Houston Summer in Review: Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This week, I thought I'd expand on the summer I have witnessed in the AAU basketball community through the last month of August that I've been watching high school tournaments. We've traveled to weekend high school tournaments all over Houston, being put on by sponsors such as OTR Exposure, Alodia Basketball, and NXG Sports. Let's take a look at a compilation of underrated performances in past tournaments by some under the radar athletes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brandin Baker- Steam Ahead Basketball ( Cypress Park High School, 2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brandin had a very impressive weekend at the Alodia Lace Em' Up Invitational in Tomball. He dropped 20 points against a tough Train Harder team and also put up an additional 30 points against the Cypress Knights. Mr. Baker displayed effective leadership traits and always gave 120 percent effort, whether his team was down or ahead in the contest. In both of these games,&nbsp; Brandin displayed incredible marksmanship, shooting a total of 23 from 35 from the field and he also showed us other aspects of his game, never being selfish and always willing to make the extra pass. Brandin will be an important park of his Cypress Park team heading into the upcoming high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Isaac Saavedra- Texas Takeover Smith ( Cypress Ranch High School, 2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Isaac was quite an impressive point guard, shining bright under the big lights at Marcus Sloan's OTR Best of Summer Tournament in Atascocita. He had to play against some incredibly tough competitors at his position including teams such as RL9 Elite and the Invictus Red Storm. Saavedra was never intimidated by this, and helped his teammates get open shots and was not afraid to shoulder the scoring load whenever needed. His shiftiness while handling the ball allowed him to get to the rim and blow by the defense at will, as well as showing incredible deny ball defense on the other end. Isaac is looking to make a big impact for his Cypress Ranch squad during the school year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2284001' first='Joshua' last='Anderson']- The 409 Elite ( Atascocita High School, 2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joshua was an important part of his teams victories in the NXG Ballin 4 Backpacks tournament in Atascocita. He made for an effective trio with teammates Sells and Donald, showing patient ball movement and the ability to create his own shot. Josh was also impressive on defense, being a vocal leader for his teammates and never letting his attitude get the better of him. He was also a very strong emotional supporter, always encouraging his teammates and never putting his head down. Josh will continue to be a great emotional leader for Atascocita in the upcoming years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hoodies Trevino- Steam Ahead Basketball ( Langham Creek High School, 2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trevino was an important part of his squad's success at the Alodia Lace Em' Up Invitational in Tomball. He made a strong backcourt with teammate Brandin Baker and together they put extensive pressure on the defense, scoring 36 points against Train Harder and chipping in 20 points against the Cypress Knights. Hoodies showed great on ball defense against his matchups, averaging 6 steals in his two contests on Sunday. Trevino will continue to show even more improvement, playing on a Langham Creek squad this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Payton Dean- H Town Gliders (Summer Creek High School, 2023)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Payton played the role of an intimidating post presence in two Alodia tournaments, the Crossover Classic and the Lace Em' Up Invitational. He played an important role under the rim for his Gliders team, especially on defense where he came in clutch, often sending away shots and coming down with tough rebounds. Dean was also never afraid to set screens for teammates and run an effective pick and roll game. If he added a little more ball handling expertise to his game, I think he could really take his talent to the next level. He is truly the definition of a hybrid forward-post player. Payton will look to play an important role for the Summer Creek Bulldogs, approaching one of his final seasons. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->