KB3 Elite/Gold Standard Summer Draft League Superlatives: Pt. 1

The KB3 Elite/Gold Standard Summer Draft League is one of the best summer leagues around. Their oldest division, the elite division, offers great competition for rising 8th, 9th and 10th graders.   Below are some of the elite division players who stood out in various categories. This is part one of my summer draft league elite division superlatives.   MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='2530303' first='Klei' last='Alimadhi'], Lexington High School 2028, 6'2'' SF   Alimadhi was the most dominant offensive player that I saw during the summer draft league. The 6-foot-2 wing has an awesome face-up game and does a really good job using in-and-out moves and crossovers to get by his defender, and he can score in a variety of ways once he does so; he's a really solid finisher at the rim with both hands, he has a balanced and consistent pull-up jumper, and he can even knock down shots from three. It'll be interesting to see how much he continues to develop physically, because if he can grow a few more inches and get stronger, he could be a really excellent college prospect. Sky's the limit for Alimadhi, who's going into his sophomore year at Lexington High School and will probably have a chance to be their best player.   Most Potential: [player_tooltip player_id='2630700' first='Tighe' last='Arache'], St. Paul's School 2029, 6'3'' CG   Arache was in the MVP conversation but certainly owns the most potential category. The rising freshman is already 6-foot-3, and he looks like he hasn't even gone through puberty yet; he's extremely long and skinny, making me think he still has some solid growing left to do. Also, he has some really excellent foundational athleticism that will only be built upon in the following years. He's a really good leaper at the hoop and glides in a way that suggests further improvement there to come. He also has a blooming skillset when it comes to his handle and pull-up game, which is where he'll likely excel as a scorer down the road. Arache could look VERY different in a couple years -- keep an eye on him.   Most Skilled: [player_tooltip player_id='2832780' first='Christian' last='Pastore'], Billerica Memorial High School 2028, 5'7'' PG   To be honest, this was probably the easiest award to pick, because there isn't anyone else in the league that's nearly as skilled as Pastore. The 5-foot-7 point guard has the ball on an absolute string and has a bag of dribble moves that summon "ooo's" and "ahhh's" from the crowd. My favorite moves of his are his Allen Iverson crossover and his spin move, each of which he goes to consistently and can breeze by defenders with. Pastore probably needs to grow and get stronger if he wants to improve his college stock, but the skillset is right where it needs to be for a short guard to succeed at the next level.   Best Point Guard: Savion Cineus, Belmont Hill School 2028, 5'9'' PG   "Smooth" is definitely the best word to describe Cineus, who effortlessly glides to the rim on takes to the hoop and has a feel for the game well beyond his years. He really understands how to operate in the pick and roll -- getting his defender on his back and then using ball and head fakes to find openings in the paint -- but he also excels in transition while attacking downhill. The ball handling, shooting and vision are there, and he has the perfect balance of scoring and facilitating. I'll be very curious to see whether Cineus can be the starting point guard for Belmont Hill this season, which would be awesome for his development.   Best Passer: Quincy Cook, Homeschooled 2029, 5'8'' PG   Cook won't necessarily wow you with tons of scoring, but he's a guy who can confidently and effectively run your offense. He has awesome vision in transition and clearly understands passing lanes and how to lead his teammates; he threw multiple full-court passes that I didn't initially think were good looks, but he proved me wrong. He also has great discernment in the half court and can really find cutters and dunker spot hangers for layups. Most importantly, he'll always make the simple extra pass or kick ahead pass, which is rare for a rising freshman. Cook is currently homeschooled but is figuring out where he'll play basketball next season.   Best Athlete: Trev Gardner, Xaverian Brothers High School 2029, 6'0'' CG   Gardner had probably the best play of this summer when he dunked all over an opposing big man in the paint earlier this season. The 6-foot combo guard has every athletic tool you can think of; he has great elevation at the hoop, a really quick first step when getting by his defender, and great end-to-end speed when attacking downhill in transition. Gardner is also a talented football player, and you can tell. In addition to his athleticism, he's extremely skilled offensively and really knows how to play the game. Gardner should walk into Xaverian as a freshman and instantly be one of their better players.

The KB3 Elite/Gold Standard Summer Draft League is one of the best summer leagues around. Their oldest division, the elite division, offers great competition for rising 8th, 9th and 10th graders.