Havoc in the Heartland: All-Tournament 1st team- 14U

The play of these young men showed why they were all worthy of being 1st team All-Tournament players.    This young guy was the truth! He's an excellent point guard with elite ball handling skills. Al easily broke down defenders, attacked the paint and scored at the rim. He's a great floor leader who made accurate passes. Most of his assists were converted into easy baskets by his teammates. I can say with confidence, he led the Panthers team in assists. Al is the kind of player who scores  from everywhere on the floor. Whether it's knocking down long distance threes or shots on the perimeter, no form of defense could stop him. During the game, Al was great at getting to the rim and absorbing contact. Most of these scores led to Al drawing fouls. He had numerous opportunities from the free-throw line. Defensively, he excelled at pressuring opposing guards into mistakes and turnovers. Many of his steals led to transition scores for himself or teammates. Al has a bright future in the game of basketball. With his continued growth and maturity, He could become elite. Keep balling Al!!     A physical guard who played with aggression on both ends of the floor. Victor was great at getting to the basket and scoring through contact. There was a play where Victor took on two defenders and scored while being fouled. He calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted the three-point play. Victor excelled at rebounding the basketball. In my opinion, he was one of the best in his class. He had no problems attacking the glass regardless of who he went against. I was really impressed with this young man's defense. He generated multiple steals with great on-ball pressure and quick hands. I counted four steals he made from playing the pass lanes. Victor is a hard-working player who has a chance of becoming great in the future. I believe he's already an elite defender. Keep working Victor!!     I finally had a chance to write-up this young man. I missed him at the Prephoops event in Cincinnati, Ohio. The big man was surprisingly agile for his size. He's an excellent ball handler who showed the ability to be a play-maker. Keyshawn is a great passer. Many of his assists were flashy plays that led to scores for his teammates. He can really score the ball! Keyshawn showed the ability to be dominant in the post by using his size and strength. This allowed him to be efficient in the paint. He also knocked down mid-range shots and scored in transition when the opportunity was available. On defense, Keyshawn was great at applying pressure on the ball and defending the paint. He's a great player that's skilled enough to be elite in the near future. Keep balling Keyshawn!!     Chase is a player who has the length to be effective on offense and defense. Offensively, Chase attacked every opponent who attempted to guard him on the wing. Sometimes he drove the ball into the paint, other times he dished off passes to his teammates. Chase has a great mid-range shot! During the game, he used a great hesitation dribble to free himself for an easy look at the rim. What made the play special, was the way he lost his defender with the move. As I said, this young man extends himself on both sides of the ball. Defensively, is where Chase excelled. He forced four steals with his quick ends and length. Whenever the ball was lazily thrown, Chase jumped the pass lane and started fast-break opportunities for the All Ohio Red squad. He drew charges and finished with a couple of blocks. Great all-around player who will be a problem for opposing coaches in the future. Keep it up Chase!!     Noah is a tough player who stayed in “attack mode” throughout the game. He was great at keeping the pressure on opposing defenses. This young man never stopped going at his opponent. Noah always made a play for the Cave Gym Elite squad. Whether it was scoring, rebounding or defending, Noah was always in the right place, at the right time. He was awesome at getting into the lane and scoring. As I said, he's a tough player who excelled at drawing contact. Noah reminded me of a running back. Someone who didn't mind seeking contact from his opponents. He's a great shooter from mid or long range. During the game, I watched him make three long distance three-pointers despite being closely guarded. The shots he scored from mid-range were a host of floaters and pull-up jump-shots. On defense, Noah took charges and forced multiple steals with excellent on-ball pressure. Noah is a hard-nosed player who plays great on both sides of the ball. He will easily transition into highschool basketball next season. Keep working Noah!!     Jonathan is an aggressive guard/forward who is skilled enough to play as the team's scorer or play-maker. He 's an athletic player who has the ability to make acrobatic shots around the basket. Jonathan was great at making plays by winning his one-on-one match-ups. He attacked his defender and easily scored. If he drew in the defense, he made the easier play by finding his teammates. These assists led to easy scores for the Panthers squad. Jonathan made a couple of threes after he used various dribble moves to free himself. Defensively, he was all over he court. Whether it was grabbing defensive boards, blocking shots or forcing turnovers, he was always around the basketball. Jonathan always had a smile on his face regardless of what's happening in the game. I loved this attitude because it highlights his love for the game and how nothing phases him. This young man is a good all-around player who has a chance to be great in the near future. Keep it up Jonathan!!     Daniel was one of the most skilled point guards in the 2029 class. He showed great ball handling skills. Anytime he found himself in a favorable match-up, Daniel easily drove by his defender and scored. Whenever there were opportunities to knock down three pointers, Daniel did not hesitate. He showed off his skills as a play-maker. Most of his assists led to easy scores for his teammates. Some were to players cutting down the lane, some along the perimeter. Daniel always maintained control of the Hoops 4 Health offense. He showed great vocal leadership by staying in constant communication with his teammates. Daniel impressed me with his ability to rebound the basketball. He attacked the glass with no fear. Daniel always seemed to come away with the board despite the size of his opponents. His rebounds led to second chance scoring opportunities for his team. Daniel is a great player who has a strong chance of becoming elite throughout his high school career. Keep working Daniel!!     Brendin is the type of player who made all the hustle plays for his team. I watched an player who has elite athleticism. He gave maximum effort in helping lead the Panthers to victory. Brendin is a great rebounding big man. He attacked the boards on offense and defense. Offensively, Brendin excelled at scoring tough baskets in the paint. Many of his scores came through contact. These scores sent him to the free-throw line to complete three-point play opportunities. As I said, Brendin is an athlete! Whenever the Panthers found themselves in fast-break situations, he easily slammed the ball through the rim. He had a game in the tournament where he finished with four dunks. Brendin also showed the ability to make short perimeter shots or long distance threes. Defensively, he used this same athleticism to block three shots and defend smaller players on the wing. He forced numerous turnovers by applying great man-to-man pressure. I expect Brendin to make a name for himself in high school next season. He has all the talent to be an elite player sooner rather than later. Keep working Brendin!!     This is my second write up of this young man. Bryson continues to be a solid point guard who excelled more as a facilitator than a scorer. He was one of the best passers in his 2029 class. I watched him lead his [program_tooltip program_id='2076166' first='Grand' last='Park Premier'] team in assists. I'm confident in saying Bryson finished the game with seven to ten assists. The majority of his passes led to scores for his teammates. Whether it was bounce, chest or behind-the-back passes, Bryson always found a way to setup [program_tooltip program_id='2076166' first='Grand' last='Park Premier'] players. This young man is not unaccustomed to shooting the ball! He knocked down numerous shots on the perimeter, despite being well defended in some instances. Whenever he was left alone behind the three-point line, Bryson showed no hesitation by shooting and converting shots. He's a pass first point-guard who shows great leadership skills. Bryson will make a smooth transition into nigh school basketball. Keep working Bryson!!

The play of these young men showed why they were all worthy of being 1st team All-Tournament players.