ASAK Nation Classic: Standout Players (Pool C)

ASAK Nation held their first annual ASAK Nation Classic this past 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 C at the ASAK Nation Classic:   SG [player_tooltip player_id="779878" first="Coleton" last="Benson"] (6-1) - ASAK Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Benson possesses elite shooting ability, especially from three-point range where he can hit shots from 30 feet out. Over the course of the tournament, Benson played with great control and confidence with ASAK Elite, completely dominating as a scorer in two of their matchups. Against Team F.O.E. he put up 17 points, hitting 3 threes, and followed that up with a 21 point performance versus Texas Hardwork. Benson was one of the purest scorers at the tournament, and he flashed as an efficient shooter from deep and in the mid-range. He has the capability to be a combo guard if asked to run the offense, and he does a good job of deciding when to attack the paint while having a nice pull-up jumper in his back pocket. Benson was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul> SG [player_tooltip player_id="1039048" first="Jailen" last="Bedford"] (6-3) - ASAK Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">An underrated prospect for the 2021 class, Bedford made a name for himself showing flashes with his scoring ability. Bedford excels in his mid-range pull-up jumper, and he consistently nailed those shots at a high clip. His top performances came against Texas Hardwork (21 points) and Team F.O.E. (14 points). In addition to his mid-range game, Bedford can nail open three-point opportunities and has strong takes to the basket. Overall a good athlete who has the skills to play above the rim when attacking the basket. Bedford was selected to the All-Tournament Team. </li> </ul>   PG [player_tooltip player_id="957936" first="Kaden" last="Gumbs"] (6-0) - ASAK Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">One of a handful of 2023 prospects who competed in the tournament, Gumbs held his own against the tough competition he faced of mostly top tier 2021 guards from Texas. Gumbs hustled on defense and looked comfortable running the point for ASAK Elite. He does a good job of getting to his spots for his jumper and had several crisp passes to open teammates. Gumbs has natural instincts on the hardwood and plays at a good pace. He had 10 points and 4 assists versus T.H.P. Elite, and 7 points, 3 rebounds against Team F.O.E. Gumbs was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul>   SG [player_tooltip player_id="594578" first="Juan" last="Reyna"] (6-2) - Team F.O.E. <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Reyna’s game-winning floater as time expired against ASAK Elite was arguably the most impressive play of the tournament. Reyna was able to navigate his way through ASAK’s defense into the lane where he nailed an off-balance floater with his off-hand. He also impressed with his deep-range shooting ability, hitting threes from beyond-the-arc with high efficiency. Reyna hit double-digit scoring in all four of his games with 16 points versus ASAK Elite, 10 against T.H.P. Elite, 16 versus Next Level Raiders, and 13 points in their matchup versus Southern Assault. There were a lot of big-time scorers competing this past weekend, and Reyna proved to be one of the best. Reyna was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul>   CG [player_tooltip player_id="684398" first="Jimel" last="Cofer"] (6-3) - Team F.O.E. <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Cofer was a pleasant surprise this past weekend as the unranked combo guard was electric for Team F.O.E. In their win against T.H.P. Elite, Cofer scored 20 points and threw down a couple of monster dunks. He showed the ability to run the point and get to the rim, while also playing on the wing and nailing three-point opportunities. He was a menace on defense, creating several turnovers and individually 4 steals that resulted in the fast-break dunks. Against ASAK Elite, Cofer contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds, showing he can also be a tough rebounder. Cofer was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul>   PF [player_tooltip player_id="1041910" first="Petia" last="Dogale"] (6-6) - T.H.P. Elite <ul> <li style="text-align: left;">Dogale impressed with his defensive skill set, being a high effort player who does a good job protecting the rim. His long wingspan, coupled with his leaping ability and anticipation make him a terrific shot blocker. The unranked 2021 prospect has played well all throughout the summer circuit and continues to make a significant impact with his play. His biggest highlight of the tournament was in the transition as he pushed the pace and then finished with a posterizing two-handed slam that drew a big reaction from the crowd. Dogale was selected to the All-Tournament Team.</li> </ul>   Honorable Mention C [player_tooltip player_id="787335" first="Ma’Shy" last="Hill"] (2023) - ASAK Elite SG Keshawn Williams (2021) - ASAK Elite SG [player_tooltip player_id="958621" first="Kendall" last="Dow"] (2022) - ASAK Elite PF Croix Cox (2023) - Team F.O.E. C [player_tooltip player_id="887065" first="Shakiru" last="Oduwenu"] (2021) - Team F.O.E. PG JahVante O’Conner (2021) - T.H.P. Elite PG [player_tooltip player_id="1039600" first="Reese" last="Miller"] (2022) - T.H.P. Elite SG Blake Nielsen (2021) - T.H.P. Elite