A-Town Showdown Day 1: Early Top Performers

Kyle Sandy April 15, 2023 @ 02:07 PM

[player_tooltip player_id='1675447' first='Ikemba' last='Otuonye']   Otuonye was a monster inside in Texas Takeover's 73-66 win against the 901 Ball Stars. The powerful 6-foot-6 post recorded 24 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. Ikemba did a good job sealing and using his strength advantage to overpower defenders. He has a baby hook to score overtop the defense and a drop step baseline in which he squares his shoulders and powers up. He also showed the ability to finish lobs.   Glenn Applewhite   Applewhite looks the part. He's a big guard that wants to set up his teammates first, but is an electric ball handler that can get his shot whenever he wants. He excels at breaking down his man. Applewhite stole ankles in Game 1 with the ball on a string as he eased into stepbacks and pull-ups. Glenn finished with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks.   Cameron Hudson   Standing close to 6-foot-6, Hudson is an interesting prospect. He's got impactful length and a diverse offensive game. The combo-forward sank four threes while mixing in a downhill attack. Cameron finished with both hands and did a good job on the glass. He had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block.   Alan King   King carried the 901 Ball Stars in the first half piling in 16 of his team-high 23 points. Alan uses his physicality when getting to the hoop, able to absorb contact and finish against size. He's a tough-nosed rebounder for his size.   [player_tooltip player_id='1530149' first='Andrew' last='LaVigne']   The sharpshooter drained three early threes and finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal in a 62-55 GA Stunners win over Elite Hustlers. LaVigne can light it up in a hurry with his accurate jumper. He's one of Georgia's purest shooters and has some impressive bounce to boot.   [player_tooltip player_id='1054794' first='Tyler' last='Baldwin-Hughes']   The playmaking of Hughes helped the Stunners overcome a second half surge from the Hustlers. Tyler was in the middle of everything. The playmaker sees the floor exceptionally well and isn't afraid to get deep in the paint before making a decision. Hughes had some crafty finishes as he sliced through the defense. He tallied 6 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals.   Landon Dolhancyk   I liked what I saw from Landon. He brings his football toughness to the hardwood, a physical rebounder and a well-rounded scorer.  Dolhancyk is willing to do the dirty work in the paint, but he also has a skilled finesse game as a driver, able to implement a smooth eurostep through traffic. Landon runs the floor hard for transition points. The Chief double-doubled against Emerald Coast with 19 points and 13 rebounds.   Brooklyn Jenkins   Jenkins has a microwave scoring touch. The undersized guard can stroke it from deep. He sank three threes and finished with 11 points.   Drew Pierce   Pierce has a steady game. He shoots the ball well from the mid-range and can space the floor out to the three-point line. Drew is willing to take his man into the post where he can shoot turnaround jumpers.  The guard has a skill set capable of playing 1-3. He had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in a 52-28 win against North Florida Hurricanes.   Nathaniel Houston III   Tres brings great effort to the game. He's a sparkplug in the backcourt with his speed. Houston is a threat to score in transition and is a scrappy defender.

Ikemba Otuonye Ikemba Otuonye 6'6" | PF Katy Paetow | 2023 State TX