Next Southwest Kickoff: 12U All-Tournament 2nd Team
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There were several great players and teams that travelled from multiple states to Edmond, Oklahoma to participate in the Next Southwest Kickoff tournament. These teams ranged from 12U, 13U, and 14U. This article is going over the guys that were…
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Continue ReadingThere were several great players and teams that travelled from multiple states to Edmond, Oklahoma to participate in the Next Southwest Kickoff tournament. These teams ranged from 12U, 13U, and 14U. This article is going over the guys that were the 7-12 best players for 12U. I am not breaking down by position, but rather who the best players are. So lets dive into the all-tournament 2nd team for 12U!
Briggs Lennarson Briggs Lennarson 5’6″ | PF Tuttle Middle School | 2030 OK caught my attention with his defense. He played great on-ball and off-ball defense, contesting shots at a high clip. He would come away with steals, turning some of them into fast break points for him or his teammates. Outside of his defense, his biggest impact came with his rebounding. He grabbed several rebounds on both offense and defense. On the offensive side of things, he drove the gap to score inside on a couple of different occasions. Defense and rebounding seemed to be his bread and butter, but he can provide some on the offensive end.
Highlights
Brantley Eppler Brantley Eppler Madill | 2030 OK caught my attention with his heart. He played great defense, giving 100% on that end, while still showing hustle. He would dive for loose balls and would fight for rebounds. He is not the tallest or biggest, but his heart made an impact in those areas. There was one play that sums this up. He tipped the ball away from the ball handler and dove on the loose ball to come away with the steal. He had several steals over the course of the tournament. On offense, he showed the ability to drive and score inside, but he never forced anything. He played for his team and not for himself. It was impressive seeing a kid that age play selfless basketball while still giving one hundred percent.
Isaiah Lucas Isaiah Lucas Carver Middle Schools | 2030 OK was apart of the Tulsa Jr. Hurricanes, who went 4-0 throughout the tournament to win the championship. They dominated every opponent they faced by double digits. Lucas showed the ability to shoot the ball, knocking down several three pointers over the course of the tournament. He is not the biggest or tallest, but he can shoot the ball and takes pride in playing defense. This reflected when he came away with multiple steals, just in the championship game. There was one play in the championship that was super impressive that you could hear the gasps from the crowd. It was him driving the gap and making a reverse layup over the bigger defender, while drawing the foul. He went on to knock down the free throw to complete the three-point play. It was a great tournament for him and his team.
Stoney Belz Stoney Belz Windthorst Middle School | 2030 TX showed the ability to shoot the ball. He did not fill up the box score, but he made an impact. In the game I watched, he knocked down two three pointers, with one of them coming off of a crossover. He looked to set up his teammates, which reflected with a great pass from half-court for an assist. In that game, he had three steals, with one of them leading to him finishing inside. To add to his defensive impact, he had a block. The last thing that he did was grabbed a couple of defensive rebounds. It was a great game for him showing that he can be a good 3-D player.
D’Michael Elledge
D’Michael Elledge
D’Michael Elledge had good all-around games in both of the games that I saw him play. In both games, he came away with multiple steals and blocks. He turned a couple of the steals into fast break points. He grabbed some rebounds, including offensive rebounds. One of the offensive rebounds led to a putback. He scored inside on a few other occasions and knocked down several free throws. There were a couple of times he was able to find a teammate for an assist. It was a solid all-around game for him in both games.