PH- National Open Championship: Friday Standouts 15u

With the last tournament of the AAU season among us, these players used there opportunity to get one last shine. Every person on this list stood above the rest Friday evening.    Trey was the best all around player on the court Friday evening. In their match-up against Hard Hoops 15u Grey, he attacked the defense in a variety of ways. Whether it was getting to the basket, scoring from mid-range or extending his range beyond the three point line, Trey was a scoring threat whenever he touched the ball. He's an excellent ball handler and play-maker who pushed the pace and led fast-breaks. Trippz Hawai'i Basketball 15u scored a lot of transition points with Trey as the initiator. He's a fierce rebounder who attacked the glass on both ends of the court. There were a couple of his defensive rebounds that led to coast-to coast dribble drives to the rim. He's a tough on-ball defender. Trey was great at pressuring players into mistakes by invading their space. He showed great footwork by mirroring the movements of offensive players. He finished the game with multiple steals and a blocked shot. I appreciated the aggressive scoring mentality he showed throughout the game. Trey stayed in constant “attack mode” and Hard Hoops 15u Grey had no answers for him.     A hard working player who made an instant impact when he stepped on the court. Konner showed the ability to score from all areas of the floor. He excelled at knocking down short perimeter jump-shots and getting to the basket. There was a moment in the game where Konner beat an opponent off the dribble, attacked the paint and scored through contact. The play allowed him to convert a three-point play from the free-throw line. Konner played with an energy that was contagious to his teammates. Whenever he made a play, everyone's spirit seemed to grow. This resulted in the team playing better as a whole. Konner is a player who does a variety of things on the basketball court. He grabbed rebounds, passed to the open teammates, knocked down the occasional three-pointer and gave maximum effort on defense.     Sam is a great all around player who easily scored against Quad Cities Academy 15u. He took advantage of smaller defenders in the paint by doing most of his damage around the basket. Whether it was scoring by grabbing offensive rebounds, using various post moves or passes being delivered near the basket, Sam was a hard cover for opposing defenders. He also showed the ability to score from the wing of the court. Sometimes he knocked down short perimeter jumpers, others led to Sam beating his opponent off the dribble and attacking the basket. He also showed his ability to be a great passer. A majority of the assists he made, led to positive outcomes for Minnesota Fury 15u Antl. Sam was also a threat from three-point range. He finished the game with three conversions. I believe Sam is a player who could effectively score from all areas of the court. He has the makings of an elite player in the coming years.     Keaton is a play-making point guard who excelled at getting others involved offensively. He's a great passer and ball-handler who found ways to get around defenders and make plays. Keaton was easily the team leader in assists during the match-up against Quad Cities Academy 15u. A majority of his passes were placed in spots where other teammates had great chances of converting. Some were bounce passes and no-looks, others threaded the needle. Don't be fooled by his passing prowess, Keaton can also score when he needs to. He's great at attacking the paint and scoring with a variety of lay-ups. He's also an excellent shooter who can knock down shots from mid or long range. I saw a video of Keaton hitting a half court bomb to win the game at the buzzer later in the day. This shows the fight and determination this young man has to never give up on a game. Keaton is a legit "floor general" who I believe will have a great career in the game of basketball.     Nile was a legit scoring threat whenever he touched the ball Friday evening. In the match-up against Minnesota Fury 15u Antl, he attacked the paint, knocked down mid-range shots or scored points in transition when opportunities were available. Nile is an excellent shooter who showed the ability to catch fire and score in bunches. There was a sequence in the game where he reeled off three straight shots. Two of those were three-pointers, one was a strong dribble drive to the rim. I truly appreciated the "no hesitation" approach he had when it came to shooting the ball. These are signs of a player who is extremely confident in his ability to score. Nile was great at making himself available for shots. Whether it was going around screens or creating space off the dribble, he found ways of taking high percentage shots. He's a good rebounder who didn't mind battling for boards in the paint. On defense, he gave maximum effort that made scoring and ball handling difficult for the opposition. Nile is a great scorer who is skilled enough to become an elite player as he progresses through next season.     He was one of the best slashers I watched over the weekend. Kael constantly attacked the Quad Cities Academy 15u defense for the entirety of the game. He excelled at breaking down defenders off the dribble and getting to the rim. Kael had a number of exciting finishes around the basket that required strength and agility. Whether it was scoring on right or left handed lay-ups, reverses or strong drives through contact, Kael would not be stopped from making positive plays. Some of these lay-ups led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. He's an athletic player who grabs rebounds, scores in transition and plays hard on both ends of the basketball court. I watched him knocked down a couple of mid-range shots that helped loosen up the opposing defense. If Kael could develop a consistent shot from three-point range, he would be tough to handle for opposing players and coaches.     Keair is a great rebounder who dominated the glass on both ends of the basketball court. He led the team in rebounding in their match-up against Indiana Elite 14u Shepherd. The big man played a very physical game. He scored in the paint with great post moves around the basket. Keair also showed the ability to knock down short perimeter jumpers. The opposing post defenders had a difficult time containing him. Keair was awesome on the defensive end of the court. He showed the agility and athleticism to guard opponents in the post or out on the perimeter. Keair held his own when he defended smaller and quicker players on the wing. He didn't allow himself to get beaten off the dribble. Keair excelled at protecting the paint with shot blocking and contesting players who attempted to score. In a different game I watched Keair complete a nasty wind-mill dunk in transition. He's an excellent defender who could become even greater as he improves his offensive skills.     Dylan is a “glue guy.” He literally does everything for the team. Whether it was scoring, rebounding, throwing assists or defending, Dylan was always near the basketball. He's a great rebounder who attacked the glass with the same amount of aggression he had when he looked to score. A majority of his offensive rebounds led to easy put-backs or second chance opportunities for other teammates. Whenever Indiana Elite 14u Shepherd had an opportunity to score fast-break points, Dylan finished with strong drives to the basket. What I appreciated about his game was the importance he placed on making all the intangible plays. It wasn't just about scoring for Dylan. He realized the importance of doing all the other things on the basketball court. Dylan set great screens, and went after every loose ball he could get his hands on. Defensively, he forced numerous turnovers and blocked a shot. In my opinion, Dylan is a great team player who gives maximum effort. These traits will allow him to make an instant impact at the high school level this fall.

With the last tournament of the AAU season among us, these players used there opportunity to get one last shine. Every person on this list stood above the rest Friday evening.