Mitten State Mash: 15U Saturday Standouts

The 15U action didn't start until Saturday at this year's Mitten State Mash, so all 13 teams in attendance played two games on Saturday. Let's run through some of the standout performers from the day.    The conversation about dominant performers from Saturday starts and ends with the star freshman from Cass Tech; 6'4" phenom [player_tooltip player_id='3601848' first='Juel' last='Turner'].   The second he steps on the court, you can tell this kid is going to be a problem for the opposition. He's tall and has such a big body for his age that he's an automatic rim protector, and finds a way to disrupt any play that comes toward the paint.   Juel has fantastic body control, and is well ahead of his years in terms of passing and distribution. He's not just a big body who grabs boards and puts it back in; he'll distribute with some slick passes to an open man on the outside-collecting a number of assists on 3-pointers in his team's win over the [program_tooltip program_id='2076061' first='Detroit' last='Bulldogs'].   And offensively he is an unstoppable force. Juel imposes his will on defenses, and at one point in the game had two defenders draped all over him-and still went up for an and-1 basket.   As a whole, his team functions so much more efficiently when he's on the court, and he seems to be at just the start of what could be an exceptional career.     I had the opportunity to see Devon play twice on Saturday, and both times he left me feeling like he might be one of the best players at this year's Mitten State Mash.   Devon is a very physical and imposing presence offensively. He takes strong drives to the lane, and has a soft touch at the rim. And he adds a dimension of ballhandling that seems well beyond his years.   Defensively, Devon will hound your team's best players and force you to make mistakes.   He prides himself as a player who can get to the basket and kick to teammates. He has the capacity to make a no-look pass in traffic, and his supreme body control allows him to get around defenders for rebounds.   Devon scored in double figures in both games on Saturday, but was forced out of his final game in the final minutes with a leg injury.     Milan brings the full compliment of skills to a very talented Jackets Elite team that went 2-0 on Saturday.   Defensively, he has to be a very frustrating player to match up against. He will hound the ball-handler, and come after you relentlessly. In a win over Shoebox Elite, I saw him collect at least 3 second half steals.   And on offense, he's very smooth when playing in traffic. He displays a great finger-roll, even when it's a contested shot. He dropped 26 points in a blowout win during the Jackets' second contest of the day.   Milan prides himself on his defense and scoring ability, and wants to always keep his teammates involved as well.     Max's Michigan Unified team went 2-0 on Saturday, and he's a major factor in this team's success.   Max has tremendous speed when driving to the hoop, and he possesses a seemingly endless array of moves in the lane. He's capable of beating his defender off the dribble, and can split a double-team without much hesitation.   Max is the kind of kid that looks like a floor general. All of his teammates seem to look to him for support, as well as the ability to set the tone at the start of each half. Early in the second of of their win against InspireU, Max had an astounding 4-point play that spurred his team's momentum toward their win.   Max believes he's at his best with the ball in his hands, and he doesn't commit many turnovers. His scoring has already been impressive in his team's two wins. He dropped 33 points in their first game, and then another 15 in their second win of the weekend.     Christian is a part of a very talented Guardians team that goes deep with its talent; but he consistently finds a way to stand out.   In spite of his age, Christian plays very strong and confident; taking aggressive drives to the hoop-while maintaining control of the ball.   He has an amazing midrange game; pulling up from all around the globe inside the arc. And even off a miss, he stays with the ball and is able to track down rebounds.   Christian is an excellent distributor, and knows how to find the open teammates. He's pleased with his growth as a passer, and likes to take a leadership role for his team.     [player_tooltip player_id='3632958' first='Marcus' last='Brown'] may not have been on many scouting reports coming into the weekend, but he proved his worth in two wins for his Jackets Elite team.   Marcus set the tone late in the first half, for what he could bring to the table; he stole away a defensive rebound and went up for a contested basket-showing what he's capable of down low.   Marcus has size and strength down low, but he also can distribute the ball well, and can work around a defender in a tight situation.   Marcus says he's worked a lot on his shooting and defense recently. And though he stands 5'11", he says he tries to play likes he's 6'5".     Breonn's team was facing an uphill battle against a very well-rounded Jackets Elite team on Saturday. But he was doing everything possible to keep his team competitive.   Breonn looks like he has the ball on a string when he's moving up the court. He has the ability to take the ball from coast-to-coast in a matter of seconds; and appears comfortable pushing the tempo.   Even with a defender right in his face, Breonn can pull up and drain a contested 3-pointer. Plus he's a fantastic defensive presence; he was able to track down and block an open layup in the second half. And he's got great length to reach for rebounds.   Breonn says that attacking the rim and finishing are his best qualities as a player.     Gavin possesses a 6'2" body as a freshman, and already has a large frame that allows him to enforce his presence in the post.   This is a player who's constantly tracking down rebounds, both on defense and offense. And he's an easy guy to rely on in the paint; you know that if you give him the ball-he's probably going to convert.   Even with a bit of size, he's still a good rim-runner and can get up and down the court in a hurry.   He didn't take a lot of outside shots on Saturday, but says that that's one of the better aspects of his game, along with his court vision.

The 15U action didn't start until Saturday at this year's Mitten State Mash, so all 13 teams in attendance played two games on Saturday. Let's run through some of the standout performers from the day.