The Tune Up: Texas- Best of the Rest 15U

These players were the best of the rest! They were just a little short of being a part of the All Tournament teams.    A play-making combo guard who showed the ability to be a scorer or facilitator. Offensively, Mehki excels at creating shots for himself. He used a host of dribbling moves to either drive around defenders or free up space for perimeter jump-shots. Mehki is an excellent passer. He was great at assisting teammates as they cut to the basket or found ways of getting open. His passes were always on the money. Whenever the New Heights team had an opportunity to score in transition, Mekhi finished strong at the rim. On defense, he attached himself to opposing players. Mehki made handling the ball and being effective a difficult task.     Kelvin is a great two-way player. He gives maximum effort on both ends of the court. On offense, he handles the ball, attacks the paint and knocks down mid-range jump-shots. There was a sequence in the game where Kelvin beat his defender to the basket with a nice spin move. It was a tough score through contact, leading to a three-point play chance from the foul-line. Kelvin calmly stepped up and converted it. He's an aggressive player who stayed in attack mode throughout the game. Defensively, he did a little of everything. Kelvin played great man-to-man defense, blocked shots and forced numerous turnovers. His overall skills as a scorer and defender will take him far in the game of basketball.     An athletic big man who dominates the boards, scores inside and defends. Larry is a great rebounder who attacks the glass on both ends of the court. He welcomes the physical play in regard to fighting for rebounds. Larry scored most of his points in the paint by converting put-backs around the rim. Others came from cleaning up teammates' missed shots. He showed the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and finish strong at the rim. Defensively, he was all over the court. He guarded players both in the interior and on the perimeter. Larry has the athleticism to hold his own against smaller players while being strong enough to defend the post. He finished the game with multiple blocks and steals. Larry is a tough player who should flourish this high school season.     He's an excellent ball handler who showed the ability to be a play-maker. De'Kylen is a great passer. Most of his assists were flashy plays that led to scores for his teammates. De'Kylen showed his dominance as a wing player by scoring in the post and using his size advantage over smaller opponents. This allowed him to be efficient in the paint. He also knocked down mid-range shots and scored in transition when the opportunity was available. On defense, De'Kylen was great at applying pressure on the ball, forcing turnovers and defending the paint. He's a great player that's skilled enough to become elite in the near future.     A physical wing who played with aggression on both ends of the floor. Kouame was great at getting to the basket and scoring through contact. There was a play where Victor took on two defenders and scored despite being fouled. He stepped to the foul-line and converted the three-point play. Kouame excels at rebounding the basketball. In my opinion, he was one of the best in his class. He had no problems attacking the glass regardless of who he went against. I was impressed with this young man's defense. He forced multiple steals with great on-ball pressure. I counted four steals he made from playing the pass lanes. Kouame is a hard-working player who has a chance of being great in the future. He's already an elite defender.     Tyler is a rebounding machine! This young man attacked the glass with as much ferocity as he did on the offensive end of the court. Most of his boards led to easy scores around the basket. Other redounds allowed his teammates to have second or third shot opportunities. I am confident in saying, “Tyler finished the game with double-digit rebounds.” He's a good finisher in the paint. He excelled at using his size advantage to score over smaller defenders. Tyler has a nice touch from mid-range. He knocked down numerous shots throughout the game. On defense, his presence was felt in the paint. Whenever opposing players attempted to drive the lane. Tyler was there to turn them away. He finished the game with multiple blocks.     Talen is what I call a “glue guy.” He does everything for the team. Whether it's scoring, assisting, rebounding or defending, he was always around the basketball. Talen excelled at rebounding the basketball. He attacked the glass with more aggression than he did scoring the ball. Many of his offensive boards led to easy put-backs around the rim. Whenever TPBC had an opportunity to score fast-break points, Talen finished with strong drives to the basket. What I appreciated about his game was the importance he placed on making all the intangible plays. It was not about scoring for this young man. He realized the importance of doing all the other things on the court. Talen set great screens, took charges and hit the floor going for loose balls. Defensively, he blocked shots and protected the paint. He is the ultimate team player who gives maximum effort.     Luke is a good ball handler and scorer. He easily beats his opponents off the dribble by driving around them. Luke scored in this fashion on multiple occasions. He has a great post game in his arsenal as well. He used various post moves to be effective in the paint. Whenever he found himself isolated on the wing, he was able to use dribble moves to create the space he needed to get his shot off. Luke knocked down a high number of shots from the perimeter. He excels at rebounding and defending. Whenever the team needed a timely board, Luke went into the paint and battled for it. He gave the maximum effort needed to get his team extra possessions. On defense, Luke was great at defending players in the post and on the perimeter. He forced a number of steals using his quick hands. Luke finished the game with multiple shot-blocks.

These players were the best of the rest! They were just a little short of being a part of the All Tournament teams.