The Tune Up: Texas- All Tournament 1st Team 14U

The class of 2029 showed up and showed out this past weekend. These young man performed at a level worthy of being All Tournament players.    Jake was the obvious leader of Courtside United. He was the primary ball handler, facilitator and scorer. Jake excelled at getting to the basket and making tough shots. He's a hard-nosed player who did whatever the team needed to be successful. If Courtside needed a score, rebound, assists or defensive stop, he gave it to them. Jake showed the ability to make a high percentage of his shots on the perimeter. If he was not attacking the rim, he was knocking down mid-range jump-shots. Jake was great at using the dribble to free himself for clean looks at the basket. Whenever Courtside United had the opportunity to score transition points, Jake was the catalyst who either scored or assisted teammates with accurate passes. Jake is a great all-around player who will easily transition into high school basketball.     Mikah played hard on both ends of the court. He's an excellent ball handler with a quick first-step. He used that step to easily blow by defenders and score in the paint. Mikah is a good all-around player who did everything for his team. Whether it was scoring, passing, rebounding or defending, Mikah was the teams' “glue guy.” He was one of the best rebounding guards in his age group. Mikah had no problems battling for rebounds despite being shorter than his opponents. Many of his offensive boards led to second chance shot opportunities for his teammates. He's a good mid-range shooter who showed the ability to extend his range beyond the three-point line. On defense, he had a shot block and a couple of steals. Mikah is capable of becoming an elite player in the near future.     Vander was the most dominant player on the court. In the teams' matchup against Courtside United, there were no answers for him defensively. Vander has a great post game with moves that are efficient. He used pump-fakes, up and unders and drop-steps to dominate opposing players in the paint. Vander showed a knack for drawing fouls with his physical style of play. Many of his scores came through contact which led to and-one baskets. He calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted most of his opportunities. Vander displayed his agility on numerous occasions. He attacked defenders off the dribble, ran the floor and scored in transition. Vander is a tough cover for any defender, especially in the post. He's an athletic player who is capable of scoring at a high level. Once he develops a consistent jump-shot, Vander could become an elite player.     This guy is a shooter! Cameron is the kind of player who easily gets into the zone. He's a serious threat from beyond the three-point line. Cameron always found ways of getting open within the offense. He used screens and cleared space by using dribbling moves. There was a sequence in the game where he jab-stepped his opponent and immediately launched a long distance three-pointer. Cameron has limitless range. Most of the threes he shot were well beyond the arc. Do not be fooled by his talents as a shooter! Cameron is a shifty two guard who has the capability of taking defenders to the basket. He won most of his one-on-one matchups on the perimeter. Cameron is a great shooter who knows his role as the teams' best shooter.     The big man was an offensive presence in the paint. Nathaneal scored many of his baskets when he grabbed offensive rebounds or converted the missed shots of his teammates. He's a strong player who attacked the glass with authority on both ends of the court. Nathaneal sets solid screens that allow Arnold Elite SATX players to have great looks at the basket. He's a great passer who excelled at finding players cutting to the basket. Whenever he drew double-teams, he kicked out passes to teammates along the perimeter. Defensively, Nathaneal blocked numerous shots and protected the paint from lane penetration. Whenever Courtside United attacked the lane, he was there to alter shots and make scoring difficult. Nathaneal is a hard-working player who does all the dirty work for the team.     Elijah is a pass first point guard who led his team in assists. This young man is a play-maker! He's a great passer who showed a knack for finding teammates cutting to the basket. Whenever they did, Elijah hit them with accurate passses. The players easily scored under these circumstances. He has elite ball handling skills. Elijah used these skills to easily get into the lane and make plays. Opposing defenders were no match for his speed and quickness. He beat defenders off the dribble and scored in the lane with high arching floaters. The shot is great because of how it perfectly neutralizes a taller players success of blocking the shot. On defense, he pressured opposing guards, forced numerous turnovers and came away with multiple steals. Elijah is a great "floor general" who plays the role of lead guard at a high level.     He is one of the best point guards at the tournament. Jaxson excelled at every aspect of the game. He scores, passes, rebounds and defends. Whether it's beating opponents off the dribble, attacking the basket, knocking down three-pointers or winning one-on-one match-ups, Jaxson was a problem for the opposition. He has a great handle of the basketball. Jaxson easily beat his opponents to the basket. (Sometimes scoring through contact) He showed the ability to post up smaller defenders when the opportunity presented itself. In some instances he used the dribble to create the space he needed to get his shot off. Jaxson knocked down two baskets from beyond the arc in this fashion. Defensively, he was great at pressuring opposing guards into mistakes and turnovers. Jaxson is a great player who could become elite as he continues to grow and mature.     The big man attacked the glass on both ends of the court. He dominated inside the paint with excellent post moves. Taegan is great at using either hand to score over smaller opponents. Whenever transition opportunities were available, Taegan showed his agility by running the floor and finishing strong at the rim. Many of his scores came by cleaning up teammates' misses around the basket. Some came through contact from the opposition. Those scores led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Taegan was able to convert most of them. He has a nice touch from the perimeter. Taegan knocked down multiple shots throughout the game. On defense, he used his size and agility to block shots and protect the paint. Whenever opposing players attempted to drive the lane, he turned them away or made scoring a difficult proposition. Taegan is a great player with a bright future.

The class of 2029 showed up and showed out this past weekend. These young man performed at a level worthy of being All Tournament players.