Basketbull Hoopfest Middlesex Magic 17uAlex

I attended the BasketBull Hoopfest in Boston. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1508768" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/E3C01B86-DCF9-4016-89A2-395CB16DDB5C-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1657629880-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> The Middlesex Magic 17U Alex team put on a great performance in the tournament, and finished with a recorded of 7-1. The team has a bunch of college level prospects, and they play great team basketball. The team chemistry they have, really helps them compete against top teams. Three games leading up to the semi final game, the Magic team won wire to wire. They never gave up the lead even once. In today’s basketball, especially in AAU constancy can be hard to find. What I like about this team, is they have really developed over the years, and many on the team have been playing together since the 4th grade. They have played over 200 games together. The team was often undersized compared to the other team’s at the Hoopfest, but multiple players stepped up. The Magic team’s biggest player is 6’5 Alex Penders. They played against team’s with players 6’8 and 6’9. They had bunch of players who had standout games. The team has a lot of depth, and a diverse skill set. Quote from Magic coach Alex “this is one of the most together team’s I have ever coached”. “It’s so special”. Here is some notable players from the team. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/D845446B-26C5-43EB-8AA3-31F624D90BA4.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1508654" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/D845446B-26C5-43EB-8AA3-31F624D90BA4-220x300.jpeg" alt="" width="220" height="300" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1436437" first="Isaac" last="Chiu"], Position PG, HT 6’0 Issac Chiu played great on both sides of the ball. On defense he was often tasked with guarding players bigger in size. A super impressive stat was he drew 12 charges in the tournament. What’s even more impressive is that 7 of the charges were taken on the ball. Issac might take the most charges of anyone I have seen. Nothing makes a coach more excited than seeing a player take charges, especially against players bigger in size. Issac is a super tough defender, and plays with high intensity. Issac takes a lot of pride in his defense. He moves well on defense, and is good at cutting off the driving lanes for ball handlers. Offensively he showed his ability to be an efficient scorer, and his soft floater, that helps him score on taller players. One play in the tournament, Issac had a very impressive euro step move to finish a basket at the rim. Issac I think will be a great player, at a high level division three college program. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Andrew-Mitchell-PHC-KC.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1441813" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Andrew-Mitchell-PHC-KC-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1437295" first="Andrew" last="Mitchell"], HT 6’3, Position Wing Andrew might be one of the more underrated prospects in the area. I recently saw him put up 26 points in the NEPSAC Showcase, and saw another impressive performance at the Hoopfest. Talking to a few coaches who know him, they said they believe he is a scholarship level player, and they feel he may not be getting the attention he deserves. After watching him play live these past 2 events, I agree with them. Andrew is a strong built, and can score at all three levels. He is a good ball handler, and can finish way above the rim. I have seen some very big dunks from him. He can get in the paint, and finishes well through contact. On defense he can guard multiple position, and is often tasked with guarding the opposing teams top scorer. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/5E48DF75-0785-4ACC-A6FB-971CD29FF088.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1223710" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/5E48DF75-0785-4ACC-A6FB-971CD29FF088-230x300.jpeg" alt="" width="230" height="300" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1468430" first="Jose" last="Padilla"], 6’0, CG I had seen Jose play many times at New North this past season, and now I have seen him play in the AAU season. Each time I watch him play, he continues to impress me. He is a very well round guard. He has a high basketball IQ, and can act as an extension of the coach. He was named player of the game two times this past tournament. In both these games he had dominate scoring performance. In one game he finished with 19 points. He made a lot of big plays down the stretch to help secure wins. He was able to attack the basket, finish at the rim, and was able to draw fouls, and covert the free throws. I have seen games where he is the teams leading scorer, and also games where he leads the team in assists. Coaches have been quoted saying that “Jose is a a pleasure to coach and a great young man”. They said “Jose is the real day, will make a great program better, and the staff look like geniuses”. Alex Penders, HT 6’5, Position F When talking to Magic coach Alex about Penders he said “Alex is amazing”. Alex is a versatile forward, that does a little bit of everything to impact the game. His overall skill set was on display in the tournament. He is a double machine. Last high school season he had a game with 30 points and 24 rebounds. On the Magic team Alex is the tallest player they have. He was tasked this tournament with guarding players taller than him, and players as tall as 6’9. Alex was very much ready for the challenge. He played great defense, without fouling. Alex can be a dominate scorer, and also rebounds the ball well. He does a good job initiating the fast break off a rebound, by making a strong outlet pass. Alex is a sure college level player. Matt Baur, HT 6’3’, Position SG Matt had a standout tournament. Matt had his elite three point shooting on full display at the Hoopfest. In one game he finished with 24 points, with 6 three pointers made. In another game he finished with 19 points, with 5 three pointers made. Matt plays with very high energy, and is always moving off the ball. He can hit tough shots, even with a hand in his face. He has good footwork, a fundamental shooting form, and takes very little time to get his shot off. Matt is not just a shooter, and is also a good defender. I think Matt has the potential to be a scholarship level player. [player_tooltip player_id="1477856" first="Dajon" last="Burton"], HT 6’4, Position G Quote about Dajon from his coach Alex, “Dajon is electric offensively”. Dajon has the ability to take over a game with his scoring, and he is also a great passer. He can get to the basket with ease, and can pull up from mid range, or three point range. He uses his effective crossover, and change of speeds to get past defenders. He is very quick, and athletic. He is a crafty guard, who showed his high level skills at the tournament. Dajon is another player from the team with possible division 1 college level potential. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1508761" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/58A17AAF-E38C-412F-87C0-89B65094F1C6-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1657629643-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="1436451" first="Natrel" last="Allen"], HT 6’4, Position F/Wing Quote From Magic Coach Alex “ Natrel is the strongest kid I ever coached. He’s a beast.” Allen has a huge performance in the Hoopfest. Natrel is a hardworking player, who has versatile skill set. He can be a slasher from the wing, and attacks the basket hard. He can finish through contact, and is aggressive. Natrel is a good two way player, and defends at a high level. This tournament, he made a lot of key stops to help secure wins. He also made some tough contested finishes at the rim. Another for sure college level prospect.