#PHLive: Opening-night favorites

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><b>Jack Lauer</b> | SSA Hoops Elite Black 16U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">6’3” W</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Marysville (KS) ’23</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Lauer played a solid introductory match for SSA Hoops, featuring his shooting and finishing capabilities along with his heads-up playmaking talent. He was frequently the beneficiary of loose balls and deflections and did a solid job of converting on the opposite end. He also distributed the ball well on the handle, at times.</p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><strong>Makean Hastings</strong> | SSA Hoops Elite Black 16U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">5’9” PG</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Solomon (KS) ’23</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>In spite of his smaller frame, Hastings packs a strong punch as he displayed on opening night in performance against H.I.T. He has speed to him but is more importantly controlled at a sharp pace. He shook and finessed his way to the rim, converted on shots in transition and knocked down a stellar, quick-rotating triple from well past the arch. He also rebounded the ball well, even in numerous situations that pitted him against a taller or stronger player.</p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1055796" first="Ta’veon" last="Jones"]</strong> | Judah Nation 16U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">5’6” PG</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Central Florida Christian (FL) ’24</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/TaVeon-Jones.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1176689 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/TaVeon-Jones-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Only a freshman playing up a year, Jones was by far the most impressive player of the game early for Judah Nation, accounting for his team’s first 6 points on a series of crafty layups on the break — and had a couple choice rolls gone his way, it would have been more. Though he was the smallest player on the court, he was perhaps the most gifted athletically. His lateral quickness is off-the-charts as he utilized his swift crossover to create separation before accelerating downhill against manned-up defenders. After that, helpers were cautious to commit fully to sliding onto him as his passing capabilities required dedication to him <i>and</i> whoever played the dunker’s spot. Defensively, he was quick to disrupt and deflect opposing passes as a habit, as if it were simply routine.</p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><strong>Thad Burns</strong> | Judah Nation 16U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">6’0” CG</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Florida State University School (FL) ’24</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Burns, a 94-foot playmaker, was among the astute shooters in Friday-evening sessions. Even with pressure — as he showcased on one 4-point play fresh out of the catch, Burns struck with a swift and consistent release. On one possession late in the first half, Burns capped off a Judah Nation scoring run pulling up and sinking the shot in transition. He also defended opposing guards adherently and snuck into passing lanes to force turnovers.</p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><strong>Jordan Cain</strong> | D1 Minnesota 15U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">6’2” SF</td> <td style="width: 50%; text-align: center;">Minnetonka (MN) ’24</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>A highly capable defender, Cain turned many defensive stops into scoring opportunities for D1 Minnesota as he disrupted, deflected and thieved the ball from Cauley-Stein Elite players repeatedly. He also shot the ball well from beyond the arch and displayed his above-the-rim athleticism on a couple occasions.</p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><strong>Brody Wishart</strong> | D1 Minnesota 15U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>After his team acquired a stout mid-game lead, Wishart turned on the jets to extend the race out of Cauley-Stein Elite’s reach on a series of swift buckets that displayed his offensive arsenal. He knocked down a triple, then finished a lay-up with his off hand while acquiring the foul, then missed the free-throw but ended up scoring again with his left on a back-door cut, then knocked down another 3-pointer.</p> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><strong>Kole Hansen</strong> | D1 Minnesota 15U</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Hansen, a crafty scoring guard, scored the first bucket of the game on a sharp-angle floater off-the-glass before catching fire again near the half-way mark. He has a nice handle, is very cerebral and is highly efficient when it comes to scoring the basketball. He finishes well through contact and showed off his mid-range during the match with Cauley-Stein Elite.</p>