Championship Standouts at PH Mile High Madness

We were at the Mile High Madness this weekend, and I had 17U and 16U at Boomtown. With top teams battling it out for the crown, these players made sure their presence was felt when it mattered most. From big-time buckets to clutch performances, these guys rose to the occasion and left no doubt. Let's take a closer look at who showed out in the title games.    Noah was a force all weekend, anchoring his team and helping lead them to a dominant run. His championship performance? The best I have seen him play. After a little back-and-forth with the other team's best player, he flipped a switch and dropped 53 points, the most in the entire tournament. He took over with a mix of midrange jumpers, strong finishes, and free throws. Aggressive Noah is a problem, and we need to see more of it.     Brooks hasn't played a minute of varsity yet due to him being a 2029, but he looked like one of the most polished guards in the 16U division. His handle is elite, and he constantly made defenders dance in iso situations. He's shifty, shoots it well from deep, and controls tempo like a player much older. This was our first look at him, and it won't be the last. His four-year journey is going to be fun to track as I think he plays his freshman year.     Montae spent the weekend finding the balance between being a playmaker and a scorer. He was setting teammates up, he's one of the better entry passers I've seen in the state, and showed flashes of a true floor general, which I think he's deliberately working on. But in the chip, his instincts took over as he seems to be a natural scorer. He was hitting threes, slashing to the rim for floaters, and finding teammates. When he's both aggressive and unselfish, his game opens up in a big way and makes things easier for teammates to get going. He rose to the moment and was a reason that Tru won the 17U ship.     Lambert gets a ton of credit for his ability to score the ball, but he might be a top-three on-ball defender in the state; he's that good. He's long, gritty, and takes pride in making life miserable for opposing guards. Offensively, he used his athleticism to get downhill and finish through contact. He got layup after layup. When he decides he's going to score, good luck stopping him. Tru Colorado played up in 17s and still won it all, and Lambert was a major reason why.     Hanson is a 6'5 wing that had himself an impressive weekend. He brought size and versatility to the [program_tooltip program_id='2075674' first='Minnesota' last='Heat']. He spaced the floor with his jumper, cleaned up on the glass, and showed off some smooth reverse finishes. Even against one of the top bigs in the country, he didn't back down and competed and hit a couple of contested shots. He was creative around the rim and had a big-time motor all weekend. He helped carry Heat to the title game and looked like a true matchup problem all weekend.     Colton brings toughness and size at 6'5. He owned the glass and used his physicality to finish through defenders in the paint. He was reliable from deep, too, knocking down open looks and forcing closeouts. His versatility shined in the title game where he battled bigger bodies and got to where he wanted. His ability to do a bit of everything made him a key piece to [program_tooltip program_id='2075674' first='Minnesota' last='Heat']'s success in Colorado. Very solid outing for him.     [program_tooltip program_id='2829946' first='Magic' last='Basketball Club'] took home the 16U title. He's a three-level scorer who thrives under pressure. He drilled big shots from beyond the arc, finished around the rim, and handled the ball when needed. His ability to space the floor makes him deadly, and he delivered clutch buckets when his team needed them most. Cayden plays winning basketball, and that was on display all weekend.     Ashton was the emotional leader for Magic this weekend, and the team goes as he goes. His energy was contagious as he was talking, defending, and leading by example. He was aggressive getting to the basket and wasn't afraid of the moment. When opponents got hot, he took on the challenge of guarding them and made plays on both ends. He brought toughness and grit that championship teams need. Martinez was a tone-setter, and Magic followed his lead all the way to the trophy. He scores in bunches, and his game translates as a defender that will turn heads this year. Liked what I saw from Ashton.

We were at the Mile High Madness this weekend, and I had 17U and 16U at Boomtown. With top teams battling it out for the crown, these players made sure their presence was felt when it mattered most. From big-time buckets to clutch performances, these guys rose to the occasion and left no doubt. Let's take a closer look at who showed out in the title games.