9th Annual Gatorade Invitational: Show-Stoppers 15U

Every player on this list came to play over the weekend! These young hoopers put on a show for all to see throughout the tournament.    Daniel is a dynamic scoring guard who showed a knack for breaking down opponents and attacking the paint. He's a good perimeter shooter that capitalized on creating space for clean looks at the basket. Daniel is a great one-on-one player. Whenever he had defenders isolated in scoring positions, Daniel took advantage of the situation. There was a point in the game when Fire Orange needed a basket. He used a great cross-over dribble to shake his opponent, drive into the lane and finish strong at the rim. Daniel has the capability of playing either guard spot as a facilitator or scorer. In Saturday's game he was more of an assists man. Most of his passes led to high percentage shots for his teammates. On defense, he was tenacious. He played great on-ball defense and forced multiple turnovers from the opposition. Daniel is a great player who I expect to have a breakout Sophomore season this fall.     He played the point forward position at a high level. In some instances, Chance handled the basketball, facilitated the offense and showed the ability to be a play-maker. He's an excellent post player who dominated smaller defenders with his scoring ability. A number of his baskets were scored despite being fouled. This led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. I was thoroughly impressed with his ability to lead fast-breaks while finding teammates with precise passing. He showed off his athleticism in various ways Saturday afternoon. Whether it was grabbing rebounds, beating opponents off the dribble or knocking down perimeter shots, Chance was always the focal point of the Fire Orange offense. Defensively, he patrolled the lane and blocked multiple shots. Whenever opposing players attacked the basket, Chance was there to alter their shot. Excellent player who I believe will have a big impact in high school this fall.     Terrell is a player who has the length to be effective on offense and defense. Offensively, Terrell went at every opponent who attempted to guard him on the wing. Sometimes he drove the ball into the paint, other times he dished off passes to his teammates. Terrell has a great mid-range shot! During the game, he used an awesome hesitation dribble to free himself for a open look at the basket. What made the play special, was the way he lost his defender with the move. Terrell is a great rebounder! Especially on the offensive side. Many of his scores came from cleaning up his teammates missed shots around the basket. As I said, Terrell extended himself on both sides of the ball. Defensively, is where he truly excelled. He forced a number of steals with quick hands and timing. Whenever the ball was lazily thrown, he jumped the pass lane and started fast-break opportunities for Dixon Stars Basketball Club. He drew charges and finished with a couple of block-shots. Terrell is a great all around player who I expect to play at a high level in high school this fall.     A physical guard who played with aggression on both ends of the court. He's a crafty ball handler who showed the ability to knock down three-pointers. He finished the game with three shots from beyond the arc. There was a point in the game where Jojo took on multiple defenders and scored through contact. I was thoroughly impressed by his leadership. During a timeout I saw him encouraging a teammate. In the game he made sure Dixon Star players were in the correct sets by staying in constant communication. Jojo is a great rebounding guard. He had no problem attacking the glass regardless of who he went against. On defense, he forced multiple steals with great on-ball pressure, quick hands and excellent timing. I counted four steals he made by jumping the pass lanes. Jojo is a hard-working player who has a chance of becoming great in the near future.     Tengan is an aggressive player who has a scorer's mentality. Whether it was attacking defenders, getting to the basket or knocking down three-pointers, Tengan was a tough cover for the defense. I enjoyed watching this young man play basketball. He gave maximum effort on both ends of the court. In the game against Indiana Bucket Boys, there was a sequence in the game where he scored on three consecutive possessions. Tengan knocked down a three and attacked the basket on multiple occasions. He's an excellent ball handler who gets by defenders and scores in bunches. On defense, he stayed with his opposition by applying pressure and being physical. In some instances, he was able to generate turnovers by playing the passing lanes. Tengan is a player who has the skills to thrive in high school next season.     This young man is the truth! Dredan is an excellent point guard with elite ball handling skills. He easily broke down his opponents, attacked the paint and scored at the rim. Dredan is a great floor leader who made accurate passes. Most of his assists were converted into easy baskets by his teammates. He easily led Fire 2028 Red in assists throughout the game. Dredan is the kind of player who scored from everywhere on the court. Whether it was knocking down three-pointers or mid-range shots, no form of defense could stop him. Dredan excelled at getting to the rim and absorbing contact. This led to him drawing fouls and going to the foul-line. Dredan calmly stepped up and converted his three-point play opportunity. Defensively, he excelled at pressuring opposing guards into mistakes and turnovers. Most of his steals led to easy transition scores for his teammates. Dredan has a bright future in the game of basketball.     Alonzo is what I call a “glue guy.” He did everything for Fire 2028 Red. Whether it was scoring, assisting, rebounding or defending, Alonzo was always around the basketball. He is great at rebounding the basketball. Alonzo attacked the glass with more aggression than he did when he looked to score. Most of his offensive boards led to easy put-backs around the rim. Whenever Fire 2028 Red had the opportunity to score fast-break points, Alonzo finished with a combination of dunks and strong drives to the basket. What I appreciated about his play style, is 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. Alonzo set great screens, took charges and made game winning plays. Defensively, he excelled at blocking shots and making scoring difficult for opposing players. Alonzo is the ultimate team player who is a valuable asset to any team he plays with.     Parker is the kind of player that catches fire after he sees the first shot go down. After knocking down his first three, Parker reeled off another four throughout the game. He's very knowledgeable about finding ways to shake off defenders and score. The Fire Orange players and coaches played a vital role in freeing Parker up for clean looks at the basket. This was done by setting screens and running a motion style of offense. He also showed the ability to create his own shot by beating defenders off the dribble. Parker is an excellent defensive rebounder. He attacked the glass with as much ferocity as he did when he scored on offense. Defensively, he made scoring difficult for his opponent. He used quick hands and great footwork to be effective. Parker is a shooting threat that every coach would love to have. I expect him to have a great season at Tri-West High School this fall.

Every player on this list came to play over the weekend! These young hoopers put on a show for all to see throughout the tournament.