Arkansas Strawberry Jam: Best Guards of the Weekend
This weekend Arkansas Sporting Events hosted their first tournament of the summer and it was a good one. There was a ton of talent from the 15U group and a couple standouts from 17U. In this article, i will talk…
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Continue ReadingThis weekend Arkansas Sporting Events hosted their first tournament of the summer and it was a good one. There was a ton of talent from the 15U group and a couple standouts from 17U. In this article, i will talk about the five players that dominated the entire weekend.
Josh Thursby
Josh Thursby
Let’s start with the best overall player from this tournament. Thursby is a tall guard with the skills to play any role offensively. His dynamic game and multiple level scoring makes him hard to guard in the half court. Even though he is tough to guard in the half court, his game is best showcased when he pushes the pace in transition. He has a true natural feel for the game that allows him to read the court and make the right play, whether that is pushing the ball up or taking it himself coast to coast. Thursby’s jumpshot is as smooth as can be for a guard his size. He also has great athleticism and control to get to the rim and make tough finishes. He led his 17U team this weekend to a championship, and dominated when he needed to. Look for Josh to have a great summer and move his name up in the Class of 2025 rankings.
Going from the oldest on the list to now the youngest on this list, Elijah Bryant Elijah Bryant CG North Little Rock | 2028 AR is an up and coming star in Arkansas. The 8th grader played up to High School this past season, and is playing up in 15U this summer. Bryant has the mindset of a senior with the ball. One defender isn’t enough to keep him in front. When he attacks the basket he is great at using his body to spin back to the middle and go through the contact. In the championship game of 15U his jumpshot wasn’t falling, but this did not stop Bryant. He went 13/14 on free throws and knocked down big shots in Overtime to give his team the win. Look for Elijah to get varsity minutes next year as a 9th grader.
Chase Bradley
Chase Bradley
Probably the most electric player from this weekend, Chase Bradley was everywhere on the court. The quick point guard plays with a confidence not seen in most Freshman. He is able to control the game with his decision making and control the pace of the game. He was great in transition, not only in scoring but making plays for others. In the half court once he beats his defender he is hard to stop. Bradley’s midrange game makes it hard for bigs to play back in the paint, but if the big comes up to contest Bradley is great at using his quickness to get around him and finish at the rim. Chase is the type of player that his teammates feed off of. When he has it going and has his energy up it brings the team to that next level.
Dinari Givens
Dinari Givens
The smooth left handed forward has a unique game. Givens is able to get the ball on the perimeter and attack but where he thrives is in the midrange. For an undersized forward he uses his body and aggressiveness well to get to his spots. He has great touch from 10-15 feet from the basket and has a bunch of moves to go to. His left handed floater is hard for anyone to try and stop. Multiple times he would come off a pin down and instead of settling for 3s he would take one or two dribbles in for the pull up and knock it down. Givens post game is also one of his strong suits. When he faces up to the basket and attacks going left its most of the time a bucket or he gets fouled. Defensively Givens is able to guard 2-5 with his size and toughness.
Finishing off the list with the best player out of the 16U division. Fowlkes is a super athletic guard that can do a little of everything offensively. His change of pace is what his game is built around. He can hesitate going right or left and is comfortable finishing with his right or left hand. Fowlkes also is able to play above the rim. He has a great one dribble pull up game going right and is good at playing off two feet around the rim. Has a decent shot from 3 off the dribble, which is where his game excels. If he can speed up his release on catch and shoot 3s this will open his game up a lot more. His shot is smooth but can take a little while to get the shot off.