Bash in the Desert: CO/WA standouts

Gregg Rosenberg May 7, 2021 @ 10:04 AM

This weekend I attended the Bash in the Desert at Inspire Courts in Gilbert, AZ. The event had 15-17U competing for the three days with 67 total teams.   Here were some of the players who shined from CO and WA: Kam Robinson PF/C 6’8 Garfield/WA 2022 (Emerald City Basketball Academy 2022) -A powerfully built post player has grown man strength and is a load to deal with. He has one of the better layup packages in the event. He has multiple counter moves and loves using the reverse layup. He works best form mid-range and in and is a capable perimeter shooter. He creates his own offense with his handle and body. Defensively he rebounds anything near him and blocks shots at a high rate. [player_tooltip player_id="843735" first="Jalen" last="Barbee"] (Emerald City Basketball Academy 2022) -A long 3 and D type with great size. He is a catch-3pt shooter with crazy length. He was one of the more consistent shooters with range at the event and he never took a bad shot. He played within the flow of the offense and uses his immense wingspan to play the passing lanes and collect steals and rebound. [player_tooltip player_id="1047502" first="Jayden" last="Washington"] SF 6’5 (Colorado Anarchy 2022) -A long wing who can slash to the basket, hit the open-3, rebound well in traffic and is a decent passer. He is more of a catch shooter and is best getting to the cup with his handle and scoring through contact. He impressively blocks shots from the weak side and is active on defense. [player_tooltip player_id="843718" first="Kenzel" last="Massey"] Garfield/WA 2022 (Emerald City Basketball Academy 2022) -A long defensive wing made it very difficult for any guard or wing to dribble passed him. He uses his size ,quickness and length to keep players in front of him or he simply would rip them clean. He is a decent 3pt shooter and really good getting to the hole. He finishes off tough shots in traffic and his defensive prowess to go along with his athleticism and good size will make him a coveted wing. [player_tooltip player_id="1139528" first="Mostapha" last="Elmoutaouakkil"] (The Force D1 2022) -A fluid wing handles it well and showed play-making abilities. He can pull-up from mid to the 3 but is best off the catch from the 3pt line. He is quick with the ball in his hands and plays a cerebral game. He moves gracefully around the court and makes good decisions. [player_tooltip player_id="967542" first="Kaleb" last="Mitchell"] (The Force D1 2022) (Pictured) -A sturdy framed post player with wider shoulders. He has good length and strength to rebound the ball, set hard picks and score it inside. He can face-up, even through he didn’t get a lot of opportunities, and throw it down off the alley-oop. Mitchell attended Mesa Mountain View his freshman season in AZ and he grew 2-3 inches since and has improved. Leeandre Ray PG 5’11 Cheyenne South/CO 2022 (Colorado Anarchy 2022) -A fast PG who plays with a good motor. He has a real burst into the lane and gets downhill like a running back and can finish with his left or right hand in traffic. He uses the hesi and then can euro his way to the basket to finish or kick it to an open teammate. He is a capable perimeter shooter and brings intense energy on defense. [player_tooltip player_id="929029" first="Jordan" last="Clark"] (Emerald City Basketball Academy 2022) -A pure PG with a high feel for the game. He was playing up and played 16U and nothing fazed him. He is very calm and poised and makes next level passes look normal. His pace to his game jumps out at you and the ball is on a string with him. He has deep 3pt range and can get into the lane with hesitations and a burst. He has the floater game and can finish with his left or right hand. His IQ is really high and makes passes with either hand. [player_tooltip player_id="921098" first="Aliou" last="Diallo"] (Colorado Titans 2023 Gold) -A pure PG with a high feel for the game. He has a a tight handle and good length. He is the younger brother of Alpha Diallo and their whole family has great size. He is deceptively quick to get into the lane to score it. He can euro his way to the basket and can drive and kick it out to open shooters.