#TerryTalks: Top Spot World Championships Day 1 Standouts

The Top Spot World Championships had a lot of talented players on the court on day one, and here are a few that stood out to me… 

Travis Rivers, Jr. (5’8/PG/’29/Clarksville Crossovers)

Instagram: Twitdashiffts1

Travis was perhaps the best player that I saw on day one. He did a good job balancing scoring and orchestrating the offense. He was the primary ball-handler and very reliable with the rock in his hands. He is a crafty finisher who absorbs and often initiates contact, he is a quick decision-maker as a passer, and he can finish plays at the rim equally well with either hand. He keeps players on their heels with a lot of hesitation moves that help him create separation. Their opponent literally had no one to defend him. He could get what he wanted when he wanted throughout the entire game. He hunted the paint all night and was productive across the stat sheet. 

Lawson Phillips (5’10/SG/’27/#Society)

Lawson came off the bench and had to be a calming force early for his squad. He had to do a little bit of everything, but the most important job he had was to handle the ball and try to get his squad into their offense. Before Lawson entered the game, his squad struggled to get into their offense, but things got better when Lawson had the ball in his hands. He is listed as a shooting guard and showed his ability to put up points, but he needed to do so much that he became the center of attention by the defense and had to work for everything he got. He handled the pressure very well, as he was mentally tough and did not allow the opposing team to punk him. He has some areas he needs to work on, but he has a foundation to continue to build upon.   

Thomas King (6’1/PF/’27/Clarksville Crossovers ’27 National)

Instagram: thomasking.0

Thomas was one of the most versatile athletes I saw throughout the first day. He showed his ability to be a versatile two-way player, and his impact was on the stat sheet but really felt way beyond it. He is listed as a PF but can score inside and out, and he can defend across multiple skill positions. He is a connective piece for his team as he can be viewed as the glue guy that keeps things together and moving in the right direction. There is a lot to like about his game, as he does so many things well on both ends of the floor. He crashes the boards hard and does much of the dirty work for his squad. Tonight he played with an edge and intimidated opponents near the rim.

Kalani Nacis (5’2/SF/’29/Clarksville Crossovers)

Instagram: Kalaninacis2029

Kalani was one of the most skilled players I saw on day one, and he went about the game in a very business-like manner. What I loved about his game was that even though his team dominated the opponent, he kept playing the game the right way. He kept making the right reads, making the correct passes, and operating with good shot selection. He may not be the biggest and may have even listed himself as an SF, which may have been a mistake, but he showed the most basketball IQ of anyone I saw on the first day. He may not be the biggest or most athletic, but he separated himself from everyone I saw today because of his brilliant play, which led to winning plays that are not necessarily scoring plays. He had one of the best all-around games on display.   

Antonio Shenwell (G/’29/J5th Elite)

Antonio was the lone bright spot for his team, as he was the primary source of points. He is a multi-level scorer that shot it very well from deep and showed his floater game off the bounce. Truthfully his squad was overmatched in their first game of the tourney, and it took Antonio a minute to get going, but when he got it going and got in his groove, he showed that he could score in bunches. He was being hounded every time he touched the ball, but he showed his skills at getting his shot off in tight spaces/windows and his ability to make tough shots. He has the propensity to score the rock and will be needed to continue putting up numbers in order for his team to compete.