Big Shots Virginia Beach May Madness: 16u standouts (Part 1)
Big Shots Virginia Beach May Madness took place at Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach on May 8-9. The level of competition was through the roof as they filled the gym with elite star-studded teams and head-turning talented athletes.…
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Continue ReadingBig Shots Virginia Beach May Madness took place at Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach on May 8-9. The level of competition was through the roof as they filled the gym with elite star-studded teams and head-turning talented athletes. With college coaches tuned in online as well as in-person watching the games courtside, these 16u athletes made sure to leave a good impression.
Roman Gaddis
Roman Gaddis
At Big Shots Virginia Beach Madness, Gaddis was a serious rebounding because of his high activity on the glass and anticipation for missed shots. If you don’t put a body on Gaddis then expect him to be crashing the boards and pulling down strong rebounds in traffic. That anticipation translates to defense as he was able to pick up upcourt and outlet passes leading to fastbreaks and transition opportunities. Offensively, Gaddis was in attack mode, he was adept at using the pump fake on the catch when operating on the perimeter to get the defense out of position and open up driving lanes to finish at the rim.
Amil Smith
Amil Smith
Smith was able to get things done and be effective on both sides of the ball throughout the weekend. He shines the brightest on the offensive side of the ball but showed some very good signs of two-way play. On the defensive end, Smith was a versatile, scrappy defender. He a was able to contain his primary assignment while generating defensive stops out of help defense. Offensively, Smith had the whole package. At 5-foot-11, he was able to deliver passes over the top of the defense to cutters and divers for assists at the rim. He showed the ability to create good space in one on one situations for off the dribble jumpers which he was able to shoot on balance with good shot mechanics. Smith also demonstrated his scoring abilities as an off-ball scorer as he explodes off of off-ball screens ready for action as he receives the pass for catch and shoot three-pointers.
Robinson thrived at getting to the rim and making a play throughout the event. He did a great job of eliminating the primary defender as a factor from the play and forcing the help defense to rotate over with his ability to go from 0 to 100 with a rip throughout or the quick first step and get downhill with aggression. Robinson looked comfortable driving left or right and going up with either hand. Defensively, Robinson was fully engaged. We saw him pick up steals out of help defense by stunting at opposing drivers as well as identifying and speeding up the turnover-prone players.
Jaden Faircloth
Jaden Faircloth
Faircloth demonstrated elite energy and hustle throughout the weekend. He thrived in transition as defenders struggled to contain him in the open court. The speedy guard did a good job of getting out and running to generate assist opportunities teammates on outlet passes. Faircloth caught my eye with his use of deceleration around the rim on fastbreaks. He was able pace himself around the rim, keeping the defense on their heels when defending the rim against him. In addition to his ability to generate easy points around the rim, Faircloth showed the ability to knock down the catch and shoot three-pointer with a confident form.
Davion Turns
Davion Turns
Turns bought a confident mindset and playstyle to the court throughout the weekend. Defensively he showed the ability read and react to opposing guards, offensively, he operated with the same IQ. We saw Turns walk defenders down and pull up for the three-pointer off the dribble with a hand in his face. Turns was also active on the glass. He was consistently in the mix in terms of rebounding. The thing that stood out the most to me was that Turns made sure he put a body on someone on the majority of rebounds. We saw him draw an over the back foul with a picture perfect box out on a possession.