Lonestar State Showdown: Top 14U Bucket Getters

Deontrae Drew was capable of getting a bucket inside whenever he needed it and he never had to rely on a screen to get into the lane. Before slashing through the paint, Drew sized his defender up with between the legs dribbles and immediately blew by his man with an explosive first step while attacking the first gap he spotted. This guard consistently did a good job of finishing strong around the hoop with finesse and a variety of layups and reverses that he was able to go to among lengthy rim protectors.

Hoop Society standout guard, Sa’maje Jordan, put his head down and attacked the basket relentlessly, often outleaping the contesting defender on his way up. Jordan’s strong frame allowed assisted him perfectly when absorbing body contact, showing good control of himself in the air before completing the play. 

High level and efficient scorer near the basket. This stocky, physical, down hill attacker, Luke McCain, looked as if he’s mastered the ability to initiate contact and overpower guards at and on his way to the rim. McCain made it difficult for his man to get in front of him due to his low penetration skills and wherewithal to go into a defender’s hip. Right out the gate, the 6-foot-2-inch wing prospect displayed excellent body strength and control as he absorbed bumps midair before proceeding to adjust his shot which resulted in multiple and-one foul calls.

Baylor Preston made some of the toughest shots of the weekend as he picked defenses apart in the mid-range with his smooth pull-ups and turnaround jumpers. It didn’t take much for Preston to create off the dribble or get the shot he was looking for in one or two bounces. Standing at 6-foot, his length combined with his release point made his jumpshot incredibly difficult to contest effectively, often fading or leaning when pulling up which made blocking or contesting his jumper difficult for any defender. Baylor Preston showcased a scoring prowess that will translate well at the high school varsity level. Defensively, Preston proved to be super dangerous when defending one pass away from a man, he’s so long and quick with cat like reflexes that he was able to take away entry passes to the post, kick outs to the wing, or steal throws in the passing lanes on the perimeter. 

Alijah Wilburn played with intensity and passion as he always set the tone and got things going for the Dallas Mustangs with his defense and scoring. Wilburn was the best athlete in the entire tournament and his special abilities and physical attributes were on full display. This relentless slasher drove to the basket like a tank coming down the lane. He utilized his strength to keep space from a defender and muscle his way through traffic. Wilburn’s penetration skills were remarkable, he shows an phenomenal understanding of how to draw contact, absorb it, and finish through it, this act produced multiple and-one calls for him especially in the championship round of play. Wilburn also displayed great poise when being hacked, roughed up, and fouled intentionally allowing nothing to throw him off of his game. One of Alijah’s most athletic plays of the weekend was when he had an insane chase-down block where he leaped so high that he was able to swat a high floating layup at its peak and throw it out of bounds.