NEXT National Championships: All Defensive Team 12U

These young men are known for putting the clamps on offensive players. They showed why they are worthy of being All Defensive Team players.    I enjoyed watching this little guy play over the weekend. Tabius is the perfect floor general. He's a great ball handler who easily breaks down opposing players. Tabius made countless plays by attacking the paint and drawing in defenders. His shot of choice was the floater in the lane. I watched him score this way numerous times. He has a decent step-back jumper that he used by creating space off the dribble. Tabius is a flashy passer. Most of his assists were always on the money. Defensively, this little guy was a terror for the opposition. His ball pressure was fierce! He forced multiple turnovers and made ball handling difficult for his opponents. Keep it up, Tabius!!     Aiden excels at getting to the rim. Many of his baskets came through contact. This led to three-point play chances from the foul-line. Some he converted, some he did not. I was impressed by his drive to score every time the opportunity presented itself. This is my second write up for Aiden. I definitely saw improvements compared to the first time. Aiden is a much better passer than I saw the first time. He easily found teammates for easy scores all around the court. A number of his baskets came during fast-breaks. Whenever he had a chance to score on the perimeter, Aiden had no problem taking advantage of the situation. On defense, he was great at pressuring other players into turnovers. He finished the game with three steals. Keep it up Aiden!!     Bryson is a shifty guard who had no issue getting whatever he wanted on the basketball court. He continues to be a good ball handler, scorer, and play-maker. If he found himself isolated against a player, he easily beat them off the dribble. He eithwe scored at the rim or dished off assists by drawing in the defense. Bryson scored in a variety of ways. Whether it was attacking the paint, knocking down mid-range shots, or extending his range beyond the three-point line, he was tough to handle for the opposition. Defensively, Bryson excelled at jumping the passing lanes and being a great on-ball defender. Bryson is a special player with a bright future ahead of him.     He is a tough minded guard who plays with a quiet confidence. Solger is great at attacking defenders and getting to the basket. Many of his scores came from tough drives he scored through contact. Solger is a great rebounding guard. He attacked the glass with as much ferocity as he did on offense. If All-In Sports had a chance to run the court, Solger showed the ability to finish strong in transition. On defense, he was a ball-hawk. He forced opposing guards into multiple turnovers. Most of his steals led to transition scores for his teammates. Solger is a great defender who has a chance of becoming elite as he grows and matures.     Kasen was one of the best players in his age group. He easily beat defenders to the basket. He was able to win his one-on-one match-ups on most occasions. Kasen was most effective on the wing of the court. Whether it was scoring in the paint or converting mid-range pull-ups, it all started with his quick first step. Whenever the opportunity was there to take a three, Kasen knocked it down. He showed toughness by attacking the glass and battling for rebounds. Kasen plays the game like he wants to succeed on both sides of the court. Defensively, his on ball pressure led to him scoring baskets in transition. His constant poking and timing allowed him to play the pass lanes and generate steals. He is a great all-around player who will cause havoc as he continues to grow and mature.     Maddox is the “ hustle guy “ for the Minnesota Warriors. He always found himself near the basketball. Whether it was rebounding, scoring inside, taking charges or defending, Maddox found ways to be effective on the court. He was the kind of player who took pride in grabbing rebounds. Maddox attacked the glass on both ends of the floor. He showed the ability to be a play-maker. His assists led to easy scores and positive outcomes for the team. Don't be fooled! Maddox does all the intangibles, but he also scores. Whenever he was left alone behind the three-point line, Maddox calmly knocked them down. He is a hard-nosed defender who came up with timely blocks and steals. The pressure he applied on the opposition caused numerous turnovers. Keep it up Maddox!!     He is a great team player who does what is necessary to win. Quentin showed his value as a good all-around player who rebounds, scores, passes and defends. Offensively, he looked to score whether it's slashing to the basket or taking perimeter shots. Quentin is a excellent rebounder! He dominated the glass on both ends of the court. In the paint he easily scored around the rim on put-backs and floaters. Whenever he found himself open behind the three-point line, Quentin showed the confidence to take the shot. Quentin is a good player who has a chance to be great in the future.     One of the best shooting guards in his class. Torin is a good ball handler. He easily broke down opposing defenders and scored at the basket. One of his strengths was converting floaters in the paint. Whenever he matched up with opponents on the wing, the results were always good. Torin showed the ability to knock down mid-range shots and three-pointers. He's also a great facilitator of the basketball. Most of his assists led to high percentage shots for his teammates. Defensively, he applied great pressure on the opposition. Often forcing turnovers and causing mistakes. He is a good young player who has an even brighter future.

These young men are known for putting the clamps on offensive players. They showed why they are worthy of being All Defensive Team players.