#SpringKickoff 16U All Tourney Players Gold Crown Part 1

When you talk about stars, these were the guys lighting it up. Every one of them brought something special to the court—whether it was scoring, defense, leadership, or just that unshakable confidence. You felt their presence in every game, and they had that “it” factor that made them stand out.    Barnes is just different and watching him play is seriously a treat. His handles are silky smooth and the way he sees the floor is next level. He showed off the finesse of his game threading passes through traffic and pulling up with that confident jumper. In every game he stood out as the best player on the floor. He found scoring chances out of nowhere, either blowing by defenders to finish at the rim or knocking down the three. Barnes dealt with pressure all weekend and it did not phase him. Whether it was a double team, tight defense, or a big shot he had the answer. Barnes stays calm, doesn't force it, and always seems to make the right decision. You can tell he's not just playing, he's in control out there     Council was a straight-up problem on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he made buckets and led his team in scoring and made it look easy. Once he got into rhythm, there really wasn't much the defense could do. He'd rise for the pull up with confidence, and more often than not, it was going in. Defenders had a tough time keeping up with him because he scored in so many ways. As good as he was on offense, it was his defense that really stole the show. He was locked in all weekend, making life miserable for anyone he was guarding. Whether it was shutting down drives, contesting shots, or just applying nonstop pressure, he brought the energy and intensity every possession. You saw he took pride in his defense—he wasn't just trying to outscore people, he was trying to completely take them out of the game     Lane is one of those players who just makes everyone around him better. You can feel his impact the moment he steps on the court. He's got that high IQ and he's always in the right spot, always a step ahead. You'd see him pointing guys into position, calling out plays, keeping things organized like a true floor general. He was everywhere defensively, causing turnovers, crashing the boards, and doing all the dirty work without needing the spotlight. Lane also showed that he can score and did it efficiently, picking his spots and taking smart shots. What made him stand out is how unselfish he was—he knew when to get his and when to set up teammates for easy buckets. Just a super well-rounded, reliable presence out there who made the game easier for everyone else     VanSlyke was seriously impressive out there—just a natural scorer who knew how to get buckets in all kinds of ways. He worked hard every possession to get to his spots, and once he did, it was pretty much a wrap. His drives to the lane were super effective and he'd get in there strong and finish with ease, making tough layups look routine. What made him even more dangerous was that he wasn't just a threat at the rim. If you gave him space on the perimeter, he'd let it fly from three without hesitation. VanSlyke played with a ton of confidence and had that scorer's mentality, but it never felt forced. Everything he did flowed with the game. Just one of those guys you trust to make something happen whenever the ball's in his hands     Boyd was the biggest standout of the whole weekend he just did everything right. From start to finish, he looked like the best player on the floor in my eyes. He scored from everywhere—midrange, beyond the arc and at the rim. It wasn't just about putting up points that made him so effective. He got his teammates involved and really took on that leadership role, keeping everyone locked in and setting the tone on both ends. On defense, he was a straight up problem for opponents. He was closing out hard on shooters, staying in front of his man, and crashing the boards like a big. What really stood out was how quickly he'd turn defense into offense and snag a rebound and push the break in a flash. He was the player that brought energy, poise, and production all at once. Just super fun to watch and someone you can tell takes pride in doing all the little things right

When you talk about stars, these were the guys lighting it up. Every one of them brought something special to the court—whether it was scoring, defense, leadership, or just that unshakable confidence. You felt their presence in every game, and they had that “it” factor that made them stand out.