Most Versatile Players of the Southwest Slam

The Southwest Slam presented by Prep Hoops brought out some outstanding talent from Oklahoma, Kansas, and all over Texas. The tournament consisted of every type of basketball prospect from all-around versatile players to 3-point specialist. Here we take a look at the most versatile players that really stood out and made a huge impact on their teams and the game. Paul Bizmana – Forward – Texas Playmakerz 17U – Haltom High School – C/o 2021 Very gifted big man that can play any position and do everything on the floor, a truly positionless player who can be whatever you need him to be. Not the most athletic player but he’s definitely a pure basketball player, he beats you with his skills and the fundamentals of the game. When looking to score, he knows how to take his time, size his man up, and get to his spots. 6’8, Bizmana showed that he could shoot the three and be nearly automatic from 15 feet in. Paul also displayed the ability to run off a screen, catch and shoot, post up with a variety of moves, beat his man off the dribble for a layup, and create space for a mid-range jumper with his smooth stepback move. Paul Bizmana was responsible for the majority of the offense for the Playmakerz and scored the bulk of their points. Defensively, he moved his feet very well, was active on the boards, showed physicality, and showed good lateral quickness for a big man. [player_tooltip player_id="779907" first="Donta" last="Coady"] – Forward – PB Nation – Arlington Bowie High School – C/o 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-1021047 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/donta-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />[player_tooltip player_id="779907" first="Donta" last="Coady"] went out there and did what he does best, hustling for loose balls, picked his man up fullcourt, got to the basket and foul line, and attacked the glass in every game. At times, Coady showed explosiveness and a solid ability to score the ball. He did a good job of using his body, length, and strength to get into the lane for the finish and even knocked down open shots from inside and beyond the arc. Great defensive player, it’s the best aspect of his game; really high motor, has good instincts, and is not easily beat off the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id="779907" first="Donta" last="Coady"] the type of player that doesn’t need the ball to be effective, he constantly finds a way to contribute across the board. Jaden Robinson – Forward – Texas Swish – International Leadership of Texas – C/o 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-1030724 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/17U-TexasSwish-TulsaHawksBlue-4112-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Another phenomenal weekend of play for Jaden Robinson. At the Southwest Slam, he looked like the go to guy for Texas Swish, his jumpshots were falling and he showed off his ability to put the ball on the floor and beat his man off the dribble when driving the lane. The effort and energy he played with were incredible, Jaden had a play where he jumped all the way out of bounds to save the ball and then ran back in and got the block all in the same possession. He even had a sequence where he attacked the basket, scored, hustled back down the court, and swatted a shot at the rim; Robinson finished each game with multiple blocks. He almost fouled out early in the second half of a game but continued to protect the rim and control the boards by playing smart, disciplined defense. Robinson came ready to dominate the glass, double-digit rebounds are becoming the norm for this young man, he even had a game where he pulled down 17 boards. So much untapped potential in Jaden Robsinson, his stock has been going up all summer and is only continuing to rise. [player_tooltip player_id="959058" first="Will" last="Shepherd"] – Forward – PB Nation – Universal Academy – C/o 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-1030723 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/shep-300x200.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />True stretch 4, Will played big and strong down low and showed his ability to spread the floor by stepping out and knocking down his three-point shots. Great scorer especially around the rim, he’s strong enough to finish even when being roughed up or fouled, Shepherd went on to make his free-throws count as well. Good strong base while attempting to seal his man off when posting up down low. Shepherd sets some really good screens on and off the ball, he also knew when to roll and when to pop out for a jumper. [player_tooltip player_id="959058" first="Will" last="Shepherd"] does everything well, he’s an outstanding offensive weapon for PB Nation to have. C.J. Hall – Guard – Team F.O.E. Elite 17U – Mansfield Summit High School – C/o 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-1023556 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/IMG_3913-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />One of the most versatile players on the court was C.J. Hall, a bucket getter and a lockdown defender. On defense, he showed extremely quick feet, hands, and anticipation, a great job of keeping his opponent in front of him at all times. He poked and got his hands on the ball on numerous occasions, he also dove on the floor for loose balls, C.J. did everything you could ask from a defensive player. Offensively, he can score whenever he wants, when his team needed a bucket the most he got it for them, he excelled when creating shots for himself off the dribble with his shiftiness and speed. Hall has a knack for taking the baseline and going up and under defenders for the finish; he can even be deadly in catch and shoot situations. C.J. Hall showed great intangibles and competitiveness, no matter what went wrong on the floor, Hall never stopped playing hard.