ASAK Nation Classic: Standout Players (Pool A)

ASAK Nation held their first annual ASAK Nation Classic this weekend in Austin, Texas at the St. Michael’s Athletic Center, where nine of the top grassroots programs from across Texas competed in the two-day event. The tournament featured a three-game guarantee where the nine teams are split into separate pools. Pool A: TAZ Elite, Texas Hardwork, ProSkills Austin. Pool B: Southern Assault, Houston Defenders, Next Level Raiders. Pool C: ASAK Elite, Team F.O.E., T.H.P. Elite. Thankfully we were able to cover the event through the live broadcast by TBScouts Youtube feed.   Here are the standout players from Pool A at the ASAK Nation Classic: [caption id="attachment_1025832" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/DSC_0091.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1025832" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/DSC_0091-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="781884" first="Cason" last="Wallace"] / Photo Credit: Noah Weber (Prep Hoops)[/caption]   SG [player_tooltip player_id="781884" first="Cason" last="Wallace"] (6-4) - TAZ Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Wallace continued his impressive summer earning ASAK Nation Classic’s Tournament MVP. He made plays all over the court and was a versatile offensive playmaker for TAZ Elite, playing primarily at point guard. Wallace can beat opponents in several different ways as he dominated at the point of attack and also showed to be a highly efficient jump shooter. What makes Wallace stand out above the rest is his relentless defensive play, where he had multiple blocked shots per game and was a lockdown perimeter defender during the tournament.</li> </ul> [caption id="attachment_747927" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/02/C.J.-Noland-Wax.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-747927" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/02/C.J.-Noland-Wax-300x284.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="284" /></a> 2021 Shooting Guard [player_tooltip player_id="594588" first="C.J." last="Noland"][/caption]   SG [player_tooltip player_id="594588" first="C.J." last="Noland"] (6-4) - TAZ Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Noland balled out over the two-day event, earning himself a selection on the All-Tournament Team and showing why he is ranked as one of the top players in Texas. The smooth playmaking shooting guard goes at his own pace and makes tough plays look easy. A terrific two-way player, and plays with really good strength. Over the tournament, Noland was able to get into the paint at will and facilitate to open teammates. Had an impressive 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists performance versus Texas Hardwork.</li> </ul>   [caption id="attachment_1033695" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/DSC_0057.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1033695 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/DSC_0057-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Matthew Stone / Photo Credit: Noah Weber (Prep Hoops)[/caption]   SF [player_tooltip player_id="535628" first="Matthew" last="Stone"] (6-4) - TAZ Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Stone played with TAZ Elite for the first time this past weekend and he didn’t miss a beat. The Oklahoma native (Kingfisher HS) is an extremely hard worker and hustled all over the court. Stone has the versatility to play either wing position, and he showed off some nice three-point shooting ability with a quick release. Plays tough defense, crashes the boards, and showed to have a high basketball IQ with his decision making. Stone was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul> PG [player_tooltip player_id="889561" first="Austin" last="Nunez"] (6-1) - Texas Hardwork <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">One of the top shooters in the tournament, Nunez put on a scoring clinic in Texas Hardwork’s first matchup versus TAZ Elite putting up 25 points, including 18 points in the second half alone. Nunez is a lethal shooter from beyond-the-arc and is a threat to drain shots anywhere from deep range. He is ultra-quick to the basket and a smooth finisher. Nunez also had some stellar defensive plays including an impressive chase-down block and several steals that turned into easy fast-break layups. Nunez was selected to the All-Tournament Team and is a nationally recruited prospect for the 2022 class.</li> </ul>   SF [player_tooltip player_id="779883" first="Ramon" last="Walker"] (6-6) - Texas Hardwork <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Walker was one of the more consistent players during the tournament, providing a high-floor scoring ability with his top performance coming in at 27 points versus ASAK Elite on Day 2. On Saturday, Walker scored 16 points against ProSkills Austin, in addition to putting up 14 points and 6 rebounds versus TAZ Elite. The Houston Cougar commit is a prototypical small forward with good size and length. Walker showed the ability to knock down threes, especially from the corner, and played really strong on the boards. Walker was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul>   [caption id="attachment_708530" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/02/Joseph-Venzant-MC.jpg"><img class="wp-image-708530 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/02/Joseph-Venzant-MC-300x221.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="221" /></a> 2021 Shooting Guard [player_tooltip player_id="684386" first="Joseph" last="Venzant"][/caption] SG [player_tooltip player_id="684386" first="Joseph" last="Venzant"] (6-3) - Texas Hardwork <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Venzant played solid ball over the weekend showing his two-way versatility and earning an All-Tournament Team selection. The Liberty commit put up really good offensive performances in an 18 point outing versus ASAK Elite, and 15 points against ProSkills Austin, showing off his three-point shooting and slashing ability. Venzant also played terrific help-side and team defense, where he swatted several shots in the paint. </li> </ul>   PF Marcel Bryant (6-6) - ProSkills Austin <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Bryant was a surprise with his play during the tournament, holding his own against some big-time competition in the paint. Bryant’s top performance was his 18 points versus Texas Hardwork, while adding a nice 9 points and 4 rebounds against TAZ Elite. Bryant battles hard in the paint and is a strong finisher at the basket. Has a soft touch on his mid-range shot. Bryant made a statement with his play at the ASAK Classic and is a rising prospect who we should keep an eye on for the 2022 class.</li> </ul>   Honorable Mention SG [player_tooltip player_id="684406" first="Jalen" last="Lake"] (2021) - TAZ Elite SF [player_tooltip player_id="887044" first="Noah" last="Robledo"] (2021) - TAZ Elite SF [player_tooltip player_id="854930" first="Shawn" last="Jones Jr"]. (2021) - Texas Hardwork PG [player_tooltip player_id="779898" first="Ja’Sean" last="Jackson"] (2021) - Texas Hardwork CG [player_tooltip player_id="795729" first="Trey" last="Blackmore"] (2022) - Texas Hardwork SF Javon Walker (2021) - ProSkills Austin SG [player_tooltip player_id="1027620" first="Braedyn" last="Dawes"] (2021) - ProSkills Austin PG [player_tooltip player_id="1027621" first="Luke" last="Kiser"] (2021) - ProSkills Austin