2021 VYPE Holiday Invitational: First Team

<p>Check out my breakdowns on the top players in attendance at the 2021 VYPE Holiday Invitational down in Houston this Christmas break! </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1220767" first="Zion" last="Pipkin"] 2024 Westfield High School (Tournament MVP)</p> <p>Zion is the definition of a dog, his motor and ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor allowed Westfield to plow through some high level competition on their way to winning the tournament. He attacks the basket hard and gets easy looks in transition at the rim due to his energy. He is great at fighting through contact on his way to the rim. I was blown away by his on court leadership, ability to direct traffic on the defensive and offensive end and how much of a winner he is. He did not need the ball in his hands to affect the game, his off ball movement created space for his teammates as he drew attention away from the defense. His game reminds me a lot of a young Collin Sexton, with his unending pace, willingness to defend high level ball handlers and live in the paint as a smaller guard. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsIIFadTvj8</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="889590" first="Austin" last="Benigni"] 2022 Woodlands Christian Academy (TWCA)</p> <p>Austin continued to impress as he scored from all three levels of the floor, created open looks for his teammates with some wizardry level passes and fought through some real adversity in this tournament. In the second game his team played, Benigni was diving after a loose ball and ended up getting kicked in the face, causing him to spit up some blood on the sidelines. During his time off the court his team quickly went down ten. When he returned in the second half, you could tell he was a man on a mission. He got to his spots in the midrange, got his shot to go from beyond the arc and attacked the rim with ferocity. Down the stretch, he ended up having 3 assists, a floater and a midrange jumper to seal the game for his team. This was another great opportunity for Benigni to show his dominance on the court. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8lRgSxHOh8</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="787342" first="Chris" last="Johnson"] 2023 6’4 Fort Bend Elkins High School</p> <p>Chris is a dynamic scorer with great size at the guard position, his ability to handle the ball, get downhill and get his shot off the dribble was incredibly impressive. His constant aggression and willingness to attack the basket ended up putting a ton of pressure on the defense of every team he faced. He lived in the paint and subsequently the free throw line as well. I was blown away by his ability to dominate in the midrange with his back to the basket, he was incredibly tough to defend once the defense was on its heels trying to protect the paint and he rose up for a quick two dribble pull up. He ended up being one of the tournaments top scorers. Johnson is going to end up being a very special player, and a college coach is going to get one hell of a prospect. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-91dno97muA</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958619" first="Willie" last="Williams"] 2022 Westfield High School</p> <p>Willie is a force on the block, he possesses great strength and an array of post moves. He outplayed a lot of very high level bigs, most of which had a few inches on him. I was most impressed with his ability to pass out of the post, especially at tough angles, such as after he spun off someone trying to get to the rim he could easily make that cross court pass to an open shooter. He easily blocked out and sealed opponents on the glass and allowed his high energy teammates to fly around the court and scoop up long rebounds with him. The day after the tournament, Willie received his first offer from Cossatot College, expect more coaches to have their heads turn his way soon... </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5vy3paT-9Q</p> <p>Connor Miller 2022 6’3 Atascocita High School</p> <p>Connor is a sniper at the shooting guard position, who thrives off his ability to affect the game by getting open off the ball. His constant movement and his ability to always be ready to catch and shoot propelled his team to a shot at the championship. He is not only a shooter from beyond the arc however, he got to his shot in the midrange and attacked the basket hard. He is a dynamic scorer who loves getting to his shot off the bounce and creating looks for his team. I was most impressed with his ability to get his teammates involved as the defense began to focus on shutting down his shooting. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kaleb Pouncy 2022 6’7 Atascocita High School</p> <p>Kaleb is a lanky forward who is great at finishing at the rack, especially in transition. He dominates the game in the full court and really  puts pressure on the defense with his ability to rebound the ball and score at the rim. He has great mobility and good ball control for his size, and looks like he has real potential to become a three level scoring big man or stretch wing. I would like to see continued development with his shot off the dribble. Pouncy is a special player who has all the tools to develop into a high level big man at the next level. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2npFYpvKtQ</p>