Midwest Melee: 14U All Stars, part 1

With over 40 teams in attendance, we saw a lot of incredible performances at this year's Midwest Melee. In this 2-part series, we wanted to highlight some of the most outstanding players from the weekend. In no particular order, here are the first six standouts:    Not only was James Rydberg one of the most obviously talented players at this year's Midwest Melee; in the next couple of years, he may be one of the most sought-after recruits in the country.   James has such a gift for the game that even when he's not scoring the ball, you can tell that he's the most talented player on the floor. The kid's handles are absolutely off the charts. He can drive the ball hard inside, and if there's any obstacle in his way-he has the capacity to stop on a dime, dribble back out and assess the floor for a new plan.   He's so smooth when taking the ball to the rim. He can make acrobatic layups in the face of defensive pressure. And on a fast break, he's an absolute freight train. For a kid of his age, he has such natural control of his body and can bury off-balance leaners. And he possesses a devastating pump-fake that can get the defender off their feet.   In the Gold bracket title game against Mean Streets, James scored the first 5 points of the game, including a wicked steal-combined with a behind-the-back dribble going to the hoop for a layup. He finished the championship game with 14 points, in a blowout win for the title.   His size, handles, and shooting ability will make him a triple-double threat throughout his high school career at Benet Academy. And he's a player to keep an eye on at the national level.     Dylan nearly led his team to an upset of Breakaway in the semifinals of the Gold tournament bracket. And in spite of the 2OT loss, he showed incredible talent throughout his 4-game weekend.   Entering high school at 6'3", Dylan is already a monster in the paint. He has tremendous reach, and can track down tough rebounds on both offense and defense. And his handles are already so advanced that he's capable of bringing the ball up the floor after a defensive rebound, or driving hard to the bucket for contested layups; which present plenty of and-1 opportunities.   Dylan has great footwork, and it's easy to be naturally drawn to his hard work and overall skillset. He's got a nice hook shot, and seems to have mastered the inside game. But he's not afraid to pull up for a 3-pointer when he has an open look.   Dylan is exactly the kind of player you want in the post on defense. Few players could keep up with James Rydberg this weekend, but Dylan did better than any other player I saw, giving James fits inside-forcing him to work much harder than normal to find his way to the hoop.     Decari was one of the most outstanding players of the weekend, and he was playing against kids a year older than him. He's only finishing his 7th grade season, but played up a class during the Midwest Melee, bringing his team to the title game of the Gold bracket.   In one of Decari's Saturday performances, he started the game with a pair of sick step-back 3-pointers to give his team an early momentum. And the kid is simply lethal from deep. He went 3-for-3 from behind the arc in the first half, and finished at least two of his games with a trio of 3-point makes.   Defensively, Decari plays with a nose for the ball-tracking down a nice block from behind when his opponent was on a fast break. Plus he's a strong distributor, who makes clean passes, and can draw a double-team and kick the ball to a teammate.   Palmer takes pride in the intensity he brings every game. Even when the championship game was turning into a lopsided loss, he was still going 100%. He's turning into one of the top players to watch in Illinois for the class of 2031.     Cam Smith had an elite weekend, playing for a highly-lauded Mac Irvin Squad, and nearly brought his 13U team to the Gold bracket championship.   Cam has obvious confidence when the ball is in his hands; displaying a skill as a strong shooter from outside or inside the arc. And he's a cold-blooded 3-point shooter, making three 3-pointers in the tournament semifinals against Mean Streets.   Cam says he can shoot the ball well, and handle pressure from the defense. And he's the guy who his team trusts with the ball late in a close game.   Cam still has a year left of junior high, but says that he's planning on attending Benet once he gets to high school.     Eli was certainly one of the most clutch players from the weekend; hitting a 3-pointer to give his team the lead in overtime of the Silver bracket championship... and then sealing the win with a steal and a pair of free throws in the final seconds.   Eli isn't quite to the height to be considered a true power forward, but that's how he looks at times. He has a big body, and plays very strong in the paint. But he's got amazing moves as well; he can drive the ball and shrug off a defender before shooting a jumper... or post up and wrangle rebounds for his team.   Eli scored 15 points in both the semifinals and finals of the Silver bracket. He's got a wicked euro-step, and no shortage of talent in his footwork. But even when he doesn't have the ball in his hands, he's a solid team-first kind of player. In tense moments, he gathers the team around him and tries to keep everyone calm.   Eli takes pride in his shooting abilities, and a no-fear attitude that helps him in the kind of late-game situations that he faced at this year's Midwest Melee.     Joshua and his team traveled to the tournament from Minnesota, and the big man put on a clinic in the post.   At 6'5" with a lengthy wing span, Joshua has absolutely crazy reach for his age. He has a natural ability to block shots on defense, and play above the rim on both sides of the ball.   He identifies as a Center, but I saw him take the ball up the floor on a few occasions. So he does have some ball-handling capabilities when the situation calls for it.   Joshua stays with his shot, creating a lot of opportunities for putbacks. He already looks like a double-double factory; piling up 19 points in his team's win over ABP on Saturday. He's a guy who just looks impossible to get a rebound against.   Joshua says that he's worked a lot on his post moves, and his ability to take the ball to the rim. And he wants to keep growing in his decision-making as he enters high school.

With over 40 teams in attendance, we saw a lot of incredible performances at this year's Midwest Melee. In this 2-part series, we wanted to highlight some of the most outstanding players from the weekend. In no particular order, here are the first six standouts: