The Last Dance: Teddy's Friday Takeaways

Two-Sport Phenom Leads LA Broncos past Big 3 Basketball   The 16u Louisiana Broncos were on display in Chicago this weekend as one of the top teams in their state. The team is headlined by 6’6" F [player_tooltip player_id=’1159181’ first=’Trey’Dez’ last=’Green’]. Green is ranked #2 in Louisiana by Prep Hoops. But he’s also Louisiana’s #1 player in football and the #2 tight end in the country (via Rivals.com). He was a force from the beginning. Played with tons of strength down low and several nice finishes. Green brought them back in it late in the game after trailing for most of it. a put-back jam tied it, and a steal and alley-oop finish gave them the lead with 2 minutes to go.   For Big 3, tons of players were contributing. At least five different players hit 3-pointers in this game. The player I like most is point guard AJ Levine. He’s shown tons of skill with the ball, and has excelled on both ends of the floor. A coast-to-coast finish, along with a contested 3-pointer were some of his top plays against the Broncos.     Nick Taylor Impresses for 16u Fundamental U over EG10   A new face has caught my attention from 16u Fundamental U. The name is Nick Taylor. From Glenbrook South, Taylor has opened eyes in both June and July. He opened the game with 9 quick points. He was active on the glass, fighting through contact or buckets, and making solid runs in the paint. He also made solid contribution on defense too. He forced some difficult shots and forced driving attackers to kick the ball away from the paint. Later in the game, I saw Taylor become a stretch-four player; knocking down shots from beyond the arc.     Galvin, Washington lead 15u Iowa Barnstormers over AZ Gremlins   The first 15u game I watched was a two-man show for the Iowa Barnstormers. Their two leaders were guards [player_tooltip player_id=’1199979’ first=’Anthony’ last=’Galvin’] and [player_tooltip player_id=’1484416’ first=’Amari’ last=’Washington’]. Galvin opened the game two 3’s. He showed tons of versatility playing quick up the floor for some easy inside buckets, and making great decisions in transition. By the end of the first half, he was dropping tons of dimes. Galvin opened the 2nd half with another contested 3-pointer. He hit another one from the top of the key a few minutes later. Shortly after, he stepped back for a third 3-pointer in the 2nd half. With the game tied, Galvin made a tough layup through contact with less than 2 mins to go.   6’2 Guard [player_tooltip player_id=’1484416’ first=’Amari’ last=’Washington’] was the other Barnstormer contributing all over the floor, Especially at the begining. He began the game with a 3 and an inside bucket. A block in the paint later on showed some solid defensive abilities. He hit another 3 in the corner towards the end of the opening half. Filled the lane well and ended the first half with two easy inside buckets.     [player_tooltip player_id=’1385287’ first=’EJ’ last=’Breland’]’s Stock Continues to Rise for 15u GFC   Breland put on a very strong performance Friday afternoon against Ohio’s Midwest Basketball Club. He led a really impressive 2nd half comeback to win this game. He started things off with two 3-pointers. By the 2nd half, he was showing tons of confidence driving to the hoop, and displayed an intriguing layup package. With the game close, Breland put the game in his hands and converted several tough buckets and clutch free throws to seal the comeback win.     [player_tooltip player_id=’1385290’ first=’Amari’ last=’Edwards’] wins it for Dream Chasers. Scores 22   The 15u game between Wisconsin Premier and Dream Chasers was a classic. It was a terrific showing between several players. At first, it was Dream Chasers’ [player_tooltip player_id=’1385307’ first=’Cameron’ last=’Thomas’]. He provided buckets all over the floor. Knocking down a three early in the game, and two more late. But between that, he was finishing smoothly at the rim, and pulling up for some midrange buckets. He led all scorers with 23 points. When they needed it most, [player_tooltip player_id=’1385290’ first=’Amari’ last=’Edwards’] hit a Pull Up jumper netr the baseline to defeat Wisconsin Premier 65-63 at the buzzer. Edwards is a smaller, but versatile guard who can squeak past defenders and make create his own shot. He ended with 22 points for Dream Chasers.      For Wisconsin Premier, [player_tooltip player_id=’1385303’ first=’Ross’ last=’Robertson’] (from South Beloit, IL) was their player to watch. Robertson created problems on the interior defense with numerous rejections down in the low block. He a terrific job squaring up offensive opponents and makes it difficult to move past. Robertson had a key block to keep the game tied in the final minute. He scored 17 points on offense, making it look easy down low, and was the biggest guy out there at 6’9".

Two-Sport Phenom Leads LA Broncos past Big 3 Basketball