Rumble in the Rapids: 16U Standouts from Day Two

Saturday featured a monster slate of 16U games in Grand Rapids. Matchups filling over 12 hours of the day, and no shortage of elite performances. Let's recap some of the best players from the second day of the showcase.    Kyle's OTD team came up on the wrong end of a matchup against [program_tooltip program_id='2539820' first='The' last='Academy'] on day one of the tournament. But his second day at the Rumble gave him a chance to truly stand out.   Kyle possesses a really smooth jump shot, helping him pour in 13 points in his second game of the afternoon. But that's only the start of what makes him such a complete player. He's a tenacious defender-forcing a lot of deflections while on defense. And maybe his strongest attribute is his ball-handling skills. Kyle may just be the best ball-handler of any 16U player at this year's Rumble in the Rapids. He toys with the defense, has great court vision, and has an elite ability to distribute the ball.   The manner in which he makes passes could remind a spectator of a young Caitlin Clark. He makes a full-court pass look elementary, and he has a great knock for making a pass mid-air: right when the defense thinks he's going up for a shot.   Himes piles up plenty of assists, and a lot of could-be-assists on passes that are exceptional... but just don't wind up falling through the basket.   It's Kyle's first year playing with OTD, and spectators were fortunate to see him play on Saturday afternoon... he nearly had to skip out on that game because he had his high school prom to attend!   Kyle is still developing as a player, but has the talent to become one of the state's best passers over his final two years of high school.     Surprisingly, one of the best players in the 16U field was an athlete who normally plays in the 15U circuit: West Michigan Premier's [player_tooltip player_id='2792101' first='Miles' last='Burgin'].   Burgin and his entire WM Premier team are freshmen at their local high schools, and all would qualify for the 15U field. But they chose to play against older players this year, and have truly risen to the occasion; none moreso than Miles.   Helping his team achieve a 3-and-0 start to the weekend, Miles scored 15 points, knocking down six field goals in a convincing win over PGU Elite. He has awesome handles, he can stop on a dime with the ball in his hands, and can surprise you with his vertical ability-securing a jaw-dropping chase-down block in the second half of his team's win.   Miles prides himself on playing above the rim, in spite of his 5'10" frame. He adjusts well mid-air when he's making a pass. And he is consistently disrupting opponent's shots.   With Miles' talent already showing against a field that's a year older than him, he's likely to be a player to watch on the AAU circuit for the next few seasons.     Ben's [program_tooltip program_id='2075759' first='Oakland' last='Elite'] team is playing in perhaps the most challenging group at this 16U tournament. But through 3 games, he's still found a way to stand out.   Standing an imposing 6'6", Ben immediately creates a challenge for opposing offenses. His arm-length forces a lot of tipped balls, and he always seems to be the first man in the area of a rebound.   Ben possesses terrific footwork in the lane, and has an ability to escape heavy pressure. He plays through physically challenging defensive assignments-showcased with an amazing and-1 make in the second half of their win over Team Magic.   With the amount of depth on his team, Ben didn't need to play a ton of minutes in OE's win. But even in his time on the floor, he managed to pile up 23 points-and almost certainly finished with a double-double.   After the win, Ben said that he's at his best when he's able to get rebounds and push the ball ahead. For a man of his size, he has great ball-handling ability.     [player_tooltip player_id='2539741' first='Josh' last='Bascom'] plays on one of the most outstanding teams in Michigan's 16U circuit, so he's never forced to play a ton of minutes. But he manages to make the most of his time on the floor.   Josh is a natural ball-handler, with a knack for taking it from the wing to the rim when necessary... or passing up a contested shot when he has an opportunity to give the ball to an open teammate.   He never seems to get flustered, even in the face of defensive pressure. He's a smart player, who makes crafty moves on a fast break. In limited minutes, he still dropped 12 points against PGU Elite.   He's part of a very defensive-minded Storm team that only gave up 11 points in the first half of their win over PGU Elite; in a game that was ended a few minutes early.     Liam has been waiting for his time to shine, and that time may have come this weekend at Rumble in the Rapids.   At 5'9", Liam still has some room to grow, but his game still cuts an imposing presence on the floor.   He has a fantastic stroke and a quick release from distance; as evidenced by four 3-pointers and 24 points in a win over [program_tooltip program_id='2077010' first='Common' last='Bond']. And he followed that with a stunning 33-point performance against the Michigan Jayhawks, making an absurd seven 3-pointers in the process.   Liam is strong with the ball in his hands, and possesses solid footwork. And even though he's not often the tallest player on the floor, he shows a fearlessness when he's driving the lane.   The game really seems to come naturally to this point guard for the Hurricanes.     Standing at 6'5", Kaloni immediately draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses. But he's quickly developing into one of the most challenging assignments in the 16U circuit.   He's developing into an overall weapon with his size, fantastic footwork, great ball control, and the ability to disrupt shots on defense.   His size allows him to pull down boards and move the ball quickly for a lot of fast break opportunities. Kaloni sees the court well, and has a knack for finding the open man on fast breaks.   Plus he has range from all over the court; making a pair of 3-pointers in his team's win over Phenom Elite-scoring 16 points in the victory.     Dominic's Indiana Impact team went 1-and-1 in their pair of Saturday games. And he was a clear difference-maker on both ends of the court.   Dominic is a terrific knockdown 3-point shooter. He buried 4 triples on the way to 17 points in a win over [program_tooltip program_id='2077010' first='Common' last='Bond']. And followed that with another 4 deep balls in a loss to [program_tooltip program_id='2539820' first='The' last='Academy'].   Dominic's smooth stroke from beyond the arc is paired with a natural ability to distribute the ball to his teammates; he has no problem giving up the ball when there may be a chance that another player could get a slightly better shot.   On the other side of the floor, he leads a unit that creates absolute havoc for opposing offenses. He forces good players to make mistakes; and his reach gives him a lot of opportunities to pile up rebounds.     The son of a coach, Tate Manthey showcases a basketball background that's going to serve him well in the future.   A left-handed shooter, Tate has a nice strike from behing the arc. But he's also a very skilled ball-handler. He can take it to the rim through traffic; usually beating guys who are bigger than him. And he has a way of making some uncanny evasive maneuvers.   Late in the first half of his team's win over REAL, Tate went coast-to-coast for a layup, and only 20 seconds later he hit a pullup 3-pointer; on his way to a 16-point outing, with four 3-pointers under his belt.   Tate is an unselfish player who can really get after it on defense. He says that he prides himself on his shooting, as well as a quick first step.

Saturday featured a monster slate of 16U games in Grand Rapids. Matchups filling over 12 hours of the day, and no shortage of elite performances. Let's recap some of the best players from the second day of the showcase.