Clash of the Titans: Top Performers from PA

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fresh off the May Live period weekend, programs from across the Mid-Atlantic pulled up to Baltimore for cross-circuit competition. Maryland had no shortage of representatives, but PA had something to say too. Here are some notable names from the Keystone State:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2467306' first='Marshall' last='Bailey IV'] | G 6'1 WeR1 UAA 17U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the team short-handed, Bailey stepped up and into the lead guard role and thrived. His on-ball pressure moved the needle as he created one turnover after another. On offense, even though he didn't always end up with the assist, Bailey consistently tilted the defense off the dribble and forced additional defenders to collapse in on him before swinging the ball to the open man. As a scorer, Bailey played through his jumper. He got in rhythm with a pull-up two, then eventually drained a couple threes, highlighted by a step-back three late in the game. 15p 3r 2a 3s </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2424028' first='Jayvon' last='Byrd'] | G 6'3 [program_tooltip program_id='2078682' first='K-Low' last='Elite'] 3SSB 16U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Byrd showcased his ability as an all-around player in both games on Saturday afternoon. On defense, he routinely shot his hands to deflect the ball away from opposing guards and got easy layups. Running the halfcourt offense for K-Low, he also got two feet in the paint and made plays for everyone else. Lastly, he knocked the three-ball. Byrd trailed in transition, spotted-up off-ball and ran off of screens for multiple threes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2846425' first='Derek' last='Franco'] | G 6'0 WeR1 UAA 15U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Franco put an immense amount of pressure on the rim and finished when he got there. With speed and power, he gave out as much contact as he absorbed on his line drives to the cup. More than half of his points were in the paint or at the free throw line (earned from paint touches), but he also hit a couple mid-range jumpers. His most underrated impact was on the glass. The 15U squad only had 6 players, so him crashing the boards and closing the game out on the defensive end helped them overcome adversity. 22p 9r 2s 1b </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Rocky" [player_tooltip player_id='2693524' first='Rakim' last='Johnson'] | G 5'9 [program_tooltip program_id='2078697' first='Philly' last='Pride'] UAA 16U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson won his matchup by being a pest on defense and living in the lane on offense. He frustrated other guards when he picked them up full court and he undercut passes when he was away from the ball. Johnson didn't have a dominant stretch then disappear for the rest of the game. He played a complete game from start to finish, regularly turning defense into offense, pushing the pace in transition, and snaking ball-screens for points in the paint. 22p 5r 2s </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3046636' first='Anthony' last='Pannell'] | 6'11 C 2027 [program_tooltip program_id='2078697' first='Philly' last='Pride'] UAA 17U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nearly seven feet tall, Pannell did exactly what you want him to do – dominate the paint. He dunked everything - dump offs on the block, out-of-bounds plays, and cuts from the short corner. Even when he was matchup against another big man, Pannell went to work versus him in the low post. On the flip side, everywhere below the three-point line was his domain. Pannell rejected a few shots, altered several, and deterred even more with his long reach. 11p 9r 1s 3b </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->