Windy City War: Tourney Standouts- 12U (2nd Team)

These are the best of the rest from the 12U bunch. Many of these young players showed their worth and value to be an asset to any team.    Davion came off the bench firing in the game Saturday afternoon. He immediately made an impact on the game as soon as he stepped on the court. Davion is an excellent shooter who knows how to put the ball in the basket. He knocked down his first three shots from behind the arc. Davion gave the [program_tooltip program_id='2391400' first='Team' last='Herro'] squad an instant burst of energy with his shot making. The baskets he made and the energy he showed gave the team an extra boost of confidence to get the job done as a whole. Davion can do more than just shoot the basketball. He can break down defenders, get to the basket and defend the opposing team's best player. Davion definitely has all the traits of a great two-way player of the future. As he continues to grow and mature, this young man has a chance of becoming great.     Kentrell is a good all-around player. He does a little bit of everything for the [program_tooltip program_id='2391400' first='Team' last='Herro'] squad. Kentrell can score by attacking the basket or knocking down perimeter jump-shots. If there's an opportunity to take and make threes, he has no problem doing so. Kentrell is a great rebounder of the basketball. He battled in the paint on both ends of the floor. Despite being smaller than his opponents, Kentrell was determined to do everything in his power to win the game. Defensively, this guy was excellent! He was great at playing man-to-man. He constantly pressed his opponents and forced them into mistakes. Having the timing and anticipation allowed him to shoot passing lanes and generate turnovers. Kentrell is a baller! Keep it up young man!!     This young man is a pass first point-guard who finds ways to make his team better. Ashton is truly a setup man. Most of his assists were pin-point passes that always seemed to turn into scores for his teammates. Ashton definitely has all the traits of a lead guard. He's fearless, to go along with being an excellent vocal leader. He always made it a point to communicate with the other [program_tooltip program_id='2830289' first='Vikings' last='United'] players. As the primary facilitator of the offense, Ashton ran the plays with precision and efficiency. Whenever the team was on defense, he made sure everyone was in the right spots on the floor. In regard to scoring, Ashton was great at scoring on high arching floaters going down the lane. He was also effective with his perimeter shooting. Ashton is a really good all-around point guard. With growth and maturity, he could be even better in the near future.     The big man is an athletic player who runs the floor and finishes strong in transition. Jeremiah is a good post player who has the capability of being great. As he grows and matures, he could become more dominant if he continues to work on his game. He's great on the offensive glass. I counted five offensive rebounds throughout the game. Many of his offensive boards led to put-back scores around the rim. Jeremiah does all the dirty work for his teammates. Blocking shots, setting screens and taking charges are the plays Jeremiah took pride in making for his team. I believe in this young man's talent! Jeremiah has a bright future in the game of basketball. Keep working Jeremiah!!     Logan put in work over the weekend! This young man did it all on the basketball court. Whether it was scoring the ball, rebounding or playing solid defense, Logan was a major factor in his team's success. After watching him ball, I saw a player who was always on the attack. Logan found ways to score the basketball despite being closely defended. He used a quick first step to beat his opponent to the basket for lay-ups. On the perimeter, he was able to create space using the dribble to get off his jump-shot. Some fell, some missed. This didn't stop Logan from being aggressive on offense. Defensively, Logan forced numerous steals from the opposition. He's a solid defender who has the capability of guarding any position on the floor.     Jovani is a steady combo guard who plays under control. I noticed his composure during the game I saw him play. He's a player who doesn't get rattled by opposing teams or players. Jovani made plays on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he showed the ability to be a scorer, play-maker and facilitator of the offense. Jovani has the handle to beat his opponents off the dribble and get to the basket. In some instances he was able to score tough baskets in the lane. If shots were available on the perimeter, Jovani showed the ability to knock them down. He's also a good passer who dished off multiple passes to teammates cutting to the rim. On defense, he was a pest for opposing guards. The on-ball pressure he applied was excellent! Jovani managed to win most of his defensive match-ups against the opposition. Keep balling Jovani!!     A hardworking combo guard who plays with no fear. Nico is a player who can play both guard positions. There were some possessions where Nico was the primary ball handler and facilitator of the offense. During this possession he threw a number of assists that found teammates streaking towards the basket for easy-lay-ups. When he switched over to the shooting guard position, he attacked the paint and knocked down multiple threes. Nico is a team player who did everything he needed to be successful on the court. He was great at going at defenders, drawing contact and getting to the foul-line. Nico is a great free-throw shooter who nailed all his attempts. One of those being a three-point play conversion after being fouled, while scoring the basket. Nico is a good overall player who has a chance of being great as he continues to grow and mature.     Zach showed the ability to score in a variety of ways inside the paint. Most of the points he scored were on hustle plays such as put-backs and layups. In some instances Zach was able to step outside the paint and nail mid-range shots. On a number of occasions, Zach was able to use pumps and fakes to make a high percentage of his shots near the basket. Zach was great at running the floor and finishing during fast-breaks. Defensively, he excelled at blocking shots and protecting the paint from the opposition. In my opinion, Zach's biggest strength was his sheer hustle to be part of every play on the floor. Keep working Zach!!     Pharoah is an excellent jump-shooter! He shoots the basketball with great form and ball rotation. Most of the baskets he scored were on the perimeter or from beyond the arc. Pharoah knows how to move around within the offense. He showed the capability of shooting three-pointers with fluidity and confidence. This young man was a sniper from beyond the arc. Pharoah played with confidence and the drive to be successful within the team offense. He's a decent on-ball defender, but an even better team defender. Pharoah held his own against bigger opponents on the perimeter. Keep it up Pharoah!!

These are the best of the rest from the 12U bunch. Many of these young players showed their worth and value to be an asset to any team.