco"] contributed with his shooting, anytime he had a clean look he made it count, he showed us all why he’s one of the best shooters in the city. [player_tooltip player_id="887080" first="Elijah" last="Stephens"] showed off his point guard skills all weekend, he was all over the court making plays, was probably the best ball handler of the weekend, and he got to the rack when he wanted to. Southern Assault is built to beat anyone, they have a multitude of ways of getting the job and the perfect roster to do it with. <iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xhWEKQMWD_E" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>