Rumble in the Rapids: 16U Day One Standouts

Grand Rapids' Rumble in the Rapids event is one of the most elite showcases of talent in Michigan. The opening evening saw some talented up-and-coming 16U players on the court. Let's run down some of the standout performances from the opening night.    As soon as you walk in the gym, Becker is hard to miss. Standing 6'8", he already boasts a notable advantage with his size. But more than just size, he knows how to handle himself well.   In a blowout win during [program_tooltip program_id='2539820' first='The' last='Academy']'s first game, Becker threw down a couple of vicious dunks, and was an obvious problem for opposing offenses every minute he was on the floor.   He's the youngest player on his team. And at his age, some kids are still figuring out how to manage their size... not Becker. He looks so confident on the floor, scoring 22 points in [program_tooltip program_id='2539820' first='The' last='Academy']'s 26-point win.   Wearing size 17 shoes, Becker's coach says that he believes that Samaha could grow at least another two inches before his prep career is through.   He's a must-watch player for anybody coming to see Rumble in the Rapids this weekend.     Elias featured heavily in the best game of the night, when his Jayhawk team beat the Michigan Tar Heels 69-67 in overtime.   Elias showed off a pair of nice midrange jumpers in the game's opening minutes, and that was only a preview of what was to come. Losey barely left the floor for the game's two halves and overtime; showing excellent court vision and supreme ball-distribution.   Losey is a gritty defender; regularly tasked with guarding the opposing team's best player. And he never shies away from the challenge; keeping a hand in the face of the opposition-and chasing down rebounds.   Losey is very cool under pressure. Trailing by one point in overtime, he grabbed an offensive rebound, shook off a defender, and nailed a leaning floater to deliver his team the eventual win.   Losey said afterwards that it was a win his team badly needed. The Jayhawks had gone winless in their last two tournaments, losing 8 games in a row before Losey's heroics handed them a victory to start the weekend.     While his team came up on the short end of an overtime loss in their first game of the weekend, Modou Touray announced an emphatic presence onto the Michigan AAU scene.   A junior at Thurston High School, Modou was playing his first ever game with the Michigan Tar Heels. And it was quickly evident that he was one of the best players on the floor, ending his opening game with at least 24 points.   Modou has a serious motor. A point guard who makes silky moves to the rim, and makes difficult passes look easy, he played nearly the entire game until cramping took him out of some late minutes in the second half.   Touray has the appearance of a floor general; very comfortable with the ball in his hands. He routinely makes dynamic shots against the opponent's best defender. And on defense he presents a serious problem to whomever is unlucky enough to come up against him.   Very comfortable in high-pressure situations, Modou came up with an important block late in the game. And a couple possessions later he took a clutch charge while on defense. In the final minute he hit an impressive back-down midrange jumper to give his team a 3-point lead; though they would eventually lose that lead.   In spite of the team's loss, Modou Touray was a clear highlight from night one. After the game, even the opposing coaches took a moment to come congratulate him on an outstanding performance.     Ashton's performance on night one was only hampered by the fact that his team was highly overmatched against their opponent. Leading for at least 20 points for much of the game, Ashton never needed to step too much into the spotlight. But even still, a viewer could quickly see that he was one of the best players on the court.   At 6'3', Ashton cuts an imposing presence as a point guard. He possesses tremendous court vision and elite ball-handling skills. He always knows where to find an open teammate, but can also easily beat an opposing double-team off the bounce.   Ashton scored 18 points, and was a key distributor to his team's 6'8" big man. And afterwards he said that he enjoys getting to the basket, but also believes that he excels at advancing the ball.   Ashton is the floor general of a unit from [program_tooltip program_id='2539820' first='The' last='Academy'] that will be a tough out this weekend in Grand Rapids.     Max Ryan Heldt is a kid who's only starting to make a name for himself in the AAU circuit. Playing in his team's opening game, he was critical in helping the Jayhawks to an important victory.   Max displays great defensive hustle. He's an absolute pest for opposing offenses-constantly getting his hands on the ball and poking it away when an opposing player turns his back. But he's also turning into an elite shooter. He's not afraid to pull up on a deep 3-pointer. And he's earned the trust of his teammates in clutch situations.   Down by 3 with 90 seconds left in the game, Max buried a triple to tie the game. And then with the clock winding down in regulation, Max canned another 3-pointer just as time expired-sending the game to overtime, where the Jayhawks eventually snapped their 8-game losing streak. Afterwards, Max said of the buzzer-beating 3-pointer, "I though I missed it... I thought I was going to hit it off the side of the backboard". Fortunately for him, that wasn't the case. And after going winless in their last two tournaments, Max' 18 points helped his team to an important win.     Coming all the way from Wisconsin to play in the Rumble in the Rapids, Jack made a profound impact during his first game of the weekend.   He started the game by banking a 3-pointer off the glass, and looked very comfortable knocking down long-range shots all game. In a team-high 15-point effort, Jack made a trio of 3-pointers. After his team's loss, Jack said that he likes shooting the 3, but he also enjoys being versatile on the floor.   Jack also possesses good handles, and never gives up on a play.

Grand Rapids' Rumble in the Rapids event is one of the most elite showcases of talent in Michigan. The opening evening saw some talented up-and-coming 16U players on the court. Let's run down some of the standout performances from the opening night.