NHR State Tournament: Max's Friday Standouts

Seven of the top performers from the games I watched on Saturday night at the NHR State Tournament!    Minnesota Takeoff just couldn't seem to stop one of WOTN's guards in the first half. Then [player_tooltip player_id='2842636' first='Gabe' last='Daiz'] got switched onto him, and greatly limited his effectiveness in the second half. Gabe understood his role, and provided energy on the defensive end of the floor. Showed the lateral quickness to cut his man off, and has some length that allowed him to contest when he looked to shoot. Offensively Gabe was able to get to his spots to hit a couple of tough pull-up jumpers in the win for Minnesota Takeoff.     Elliot got off to a strong start, went a bit cold during the middle of the game, and then stepped up down the stretch. In the closing minutes when Takeoff needed points to secure the game, Elliot got to the rim for a strong finish, and was also able to draw contact to get to the FT line. He's tough to defend 1v1 as he plays with great change of speed on the ball, and once past one defender he can effortlessly weave through guys to get into the lane. Mix of finishes and passes makes him unpredictable when he gets into the paint. Defensively he came up with a number of steals both on the ball, and getting up in passing lanes.     Another talented point guard in the 2027 class. Isaiah was doing a little of everything for Comets Elite. At 5'11 he may surprise you with how good of a finisher he is, capable of hanging in the air and finding ways to score over the top. Has an explosive burst to just glide to the rim in transition, and even threw down a one handed dunk in the second half. Although his team was cold for a while, Isaiah just found ways to get into dangerous spots and kick it out to his shooters. Had a few hockey assists as well, forcing the defense to collapse, and then trusting a teammate to make the last pass.     Sharpshooting guard who had [program_tooltip program_id='2221115' first='Midwest' last='Kings'] thinking "upset" during the first 2/3's of the game against Comets Elite. Tyler drained his first few shots of the game, and was extending his range to well beyond the high school three point line. Despite being one of the smallest guys on the floor, Tyler wasn't afraid to mix it up for a loose ball or compete for rebounds. Scrappy 2027 guard out of Pierz.     Sean had some key plays late in the game for WOTN that gave them a chance against Minnesota Takeoff. In a short sequence Sean powered his way up for an and-one finish, and shortly after beat his man from the perimeter to get to the rim for another lay-up. The 6'5 forward competes on the glass, and was keeping possessions alive for his team just by tipping out missed shots on the offensive end. Has some fluid mobility at 6'5 that helped him slide into spots to contest around the rim defensively.     Josiah understands who he is as a player. At 6'6 he's not going to be floating out on the perimeter trying to beat guys off the dribble or hit pull-up threes. When Josiah gets the ball, he's going to get to the rim. Burton is a powerful front-court player who doesn't shy away from contact, and knows how to use his body to create angles around the basket. Had a handful of finishes just powering his way up against a 6'5 defender to score.     Scrappy 6'5 forward for this MN Comets Elite team. He has a blend of strength and mobility that helps him defend a number of spots, as he can hold his ground in the paint or move his feet with wings. Grady worked hard to run the floor for transition scoring opportunities, and was an active cutter and screener on the offensive end. He's the type of player who doesn't need to dribble to find scoring opportunities, as he's going to put in the work off the ball to find space around the rim. He'll be a key player for Comets Elite this weekend as they look to make a deep run in the 16u bracket.

Seven of the top performers from the games I watched on Saturday night at the NHR State Tournament!