NEXT Summer Slam: Player Stand-Outs 12U

These players performed in ways that made them stand out above the rest.    He is a great team player who does what is necessary to win. Weston showed his value as a good all-around player who rebounds, scores, passes and defends. Offensively, he aggressively looked to score whether it's slashing to the basket or taking perimeter shots. Weston is an excellent rebounder! He dominated the glass on both ends of the floor. In the paint he easily scored around the rim on put-backs and floaters. Whenever he found himself open behind the three-point line, Weston showed the confidence to knock the shot down. Defensively, he was a “jack of all trades.” He forced turnovers, blocked shots and took charges. Weston is a good player who has a chance to be great in the future.     Myles played with maximum effort for the undermanned [program_tooltip program_id='2391400' first='Team' last='Herro'] 12U Brown squad. Whether it was grabbing rebounds, scoring the ball or defending, he was effective on every area of the floor. He excelled at scoring with various lay-ups and put-backs near the basket. Myles knocked down perimeter jump-shots and scored transition points during fast-breaks. He attacked the glass with ferocity on both ends of the court. Defensively, he was great at guarding multiple positions. Myles effectively defended post players within the interior. Guarding smaller players was more of a challenge but it did not stop him from forcing turnovers. Great all-around player. Keep it up Myles!!      Zakhye did a little of everything on the basketball court. He played hard and did whatever the [program_tooltip program_id='2391400' first='Team' last='Herro'] 12U Brown squad needed. Whether it's scoring in the paint, rebounding or defending, Zakhye was effective in every area. He hustled to make all the necessary plays needed on the basketball court. Many of his baskets came from grabbing offensive rebounds. He is an excellent passer who found teammates cutting to the basket. Zakhye showed his athleticism by running the court and finishing strong during transition opportunities. Defensively, he excelled at blocking shots and protecting the paint. Zakhye is the ultimate team player. He puts the team first and has the mentality all coaches love from their players, unselfishness. Keep working Zakhye!!     Justin is a tough minded guard who showed the ability to be a threat on the basketball court. He is great at handling the ball, getting around defenders and making plays. Justin scored or assisted on many of his team's baskets. He knocked down multiple three-pointers scored layups attacking the basket. This young man is a scorer in the making! Justin is knowledgeable about creating shots. Whether he used the dribble or teammate screens, he found ways to stay aggressive on offense. Justin is a play-maker who looked to make his teammates better. Most of his assists led to scores for other Wisconsin [program_tooltip program_id='2075790' first='Playground' last='Elite'] 12U players. He is a special player who has a bright future in basketball. Keep it up Justinl!!     He is a great defensive guard who excelled at making life miserable for his opponents. Jasiah was one of the best defensive players in his class. He pressured opposing guards into countless mistakes. Jasiah was great at using quick hands and footwork to stay locked on his opponent. Handling the basketball was a difficult task for the opposition. He forced multiple steals and frustrated opponents. Offensively, he created for himself or teammates. Jasiah used a quick first-step to blow-by his defender and score in the paint. If given the opportunity, this young man has the ability to shoot the ball. There was an instance when he was left alone behind the three-point line. Jasiah calmly knocked down both attempts. This young man is a great defender who is capable of being a legit scoring threat. Keep it up Jasiah!!     Kamari excelled at scoring in the paint and grabbing rebounds on both ends of the court. There was a sequence in the game where he pump-faked his opponent on the wing and quickly attacked the basket. I was completely shocked! I did not expect Kamari to be quick enough to make a play in this manner. He was more effective doing work inside the paint. He used a variety of post moves to score over smaller defenders. He was also great at cleaning up his teammates misses at the rim. A large number of his scores came from grabbing offensive rebounds. Kamari showed the ability to score from mid-range. I watched him knock down a number of high percentage shots during the game. Kamari is the ultimate team player! He is the kind of person who gave his all to help the Junior Raptors 12U team win games. Keep it up Kamari!!     This young man was a terror both in the paint and on the glass. He easily dominated his opponents inside by scoring right over the top of them. Griffen was great at using his size to clear out space and make baskets. He had so much of a size advantage, he was able to score despite being contacted by defenders. Griffen impressed me with his ball handling ability. There was a sequence in the game where he grabbed a defensive rebound, brought the ball up court and hit a defender with a nice spin-move going to the basket. I did not expect him to make a move in this fashion. The move showed his versatility. Defensively, Griffen blocked multiple shots and protected the paint. He has the potential to be great as he continues to work on his game. He is agile, big, scores and defends. Keep working Griffen!!     A shifty little guard who makes plays. Calvin plays with a fearless attitude on the basketball court. After seeing how he scored the first shot of the game I was sold. He did a hesitation move that led to behind the back dribbles and a quick pull-up jump-shot. The defender had no chance. He is a great ball handler, passer and scorer. Most of his assists led to easy baskets for his teammates. Whenever he beat his opponent off the dribble he showed a knack for scoring on floaters in the lane. In some instances, Calvin found himself in the paint fighting for rebounds. Like I said, he's a tough little guard who is fearless. I expect great things from this kid in the future. Keep it up Calvin!!

These players performed in ways that made them stand out above the rest.