UAA Finals: 16 U Championship Standouts

I attended the UAA Finals over the weekend and in this article I'll break down the standouts from the 16 U championship game that saw B Maze Elite take down [program_tooltip program_id='2076347' first='SOH' last='Elite'] in a fun contest.    The smallest guy on the court, Pace had a huge impact on his team in the championship game victory as [program_tooltip program_id='2076347' first='SOH' last='Elite'] had a tough time staying in front of him on the perimeter. The quickness Pace plays with gives him the ability to turn the corner off the dribble on the perimeter as he does a nice job getting low with the ball in his hands and attacking off the bounce. Pace also knocked down some early 3-pointers, showing the defense he can hurt you from beyond the arc as well with pull-up 3-pointers and 3-pointers off elevator screen sets. Pace impressed me with his ability to get back to his preferred left hand at the rim and did a nice job handling contact in the paint. A scrappy point guard who brings a scoring punch, quickness and toughness, Pace was a leader for the 16 U UAA champions.     Dickens really impressed me with his overall physicality and motor as he dominated on the glass in this contest. Dickens created a ton of second chances for his team with his offensive rebounding and his footwork in the paint was impressive as he used step through and extension hangtime finishes through contact to score. With his physicality advantage reclassing back to the 2028 class, Dickens made a major impact for his team and looked like one of the most dominant 16 U players on the UAA circuit.     One of the top prospects on the UAA circuit regardless of age group, Williams Jr has a ton of natural ability with the combination of size, strength, athleticism and skill. Williams Jr is a true inside-outside mismatch as he scored multiple times with his back to the basket by using a quick spin move to get by his defender, but he also spaced the floor with a top of the key 3-pointer and trail jumpers. Suffering a slight ankle injury in the first half, I was worried Williams Jr would be out but he came back after halftime and continued to dominate the game as he helped B Maze Elite win the 16 U UAA championship.     Rhodes is a long wing guard with the tools to be an impact defender and guard multiple positions. Rhodes length can let him switch onto taller wings while also stay with point guards and contest jumpers even while backing off a little on the ball. Offensively, Rhodes shoots with a high arc on his jumper as he converted multiple rainbow 3-pointers in this contest. Rhodes perimeter shot making helped keep [program_tooltip program_id='2076347' first='SOH' last='Elite'] competitive for a large majority of the contest.     Moussa stood out early in the game with excellent rim protection for [program_tooltip program_id='2076347' first='SOH' last='Elite']. Moussa wasn't falling for pump fakes and avoided committing fouls at the rim by walling up vertically and using his length. Offensively, Moussa got better as the game went on with a couple mid-range jumpers and quick one to two dribble moves. Moussa's ability to protect the rim and flash perimeter offensive skill makes him an intriguing prospect who should continue to improve in his final two years of high school basketball.

I attended the UAA Finals over the weekend and in this article I'll break down the standouts from the 16 U championship game that saw B Maze Elite take down SOH Elite in a fun contest.