Windy City War: All Tourney Team- 13U (1st Team)

These young men performed at the highest level during this weekend's festivities. All were worthy of being members of the All Tourney 1st Team.    This young man has game! Michael was the most dominant player on the court. He's a shot-maker who always found ways to score the basketball. It didn't matter who was guarding him. Michael wouldn't be stopped on this day. He stayed in "attack mode" throughout the game. Michael was great at attacking his opponents and driving to the basket. In some instances, he was able to score through contact and get to the foul-line. With his excellent free-throw shooting, he was able to convert three-point plays. I was really impressed with his mid-range game. Michael nailed a host of pull-up jumpers on the perimeter. Nowadays most kids focus on threes and attacking the basket. Having skills from mid-range is not important to most of the younger generation. So, it was refreshing to see Michael taking advantage of this area of the court. He can also knock down threes, especially when he gets his feet set. Ultimately, I believe Micheal has a great chance of becoming an elite player in the near future. Keep working Micheal!!     Neil is an excellent ball-handler who displayed all the necessary fundamentals needed to be a good floor leader. He's a great assists man who's capable of making quality passes that led to positive plays. Neil excelled at making pin-point passes to his teammates cutting down the lane or moving along the perimeter. These dimes often led to easy scores for teammates. Neil beat his opponents off the dribble and scored at the basket on numerous occasions. He effectively led fast-break opportunities whenever the Sharks team ran the floor. Neil is a good perimeter shooter who nailed mid-range shots and the occasional three-pointer. On defense, Neil played a ball-hawking style of man to man. This style of defense allowed him to force opponents into multiple turnovers. Keep it up Neil!!     Kendric was the best defensive player I watched in the tournament. He's a great man-to-man defender who gave opposing players fits. Kendric has quick hands and great foot speed. Having these traits allowed him to closely defend his opponents physically without fouling. There were a couple of plays during the game where I knew Kendric was an elite defender. The first play happened when the opposing team had an opportunity to score in transition. Kendric ran down court, caught up with the offensive player and blocked his shot from behind. Ultimately saving the lay-up from being scored. The second play had Kendric defending a guard on the wing. The guard attempted to use a hesitation dribble and step-back to get his shot off. Kendric timed his opponent's shot perfectly and blocked it out of bounds right in front of me. I immediately reacted by shouting "good block!" Offensively, he attacks the basket and scores on offensive put-backs around the rim. If his offensive game catches up with his skills on defense, watch out! Keep locking them down Kendric!!     Maurice is a good all-around player who has the ability to catch and shoot effectively. I watched a player who showed the ability to score in a variety of ways. Maurice beats defenders off the dribble and takes it strong to the basket. He can also play in the post. During a sequence in the game, Maurice used great footwork to setup a fade-away jump-shot against his defender. Of course, he swished the ball through the bottom of the net. Maurice also showed the ability to step out beyond the arc and nail three- pointers. He's a steady defender who stayed with his man on the defensive end of the court. Maurice forced multiple turnovers and made positive plays. This young man is a good all-around player who has a great career ahead of him.     Maddox displayed all facets of a lead guard. After watching this young man play, it was clear who led the Northwest Elite squad. Maddox showed strong leadership skills by staying in constant communication with his teammates. He also ran the Northwest Elite offense with precise plays and efficient results. Maddox is an elite ball handler who easily went around defenders and attacked the paint. Maddox always seemed to have his team in winning situations. He's a great shooter from everywhere on the court. Whether it was mid-range shots or long distance threes, Maddox knocked them down. This young man is an excellent young player who displayed a high level of composure while running offensive and defensive sets.     Mohamad has a great offensive game. He scores the ball in various ways around the basket. During the game, I watched Mohamad take smaller defenders in the post and dominate them. He was playing what I call "bully ball." Mohamad is a physical player who didn't mind drawing contact from the opposition. This style setup a high number of scoring opportunities from the foul-line. He also showed the ability to run the floor and finish on the break. Mohamad has the skills to step out the paint and nail perimeter shots. He's the kind of player who showed a high tenacity to grab rebounds and attack the basket. On defense, Mohamad protected the paint by blocking multiple shots and being a strong presence inside.     Stephen has all the capabilities of being a great lead guard in the coming years. I really enjoyed watching this young man play basketball. Stephen is a pass first point-guard who happens to have an excellent floor game. He led the [program_tooltip program_id='2830289' first='Vikings' last='United'] squad in assists throughout the game. Stephen did this by making pin-point passes that contributed to easy scores for his Vikings teammates. I've always had a soft spot for the little guy. Stephen played fearless by attacking the paint and scoring on floaters. Many of his baskets came over much taller defenders. He also knocks down threes! Especially when he's left open. Defensively, he forced multiple turnovers with his quick hands and ball-hawking pressure. Stephen demonstrated awesome leadership skills on both ends of the floor. Keep it up Stephen!!     Senu is a great offensive player! He showed the ability to score on excellent post moves around the basket. Senu also demonstrated his skills as an efficient jump-shooter on the perimeter. He's a versatile player who can handle the ball like a guard. His play-making skills allowed him to make pin-point passes to open teammates. He's very effective within the RTG offense. Senu had no issues, getting to his spots for open looks. He set solid screens that allow his teammates to be efficient on offense. Senu is a great interior post defender. He had no issues boxing out and grabbing defensive rebounds. Senu is very knowledgeable in regards to defending the painted area. He showed the ability to defend opposing post players without generating many fouls.       Brandon plays hard and excels at getting to the basket off the dribble. He scored a high number of tough baskets in the paint. This guy was everywhere on the floor! He was great at grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring on offensive put-backs around the rim. Some of his boards led to second chance opportunities for his teammates to make shots on the perimeter. He's a really good passer who made numerous plays for his team. Brandon hit a teammate with a nice dime as he cut down the lane. This action led for an easy basket for his team. Defensively, he was great on the ball. Brandon pressured opposing players into making mistakes and turning the ball over. Great young player with a bright future in the game of basketball. Keep it up Brandon!!

These young men performed at the highest level during this weekend's festivities. All were worthy of being members of the All Tourney 1st Team.