Checkrock 40 for 40 Invitational: 2027 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Known for their Fall league, Checkrock brought together the top freshmen (rising sophomores) from Delaware, Philly, and South Jersey for a phenomenal Spring event, at the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, DE. It started off with a combine and other sessions, then culminated with a showcase game. The Gold Team overcame the Maroon Squad 94-89, but a plethora of players stood out. Here are EIGHT of them:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2364682' first='Kiyen' last='Alexander'] | 5'7 G 2027 St. Elizabeth&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The two-way guard's savvy at the point-of-attack was crucial for the gold squad. Facing bigger perimeter players, Alexander used his quickness to his advantage, getting underneath ball-handlers for steals and getting his jumpers off before anyone could contest them. Even when the defense tried to pressure him, Alexander still got where he wanted and made sound decisions. He popped three triples on the way to 15 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2407119' first='Shizz' last='Banks'] | 5'9 G 2027 Imhotep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Banks stepped up in some unexpected-but-exciting ways. One of three Tep Panthers in the event, he blocked a couple shots, catching somebody slipping when putting up a jumper. Banks cashed in two treys of his own as well. His second came off a steal that he turned into a pull-up three. He got into the paint on a few occasions and competed on defense, leading to 10 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2407120' first='Gage' last='Cunningham'] | 6'2 G 2027 Episcopal Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing without the ball alongside creators like Alexander and Ellegood, Cunningham had a complete floor game. The Chester-native moved well off-ball, running the floor in transition and cutting from the backside. A subtly explosive athlete, he threw down three dunks and punched three shots on defense. He also contributed on the glass and made the extra pass when necessary. Cunningham finished with 14 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, a steal, and the 3 blocks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2364684' first='Aven' last='Diamond'] | 6'1 G 2027 Polytech&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With numerous displays of athleticism and instincts, Diamond filled up the stat sheet. He made splash plays on defense by shooting the gap for steals and getting chase-down blocks in transition. His event creation on that end generated several fastbreak opportunities for the gold team. Then, in the halfcourt, Diamond read the floor and created separation off the bounce to get to the rim. He totalled 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2407095' first='Zion' last='Green'] | 6'7 W/F 2027 Imhotep&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taking home the MVP honors, Green was on another level with his 25 points, 15 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. His grab-and-go ability turned heads, but it was his slashing in the halfcourt that made the difference. He used his agility to attack the basket off-the-catch and his flexibility and touch to finish around or over smaller-but-quicker defenders. Green had a dominant third quarter, racking up 14 points and 6 rebounds in that stretch. Then, in the fourth, he helped secure the win using his capacity to defend in space, while protecting the rim.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2405359' first='Toussaint' last='Malukila'] | 6'9 C 2027 Olympus&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Though he didn't put up eye-popping numbers, Malukila had some intriguing spurts throughout the game. The bulk of his 7 points and 9 boards came in the first period. He owned the offensive glass, creating second-chance opportunities. Malukila then had a defensive-heavy second quarter when he blocked two shots and contested several more.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1406896' first='Marvin' last='Reed'] | 5'10 G 2027 Malvern Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An impact defender and a pass-first point guard, Reed was the MVP of the Maroon team based on how he paced them as a scorer. After primarily setting the table in the first half, he turned up in the third quarter. Reed tallied 12 of his 19 points over that stretch, using his acceleration to hit the gas then slam on the brakes for floaters and middy pull-ups. He complimented that output with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1962882' first='Mekhi' last='Robertson'] | 6'3 G/W 2027 Life Center&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robertson was at-home in transition. He turned offense into defense with his 3 steals, two of which he converted himself. The one-man fastbreak scored more than half of his 16 points by exploiting the defense before they could get set. Equally important, he proved to be a plus rebounder and team defender by grabbing 10 boards and erasing 2 of his opponents shots.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For more hoops coverage, follow me @ CGraham_Sports</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->