The Tune Up: Texas- All Tournament 1st Team 15U

Players from across the Southwest made their way to Fort Worth, Texas over the weekend. These young men showed their worthiness of being All Tournament 1st team players.    Rhys is a talented scorer! He's great at getting to the basket. In the match-up against New Heights, Rhys scored in a variety of ways. Whether it was beating opponents off the dribble, knocking down shots from mid-range or extending his range beyond the arc, New Heights had no answers defensively. Whenever Rhys had one-on-one match-ups, he immediately went to work on the opposition. These circumstances often led to him scoring or assisting teammates streaking down the lane. On defense, he played great on the perimeter. His on-ball pressure forced numerous turnovers and led to easy transition scores. Rhys is a great all-around player who is destined to have a big year his Sophomore season.     I asked Curtis his position, he told me point guard. I did not view him as a lead guard because of his play style. In my opinion, he played more like a power forward. He attacked the glass on both ends of the court, played strong in the low post and knocked down perimeter jump-shots. He's a good ball handler and passer who definitely has the skills to make the plays of a facilitator. Cutis is an athlete! He never tires and stays active on offense and defense. There was a sequence in the game when LivOn had a fast-break opportunity. Curtis received a pass and finished with a dunk as he ran down the lane. Defensively, he blocked shots, played physical in the paint and guarded smaller players on the perimeter. Curtis is a promising player with a bright future in the game of basketball.     I enjoyed watching this young man run the LIvOn team over the weekend. Max is a shifty guard who is a play-maker and scoring threat. He easily broke down opposing defenses and made plays. Whenever he attacked the paint, either he scored lay-ups or dished off assists to his teammates. These plays led to a number of easy scores. Max is a great rebounding guard. In the first game he grabbed six. He took one of his defensive rebounds on a coast to coast score through the New Heights defense. Defensively, Max excelled at jumping pass lanes and placing great pressure on opposing guards. He finished the game with three steals. Max is an elite floor leader who I look forward to keeping tabs on as he progresses through high school.     Brennon was the most dominant player on the floor. The big man was great with his back to the basket. He used a variety of post moves to score on the opposition. Brennon used drop-steps, pump-fakes and up and under moves to dominate in the paint. He's a great offensive rebounder who showed a knack for cleaning up his teammates' misses around the basket. Whenever the team had an opportunity to run, Brennon ran hard and easily scored in transition. He set solid screens that freed up LivOn players for high percentage shots. Defensively, Brennon blocked multiple shots and used his size to protect the paint from the opposition. Whenever New Heights players drove into the lane, Brennon was around to alter their shots. He is a highly skilled big man who has the ability to be great in the coming years.     Ezra is an aggressive scorer who stayed in “attack mode” throughout the game. He handles the ball, beats defenders off the dribble and excels at drawing fouls. Ezra gets to the foul-line and converts them at a high level. He showed the ability to knock down mid-range shots on the perimeter. Whenever Ezra had the opportunity to extend his range beyond the three-point line, he was able to be effective. He gave maximum effort on both ends of the floor. In some instances, Ezra attacked the glass and gave his team second chance opportunities. On defense, he showed quick hands and forced numerous steals. I was impressed by his effort to make plays defensively. He had four chase down blocks from behind. Ezra's aggressive mentality is one that will benefit him during the high school season.     Brock showed elite point guard skills in the match-up versus LivOn. He easily breaks down defenders, attacks the paint and shows play-making ability. Brock is an elite passer who led his team in assists with seven. Many of his passes were no-looks, behind the back or pin-point bounce passes. Brock had a habit of making the right play. He's not only a facilitator, this young man is a scorer too! Brock showed an ability of being a viable threat from the three-point line. He knocked down multiple shots using a variety of dribble moves to free himself. Most of his damage was done attacking the basket. He scored a number of tough baskets that led to three-point play conversions from the free-throw line. Defensively, he stayed attached to his opponent while not allowing them to win the match-up. Brock has a serious chance of becoming a special player as his game continues to progress.     In my opinion, Luke was the best shooter at the Tune-Up: Texas tournament. Whenever the defense made the mistake of leaving him open, the shot was going down. Luke is the kind of player who does not need much space to get his shot off. The majority of his six threes came on wide open looks. Some came off the dribble. There was a particular play where Luke caught the ball on the elbow behind the arc. He used a great crossover that led into a step-back three-pointer that swished through the net. Luke showed the ability to get to the basket when he beat an opponent off the dribble and scored with a floater. I expect Luke to have a big Sophomore season. With his shooting and scoring ability, the sky's the limit for this young man.     Sameer was one of the best combo guards I watched over the weekend. He's a strong guard who showed a knack for scoring through contact. Many of his drives to the basket, led to three-point play chances from the foul-line. I appreciated the hustle he showed on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Sameer stayed in “attack mode” throughout the game. Whenever he had the ball in his hands, positive results showed. He's a great one-on-one player who often took advantage of defenders guarding him in isolated situations. He achieved this by attacking down hill or knocking down perimeter jump-shots. Defensively, this guy was a ball-hawk! Sameer used great hands and quick lateral movements to force multiple turnovers. He excelled at applying on-ball pressure to opposing ball handlers. Sameer is an exciting young player who has a chance of becoming elite at his position.

Players from across the Southwest made their way to Fort Worth, Texas over the weekend. These young men showed their worthiness of being All Tournament 1st team players.