#PHTuneUp: 16U Standout Bucket Getters

Irving, Texas — The Tune Up, presented by Prep Hoops was another stop on the Prep Hoops Circuit that brought out the best of the best competition, this time from all over the South. Teams and their fans came out in droves all the way from North Florida, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, San Antonio, Houston, and many more, ready to battle it out. This event was an action-packed thriller filled with buzzer-beaters, slam dunks, ankle breakers, you name it. Here we’ll take a look at a few of the purest scorers from the Prep Hoops Tune Up. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-1170054 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/IMG_0634-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Dwayne Waldon - Shooting Guard - Team F.O.E. 2023 Black Waldon was the most relentless slasher the Tune Up had to offer. He got to the rim at a high rate, constantly attacking the basket and drawing foul calls. The moment Waldon saw an opening or crease in the interior he took full advantage of it. An absolute freight train coming down the lane, Dwayne beat teams with brute force, defenders were troubled by his strength inside. No matter how hard they tried, he just kept going up and through bodies, proving to be strong enough to finish through all sorts of contact. His combination of size, speed, acceleration, and fluidity made him a terror all over the floor. Waldon also had spots on the mid-range where he can burn a defense if allowed to get there. Dwayne Waldon put on a show at the Tune Up and earned Top Performer honors after dropping 24 points on the second day of the event. <hr /> <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1170057" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/IMG_0573-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="1164461" first="Elian" last="Santana"] - Small Forward - Team United Texas Yellow 2023 I’m not sure which was more impactful, Elian’s defense or his deadly shooting, defensively it seemed like he could get a steal at will, and offensively it seemed like he just couldn’t miss. Santana wreaked havoc defensively, he lived in the passing lanes, saw things transpiring well before they happened, and constantly jumped everything that came his way, even stripping guys of the ball and quickly taking it the other way for two points. This knockdown spot-up shooter was lethal from deep, whenever he popped out to the corners or the wings, he quickly set his feet and prepared to let it fly with his quick trigger release. You must take away his space or he will make you pay. Good upside for [player_tooltip player_id="1164461" first="Elian" last="Santana"] due to his high 3-and-D potential. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-1170055 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/IMG_0664-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Warren Hamilton - Combo Guard - Team F.O.E. 2023 Grey Warren Hamilton might’ve been the most exciting bucket getter, he scored in bunches and put up numbers on every team and every defender he faced off against. 22 points against the Top Achievers Elite, 15 points versus Texas Takeover, and 12 straight points in a big win over BBSS Blue are just a few of Warren’s outstanding performances throughout the weekend. Hamilton can get his own shot and also adjust to shooting over contesting defenders or taller opponents. Incredibly shifty, this F.O.E. guard kept his man rocking back and forth, constantly changing directions and shielding the ball with his body until he got enough space to blow-by the defense or pull-up for a quick jumper. His dribbling skills were so precise, tight, and under control that he made a play where he dropped a defender, crossing them over, breaking their ankle, sending the defenseman straight to the ground with a nasty left to right crossover move. Warren Hamilton took whatever the defense gave him and shredded them. <hr /> <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1170058" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/IMG_0621-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Jayden Turner - Shooting Guard - Team United Texas Black 2023 Jayden Turner proved to be a dangerous shooter with his feet set with very technically sound mechanics, every time he hit a jumper from deep he made sure his body was evenly positioned with the basket, his elbows were perfectly squared up, and his balance was right on point. Turner showed poise and focused when shooting the rock no matter what the situation was, Turner even nailed a buzzer-beater right at halftime from the top of the key by getting his man in the air from a head fake before going under them for the jump shot as the clock struck zero. On the very first play out of halftime, Jayden Turner did a great job of keeping the momentum going by picking up an and-one bucket as soon as the ball touched his hands.