NXG Houston: Ballin 4 Backpacks Talented Newcomers
This weekend, I had a chance to go out and view the Ballin 4 Backpacks tournament sponsored by NXG Sports in Houston, Texas. Our main area of focus is 9th/10th boys division games played on Saturday, August 6th. These were…
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Continue ReadingThis weekend, I had a chance to go out and view the Ballin 4 Backpacks tournament sponsored by NXG Sports in Houston, Texas. Our main area of focus is 9th/10th boys division games played on Saturday, August 6th. These were a few of the significant athletes making a difference.
Tyler Eaden- MYTB Elite (Summer Creek High School, 2025)
Tyler put on a dominant performance Saturday against the ROTF Raptors team. He was very active on the defensive end early, securing 4 of his 5 blocks in the first half. Tyler was getting easy looks under the rim on offense and had very good movement off the ball as well. Eaden finished the game with 14 points on 7/11 from the field, adding 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 assists.
Bruce Sarver- MYTB Elite (Summer Creek High School, 2025)
Bruce was simply an unstoppable force in the game against the ROTF Raptors. He had easy looks in the post all game on offense and showed his leadership in communicating to his teammates on the defensive end. Mr. Sarver ended the contest with an impressive stat line of 15 points on 7/8 shooting, along with 12 rebounds and 5 assists as well as 4 blocks.
Mason Donald- The 409 (Westbrook Beaumont High School, 2025)
Mason had a very impressive tournament this weekend, as I was able to watch 2 of his team’s 4 games and he always put on a show, both with his hustle and effort. The first game against the Steam Ahead team, scoring 19 points on 8/9 shooting and also diming out 8 assists as well as crashing the boards for 5 rebounds. His leadership was always on display and never put his head down.
Zac Sells- The 409 (Kountze High School, 2025)
Zac was a very impressive backcourt combo along with teammate Mason Donald this weekend, leading 409 to a 4-0 record in this tournament. Their play was simply unmatched by any of the competition they came up against and Sells was a big part of this winning streak. Against Steam Ahead, Zac had 18 points on 7/11 from the field and was a pest on defense, amassing 6 steals and facilitating with 5 assists.
Ryan White- 713 Elite (Dobie High School, 2025)
Ryan played the role of an underrated playmaker this weekend for his 713 Elite squad. Mr. White had an impressive game, scoring 11 points on 4/7 shooting and hitting both of his shots from the free throw line as well, going 2-2. He also was able to get his teammates easy looks, throwing 5 assists and crashing the boards for 7 rebounds.
Bryan Bernardez- 713 Elite (Westbury High School, 2025)
Bryan was unmatched in the post during this tournament, having his way with opponents under the rim. His aggressiveness on defense was key to his team getting in the opponents head. I was able to watch Bryan in their game against the Clutch City Kings and he was impressive, notching 15 points on 6/9 shooting and going 3/5 at the foul line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, adding a double-double to his tournament resume.
Riyad Elouaid- Steam Ahead (Langham Creek High School, 2024)
Riyad had a very impressive game this weekend against a talented 409 Elite team. He played the role of shooter for his Steam Ahead squad, knocking down 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and also was aggressive creating openings for teammates. He always kept his composure and was never rattled by tough defense. Elouaid finished the game with 13 pts on 5/8 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals as well.