2022 Maverick Shootout: 2nd Team Breakdown

<p><strong>2nd Team All-Tournament</strong></p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="923129" first="Nikita" last="Tyukalo"], 6’6, Forward/Guard, Bothell, C/O 2023</em></p> <p>Nikita was of the most position-less players I got to watch at the shootout last weekend. Tyukalo has an interesting build as a player. He is not an uber-athletic 6-foot-6, but he has extreme length and ball skills which allow him to grab a rebound on the defensive end and bring the ball up as a point forward, setting up the offense in the half court, or making reads on the break. He has great court vision and is an incredibly effective rhythm shooter from 3 with the ball in his hands. When he starts lighting it up from the perimeter, there isn’t much defenders can do as he can get his shot off against most guards who step out to guard him. </p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="1450954" first="Isaiah" last="White"], 6’4, SG/PG, Everett, C/O 2024</em></p> <p>A true combo guard, Isaiah has been busy this spring and summer, and was at it again during the tournament. White is an athletic player who can jump out of the gym and that was evident during Everett’s 7th place win over Juanita, where caught a back door lob out of a baseline out-of-bounds play and threw it down, casually jogging back up the floor. Sharing the backcourt with a dangerous shooter in [player_tooltip player_id="923126" first="Daniel" last="Savovic"] (’23) makes him even more effective off the ball when teams forget about him. He can cut to the basket or raise up from the mid range and 3-point line. He’s the perfect type of guard to have in fast-break scenarios and does a great job at filling gaps and puts himself in spots to get quality looks at the basket offensively. </p> <p><em><span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="1440884" first="Jaiden" last="Blackmon"], 6’3, Guard/Wing, Juanita, C/O 2024</span></em></p> <p>This was one of the first times I got a good look at Juanita’s lead guard. Jaiden is a dynamic player with size, strength and finishing ability. He can break defenses down, get into the paint to make plays, and is a capable scorer in general. He’s bouncy and has a quick burst on his first step and he used that a bunch at the tourney over the weekend to get to his spots. He can barrel through multiple defenders in the lane when he gets downhill and is a young guard with a high overall upside as a playmaker with plenty of time for growth. He’s someone I don’t think has truly scratched the surface and a big name to keep tabs on.</p> <p><em>Keaine Silimon, 6’0, PG/SG, Shorecrest, C/O 2023 -- Tournament’s Breakout Player</em></p> <p>Keaine had a more than solid run during Shorecrest’s 4-0 mark over the tournament. He had some good moments throughout the spring with North City AAU and a lot of it was on display for the Scots. He is tough-nosed guard who isn’t afraid to take a challenge on either end. What popped out to me the most was how he was able to score inside while taking bump after bump. He is a speedy guard who can get past defenders and finish off the glass in traffic, and he had to do just that since his shot wasn’t falling how it normally does. He had to carry his team for stretches on the offensive end and it was much needed, especially in the tight games Shorecrest had to close out. Silimon is due for a leap as a senior and some added responsibility with the basketball with Elijah Johnson (Howard University) set to move on to the next level. </p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="1425653" first="Hayden" last="Conaxis"], 6’6, Forward/Post, Everett, C/O 2023 -- Tournament’s Top Defender</em></p> <p>It is hard to peg Conaxis as either a wing, true forward, or post player. He is more than capable of playing all three and is an interchangeable player on both sides of the ball. Hayden has very active hands on the defensive end with incredible shot blocking and timing. He is an active floor runner and is a player you can trust to catch and finish in the paint. He has the foot quickness and length that allow him to defend perimeter threats and lock them down as well. He is a challenging player to keep off the glass and many players struggled boxing him out last weekend. I definitely  picture him as an all league guy in the Wesco conference next season and will be a pivotal piece to what Everett does. </p>