OK State Tournament: 15U All-Tournament MVP/ 1st Team

The OK State Tournament took place this past weekend on July 27-28. There was a ton of great talent from across multiple states at the event. No matter what you were looking for, this tournament probably had it when it comes to basketball. Scorers, shooters, elite defenders, rebounding machines, and even game winners. With that being said, lets take a look at the top players for 15U. This article is covering the MVP and the other four best players.   MVP    [player_tooltip player_id='2499150' first='Delijah' last='Matthews'] was arguably the best scorer at the event. He led his team to the championship and proved to be a three-level scorer. The first game that I saw him play, he had 16 points at halftime. That sums up how the rest of it went. He got to the rim routinely, attacking gaps and reading the defense. If the defense would slide over with the help, he would find the open man. If he was left open, he would knock down the three pointer. He would run in transition and pick up fast break points. On defense, he was a solid defender, as he forced a few steals and grabbed multiple rebounds. His display of talent showed that he is an elite scorer that can impact every aspect of the game, while leading his team to the championship.    All-Tournament 1st Team    [player_tooltip player_id='2499155' first='Augustus' last='Matthews'] dominated on his way to the championship. Anything that you could ask for in a true post, he provided. It was remarkable in todays day and age seeing that players with that skillset still excel on occasion. No matter if you are looking for rebounding, post moves, inside scoring, or interior defense, he provided it. Time and time again, he grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back. Standing at 6'4, he utilizes his size well to score over the defender or to grab the rebound. There were multiple occasions that he used the crab dribble or his strength to back down and get good positioning. On defense, he would hold down the interior. No matter if it was blocking shots, great shot contest, or playing good on-ball defense. He dominated on both ends of the court, as well as being a rebounding machine.     Mauri Hankins brought out his inner superman in this tournament. He was playing a similar game to how Lebron James plays, doing a little bit of everything to help his team. He was rebounding at a high clip and showed the ability to score at the rim at will. He played great perimeter defense and was coming away with steals and an occasional block. In his semifinal game against the Trae Young 2027 Richardson, he came up with one big play after another to help his team make the championship game. In that game, he got inside and scored with 1:30 left to give his team a one point lead. Then with 17 seconds left, he came away with a steal. After the steal, he got fouled and went on to knock down both free throws to seal the win for his team. One basket or rebound after another followed by some of the biggest players of the tournament helped him make the first team.     [player_tooltip player_id='2140767' first='Lathyn' last='Benson'] was a swiss-army knife for his team. He excelled at rebounding, grabbing multiple offensive and defensive rebounds. When he would grab a rebound, he either fired a good outlet pass if the opportunity was there on defense. If he grabbed an offensive rebound, he would look to put the ball back in for some second chance points. His scoring went beyond that, as he knocked down mid-range shots and three pointers. He also flashed the ability to finish at the rim. He did a little bit of everything for his team, who did really well in the tournament.     [player_tooltip player_id='2140720' first='Aidan' last='Cooper-Kelley'] is a player that locked up and defended his way onto this list. Every time he was on defense, he was playing essential defense to help his team get stops. Despite excelling at perimeter defense, he also came away with several steals. I recorded four steals in one game, with him turning one of them into fast break points. He showed the ability to score inside, but also flashed the ability to shoot the ball. He was essential in helping his team to finish fourth in the tournament, as he was one of the best perimeter defenders at the whole tournament.

The OK State Tournament took place this past weekend on July 27-28. There was a ton of great talent from across multiple states at the event. No matter what you were looking for, this tournament probably had it when it comes to basketball. Scorers, shooters, elite defenders, rebounding machines, and even game winners. With that being said, lets take a look at the top players for 15U. This article is covering the MVP and the other four best players.