A.I. DuPont Tip-Off Tournament: Unsung Heroes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the reasons that the tournament was so exciting is because so many players stood out. Here are another five that caught my eye:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3186762' first='Jackson' last='Arndt'] | 6'4 F 2027 Polytech </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Without scoring in double figures, Arndt stuffed the stat sheet to elevate the Panthers play in both games. He was a hub on offense and a rim protector on defense, especially in game 1. Arndt was dialed in from the top of the key, throwing darts to cutters and shooters. And when drivers challenged him at the rim, he sent their shots right back. The under-the-radar forward totaled 8 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists &amp; 6 blocks versus A.I., then 9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assist &amp; 2 blocks versus Glasgow. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2551561' first='Khalid' last='Burton'] | 6'1 G/W 2026 Laurel </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the best way possible, Burton was all over the place when the Bulldogs took down Glasgow. A wide receiver on the football field, he gloved a few passes from the Dragons and scored in transition. He flew around with off-ball movement and for offensive rebounds too. Lastly, Burton knocked down three threes to finish the game with 18 points, 6 boards &amp; 3 steals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2698326' first='Tko' last='Jones'] | 5'8 G 2027 A.I. duPont </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite often being the smallest player on the court, Jones put a ton of pressure on the rim. He danced around defenders off the bounce, staying low to the ground as he made his way into the paint. Jones also got to the hoop off-ball as a cutter. There, he finished with finesse, using reverse layups and other touch shots. The quick combo guard tallied 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assist &amp; 2 steals against Polytech, then 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists &amp; 2 steals in the chip. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yahmere King | 5'9 G 2026 Glasgow </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>King paced the Dragons versus Polytech with shotmaking and defensive playmaking. If he had an ounce of daylight or a slither of space, he was pulling from deep. The senior guard drilled four spot-up threes before halftime. He made two more after that, but he also turned up the defense. King pressured the ball and cleaned the glass to get stops for the Dragons. He finished with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 8 rebounds &amp; 6 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3186786' first='Brynnen' last='Thompson'] | 6'4 C 2028 Laurel Thompson's combination of size, skill and feel were a problem for Glasgow and A.I. inside the arc. Anchoring the Bulldog defense, he affected a lot of plays with his hand usage. Thompson did his work early for post touches, carving out space on the block then laying the ball off the glass once he caught it. He operated in space too, extending advantages with connective passes and hitting mid-range jumpers. The budding multi-sport prospect contributed two double-doubles: 12 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals &amp; a black versus Glasgow, then 22 points, 18 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals &amp; 2 blocks against A.I. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->