Prephoops The Stage: 14U- All Tournament (1st Team)

Cristiano is the kind of player who has a calm demeanor on the court. He shows no emotion whether he's winning or losing. What the being said, I saw this young man become a quiet assassin on the basketball court. Cristiano showed the ability to get his shot off however he wanted. Whether it was scoring on defenders or knocking down threes, this guy made it happen! The biggest weapon in his arsenal was his smooth mid-range pull-up from the perimeter. Cristiano easily beat his defenders off the dribble, while clearing space for high percentage shots. He also excelled at scoring transition baskets whenever his team pushed the pace up-court. Defensively, Cristiano was great at shooting passing lanes and generating steals for his team. Many of these turnovers led to easy scores for his teammates during fast-break opportunities. This young man has the skills to easily transition into high school play. Cristiano will definitely be a threat next season. Keep balling Cristiano!!     After watching Patrick play, I quickly determined he's a great scorer bordering on being elite. This guy can really fill it up from the perimeter! During Saturday's game, Patrick made shots from everywhere on the court, Literally! He was great at beating defenders and getting to the basket. Sometimes he scored through contact from the defense. Patrick made all his free-throws and converted three-point plays on numerous occasions. He's also a dead-eye shooter from three-point range. Patrick caught fire in the game I watched. He knocked down four threes. Many were connected despite being guarded with a hand in his face. On defense, Patrick plays with a certain feistiness. He pressured the ball and crowded his opponents space. I believe Patrick has the skills to become an elite player at the high school level. Keep it up Patrick!!     I was really impressed with Jalyn. I had no knowledge about him as a player before the game started. Well, this young man has skills! Jalyn has the height and quickness of a guard, but a stocky build of a power forward. I was shocked when I saw him beating players off the dribble and scoring at the rim. Jalyn showed out during Saturday's game. Whether it was nailing two's, threes or slashing to the basket, Jalyn wasn't easily guarded. As I said, this young man is built like a power forward. He showed a high ability to score in the paint, which he did numerous times. He also rebounds the basketball at a high level. I watched Jalyn attack the glass on both ends of the floor. He was able to get into the paint and fight for boards despite his small stature. After watching him play, Jalyn comes off as a tough minded player who does whatever it takes to help his team win. His transition into high school basketball will be flawless. Keep it up Jalyn!!     I was shocked to see the kind of skills this young man possessed over the weekend. Josh is surprisingly agile for his size. He's a powerful player who showed the capability of scoring in the paint or beating defenders off the dribble. There was a sequence in the game where Josh caught a pass in transition and shrugged off a defender. It was really smooth how he scored the basket after discarding the player attempting to stop him. I called it "big man ball." This refers to how Josh used his strength to move his opponent out the way. Whenever he got the ball in the post, he was efficient around the basket. Josh was great at seeking and drawing contact from the opposition. This allowed him to score points at the free-throw line. What I appreciated about Josh's game other than scoring, was his ability to rebound. Josh was able to snatch a good amount of boards with authority. Most of his rebounds led to second chance points for his teammates. I believe Josh has a promising future in the game of basketball. Keep grinding Josh!!     This is my second write-up for Micah. He continues to be a dominating presence on the basketball court. I enjoyed watching this young guy play the first time around.Well, I can honestly say "nothing has change." Micah is still un-guardable whenever he's on the floor. The big man has a nice handle of the basketball. This allows him to attack his opponents off the dribble and get to the rim. On some occasions he used his strength to score through opposing players by drawing contact. Micah's an athletic player who can lead fast-breaks and throw nice passes to open teammates. He runs the floor and finishes in transition when the opportunity presents itself. Did I mention that Micah can knock down threes and perimeter shots? Well, he has those type of skills too. During Saturday's game I watched this young man nail three three-pointers and a host of mid-range jumpers. On defense, he continues to block shots and protect the paint at a high level. I totally expect Micah to be a varsity player next year in high school. Keep balling Micah!!     Quinton was one of the best point guards I watched over the weekend. He is a great floor leader who always seemed to make the right play for his Era Elite 2029 squad. This young guy can pass the ball with the best of them. He lead his team in assists by consistently finding players for easy scores. Whether it was hitting players cutting the the basket or drive and kick-outs, Quinton always found the open man. He's a great ball handler who showed the ability to break down defenses and make positive plays. On some occasions, he attacked the basket and scored through contact. This led to him knocking down free-throws at a high percentage. I don't recall seeing him miss any of his attempts. Quinton was excellent at scoring floaters down the lane. I can't leave out the part about him being a good shooter. During the game, Quinton nailed four threes from behind the arc. What truly impressed me, was his ability to lead. He was always vocal with his teammates. He called out plays, motivated the players, and made sure everyone was set defensively. Quinton will be an excellent addition to whatever high school team he joins next season. Continue being a great leader, Quinton!     Amari showed the skills of a great all-around player Sunday morning. This young guy made plays everywhere on the court for the Next Level 14U squad. Whether it was scoring, assisting, rebounding, or defending, Amari was always around to make a play. He was one of the hardest working players on the floor. Amari battled inside the paint for offensive rebounds which led to multiple put-back scores around the basket. He also showed the ability to attack his opponent off the dribble. His hesitation moves and crossovers led to him knocking down pull-up jumpers on the perimeter. On defense, Amari did it all! He excelled at playing great man-to-man defense. He forced multiple turnovers and even had a couple of chase down blocks from behind. Amari is a very athletic player who has great timing skills. He used these skills to beat offensive players to the spot. This led to a number of steals in the passing lanes. As I said, this young guy made plays everywhere. He will showcase his talents in high school next year. Keep grinding Amari!!     Mason is the prototypical point guard who looked to involve his teammates on offense. He's an excellent player who led the Next Level 14U squad throughout Sunday's game. Mason showed great leadership skills by keeping his teammates motivated despite being down in the game. Whenever he made a positive play, the outcome always seemed to fire up his team. It worked because the team made a furious comeback in the game. Mason was great at getting into the paint and scoring on floaters or driving layups. During the team's comeback, he knocked down two threes and assisted on three critical baskets. On defense, he excelled at timing passing lanes and generating turnovers. Many of his steals led to easy points in transition for himself or teammates. Mason has the leadership qualities every coach dreams of having. He communicates, scores, passes, and defends, What else could a coach ask for? Keep leading Mason!!