Windy City War: All Tourney Team- 13U (2nd Team)

Players came to play at this year's Windy City War. These young men were the difference makers for their respective teams.    Chase was one of the best ball handlers I seen throughout the tournament. This young guy was able to dribble around and through opposing players. There were a couple of instances when Chase had to make things happen for the Pro Skills offense. Whenever he attacked the paint, he either scored on floaters or dished out assists to teammates. Many of his dimes led to easy scores for the Pro Skills players. Chase was the top facilitator on his team. He's a pass first point-guard who lead his team and made everyone better. On defense, he applied tough man-to-man pressure on opposing guards. Chase forced three steals in the game. Keep it up Chase!!     This young man was the "glue guy" for his team. Vihaan did a little of everything on the court. Offensively, he attacked defenders and made plays for himself or his teammates. Vihaan was a ferocious on the boards! He gave maximum effort on both ends of the court. Many of his defensive rebounds led to outlet passes that allowed his teammates to score in transition. On the offensive glass, he grabbed every board within his vicinity. Many of his rebounds turned into easy scores around the rim. Vihaan has a nice shooting touch on the perimeter. During the game, I saw him connect on multiple shots despite being tightly defended. On defense, Vihaan crowded his opponent's space and poked at the ball causing turnovers. He's a great all-around player who gave his team maximum effort. Keep it up Vihaan!!     I was really impressed by this young man's effort on both sides of the court. Tejas was a beast on the offensive glass! I saw him grab a total of ten rebounds with six being on the offensive side. Most of those six were turned into scores or assists to open teammates along the perimeter. He was the hardest working player on the floor. Whether it was working the glass, scoring in the paint, making hustle plays or playing solid defense, Tejas was everywhere. He really excelled at protecting the paint. Whenever opposing players attacked the lane, Tejas was there to change their shot or outright block it. He went on to finish the game with two blocks and a near double-double. Tejas is a team first player. Having this mentality will take him far in the game of basketball. Keep working Tejas!!     MIckey was a "jack of all trades" for the Sharks Academy squad. This young man was special on offense and defense. His best asset was his ability to score the ball. Mickey had no problems beating his opponents to the rim for easy lay-ups. Whenever he had an open look on the perimeter or behind the arc, he easily knocked the shots down. He also scores in transition whenever the team had opportunities to run the floor. Defensively, Mickey played the pass lanes and excellent on ball defense. His pressure and great timing allowed him to generate four steals throughout the game. He was also a good rebounder. Many of his boards gave his team second chance opportunities to make something happen offensively. Keep grinding Mickey!!     After watching Matt play, I easily determined he was the team's best shooter. This young guy can shoot the basketball! He always found ways to get open looks at the basket. Whether it was his teammates setting screens or him using the dribble to gain space, Matt found ways to get his shot off. Throughout the game, I watched him knock down four threes from beyond the arc. He is a confident shooter who showed no hesitation when he had the opportunity to shoot. Matt also showed the ability to pass the ball and be a play-maker for his team. He was very knowledgeable of how he needed to play within the Big 3 offense. If Matt enhances his ability to attack the basket, guarding him will be a difficult task to deal with. Keep working Matt!!     Ethan led his team in scoring during the game. He literally did everything for his TCDA team. He scored in various ways along with throwing some nice dimes. Most of Ethan's assists always seemed to find open players hovering around the basket. The opposing team had no answers for him defensively. He beat the competition to the basket for easy scores. When it came to jump-shots, this guys was exceptional. I saw him make three baskets from long range. On defense, he was great at applying pressure on the ball. The opposing guards had a difficult time being effective against him. Ethan is an elite scorer at a young age. I can only imagine how good he will be as he continues to age and mature. Keep balling Ethan!!     I watched Moussa play for the first time in Kansas City last summer. He was a "banger and glue guy" for the RTG team. Well, he continues to be the hardest working player on the court. Moussa does all the dirty work for his squad. He continues to score in the paint and grab rebounds at a high level. Moussa easily led his team in rebounding. He did it on both ends of the court. He finished the game with double-digit rebounds. Most of the points he scored were on hustle plays such as put-backs around the rim. On defense, he protected the paint, blocked shots and took the occasional charge. In my opinion, Moussa's biggest strength was his sheer hustle to be a part of every play on the court.     This is my second write up for Tiglath. The first time I saw him play was at the Prephoops Next National Championships last summer. At that time, he was more of a facilitator. This time around, he did a little of both. Tiglath continues to be an above average ball handler who's capable of making positive plays. During the game, most of his assists turned into easy baskets for his teammates. He led the RTG squad in assists and play-making throughout the game. Tiglath has now developed a three-point shot. I watched him knock down four. He nailed them off the dribble by clearing space with step-backs. Tiglath was the smallest player on the court. This didn't stop him from attacking the paint with aggression. Tiglath is an excellent "floor general" who plays the position the right way. Keep it up Tig!!     Darrin is a scorer! He's a good shooter from the perimeter. Darrin showed the ability to take smaller defenders in the post and score. There was a sequence in the game where Darrin scored a tough basket in the post despite being fouled. He calmly stepped to the foul-line and completed the three-point play. Darrin's a very athletic player who can run the floor and score on the break. He has a great basketball makeup and knowledge of the game. He did not have any issues running the proper offensive sets. Darrin plays great man-to-man defense. His on-ball pressure forced the opposition into multiple turnovers. He's athletic enough to block shots if the opportunity presents itself. Keep it up Darrin!!     Dior has great skills on the offensive end of the court. He showed the ability to score in various ways throughout the game. Whenever the Vikings offense ran sufficiently, Dior had no problems running the sets needed to be effective. This young man did a little of everything. Dior showed the ability to make shots from anywhere on the floor. He scores in the post, beats defenders off the dribble, attacks the paint and knocks down perimeter jump-shots. He finishes at the rim during fast-break opportunities. On defense, he blocked shots and protected the paint. He also has the size and agility to defend players on the wing. Dior is a excellent all-around player who could become elite in the near future. Keep grinding Dior!!

Players came to play at this year's Windy City War. These young men were the difference makers for their respective teams.