RCS Spring Icebreaker: Standouts Who Shone Above The Rest

The Spring Icebreaker was a proving ground to open AAU for many top prospects and teams in Greater Houston. Some programs even traveled in from Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin to see how they stacked up against the premier competition at the tournament. Saturday was a great day full of competition, but Sunday is when players really tend to elevate their game in a tourney division. Let's look at some top contenders for their teams!    Caden was a big-time all-around player for Miles Select 16u Black in their first game on Sunday. Watson helped out with ballhandling duties, withstanding pressure from the defense and scored the ball in multiple ways against hard contact in the paint. His aggressive, lateral quickness on defense was key as he was able to use his quick hands and pressure to get multiple steals and create fastbreak opportunities for himself and teammates. I had heard a lot about Caden all season, but this was my first real chance to watch him in person. He is a good 3 level scorer and a reliable combo guard who projects as a top player for this Miles Select program.     [player_tooltip player_id='2555243' first='Keavon' last='Roberts'] was a force to be reckoned with in the paint during Texas Future's afternoon game against HABC. Roberts was all over the floor securing the post and grabbing rebounds over the opposition. He made several easy layups due to being the tallest one on the floor and was consistent in cashing in from the charity stripe. He is also effective setting screens for his ballhandlers and either rolling to the basket or popping out for a short midrange jumper.     Cemaurion is a solid offensive player for the Texas Rebels 17u. Smith had several drives to the basket where he was able to continuously finish above the rim and get to the foul line. He helps move the ball on offense and is not selfish about his shot selection, always willing to make the extra pass to an open shooter/cutter. He and backcourt mate, Ja'Torius Blair, were key for the Rebels in their offensive comeback on Sunday. Smith has the size and skillset to be a big-time player going forward for the Rebels program. He will be a problem for smaller defenders to deal with in the backcourt.     Ja'Lon Brown is a dynamic player on both ends of the court and can lock up on defense as well as score at a high clip. He uses quick speed with the ball to blow past his defenders to the rim, securing second chance points for his team under the basket and battling for loose balls. Brown projects as one of the top 2026 players in Houston and his stock continues to trend upward in the right direction.

The Spring Icebreaker was a proving ground to open AAU for many top prospects and teams in Greater Houston. Some programs even traveled in from Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin to see how they stacked up against the premier competition at the tournament. Saturday was a great day full of competition, but Sunday is when players really tend to elevate their game in a tourney division. Let's look at some top contenders for their teams!