16U Division All-Tournament Team-#PHMidwestGrindSession
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It’s not easy covering an event without the proper information, I have been saying that on the girl’s side for over a decade yet nothing has changed as a whole. I wanted to give a special S/O to Wolfpack 2025…
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Continue ReadingIt’s not easy covering an event without the proper information, I have been saying that on the girl’s side for over a decade yet nothing has changed as a whole. I wanted to give a special S/O to Wolfpack 2025 coach Ji Kim, she’s also a colleague on both Prep Hoops and Prep Girls Hoops, for assisting me in getting pictures as well as names that were missing. I’m good yet she made it great for my first boy’s evaluation event, so did these 5 young men as they were the best of the best I saw over the weekend
Johnson gave me a whole lot on opening day, created his shot under pressure, scored off the dribble, great body control on his finishes, yes after contact, but he also went baseline for numerous reverse layups. He shot the midrange good, yet the long-ball was smooth, fluid and consistent, this includes him showing the “catch and shoot”. He also rebounded and handled the ball in the open court and has good court vision. He also played the passing lane and did a good job defensively
Highlights
Benning is “long and athletic” and that is the base for so many reasons yet his intangibles are impressive. First of all, he sees the floor very well and watching him “thread the needle” with blistering passes “on the money” was nice on both days. He attacked the basket in the set, as well as in the open court, crossover JUST DID IT for me, yet so did his acrobatic finishes but his jumper, in the set as well as in transition gave him options. His playing the passing lane as well as applying “on the ball” pressure was very nice
Kim is also “long and athletic” and I knew he would be All-Tournament after seeing him on opening day. He understands how to score “in the flow” yet he can take over offensively in the blink of an eye. His pull-up jumper was among the best I saw all weekend, he elevates and releases effortlessly yet he also scores off the dribble, attacking with either hand from multiple, well anywhere he wants and his body control, especially after contact was very good. He’s heady, sees the floor and rebounds on both ends, but he also has good timing to block shots but when you have UPS, that’s expected
Highlights
Carlos Dawkins
Carlos Dawkins
Dawkins sold me on opening day for a number of reasons I use the #THROWBACK hashtag and when you have DESIRE as well as willingness to BATTLE for everything off the rim, this is something you can’t teach and it fits the “Heart Over Hustle” team name. He scored around the basket with players literally hanging on him but he also took the defender off the dribble with a strong first step and contact was irrelevant yet his hanging in the air to defy gravity was nice as it all fit with him also being “long and athletic’
Josiah Epps
Josiah Epps
Epps is also, you guessed it “long and athletic” and his playing the passing lane as well as seeing the floor in both the open court as well is in the halfcourt setting kept grabbing my attention. He came from the blind spot several times for steals, his “on the ball” defense was smothering but he also did a good job hitting the boards on both ends. His explosive first step enabled him to blow by defenders off the dribble and his finishes were consistent after contact. He even showed one of the best FLOATAS over the weekend