ASAK Nation Classic: Saturday Top Performers (Pt.1)

Titans vs. Tornadoes

Shane Scholwinski

August 30, 2020 @ 09:29 AM

ASAK Nation held their first annual ASAK Nation Classic this weekend in Austin, Texas at the St. Michael’s Athletic Center, where it hosted nine of the top grassroots programs from across the state of Texas. The two-day event features a three-game guarantee where the nine teams are split into separate pools. Pool A: TAZ Elite, Texas Hardwork, ProSkills Austin. Pool B: Southern Assault, Houston Defenders, Next Level Raiders. Pool C: ASAK Elite, Team F.O.E., T.H.P. Elite. Thankfully we were able to cover the event through the live broadcast by TBScouts Youtube feed.   Here are several standout players from Day 1 of the ASAK Nation Classic:   PG [player_tooltip player_id="889561" first="Austin" last="Nunez"] (2022) - Texas Hardwork Nunez put on a scoring clinic in Texas Hardwork’s first matchup of the day versus TAZ Elite putting up 25 points, including 18 points in the second half alone. Nunez is a natural shooter who is a threat to drain shots from anywhere beyond-the-arc. He nailed 3 three’s, yet it still felt like he could’ve hit more as he was cold to start out the first half. Ultra quick to the basket, and had several steals that turned into easy fast-break layups. Nunez is one of the top players in Texas for the 2022 class.   PG [player_tooltip player_id="779885" first="Gavino" last="Ramos"] (2021) - Next Level Raiders Ramos showed how versatile he is from the point guard position across the two games with his scoring, passing and hustle on defense. Ramos had 19 points and 4 rebounds versus Southern Assault in game one, then followed it up with a 23 point performance against the Houston Defenders later in the day. Ramos plays under control and doesn’t get flustered by tough defense. Has great instincts on the court and seems to be in the right place at the right time for rebounds and steals. Not to mention he can catch fire from three-point territory.   SF Bryon Armstrong (2021) - Next Level Raiders Armstrong had one of the more impressive performances with a 26 point outing versus Southern Assault. Armstrong drained four three-pointers in the game, including an accidental and wild full-court shot with a minute still left to play in the first half. In the second half, he did an excellent job driving and finishing at the basket, all while fighting through contact and tough defense from Southern Assault.   SG [player_tooltip player_id="594578" first="Juan" last="Reyna"] (2021) - F.O.E. Reyna’s game-winning floater as time expired against ASAK Elite was one of the more impressive plays during Saturday’s play. Reyna was able to navigate his way through ASAK’s defense into the lane where he nailed an off-balance floater over the outstretched arms of 6’9" PF [player_tooltip player_id="787335" first="Ma’Shy" last="Hill"]. He also impressed with his deep-range shooting ability, hitting three from beyond-the-arc in the match. Reyna finished with 16 points versus ASAK and followed it up with a 10 point game versus T.H.P. Elite.   CG Jimil Cofer (2021) - F.O.E. Cofer was electric for F.O.E. in the win against T.H.P. Elite, where he had 20 points and a couple of monster dunks. Cofer showed the ability to run the point and get to the rim, while also playing on the wing and nailing three-point opportunities. He was a menace on defense, creating several turnovers and individually 4 steals that resulted in the fast-break dunks. In game one versus ASAK Elite, Cofer had 14 points and 7 rebounds.   SF [player_tooltip player_id="779883" first="Ramon" last="Walker"] Jr (2021) - Texas Hardwork Walker was consistent for Texas Hardwork across the two games, with 16 points versus ProSkills Austin, and 14 points and 6 rebounds against TAZ Elite. The Houston Cougar commit knocked down three 3s in the matchup versus TAZ, and was a reliable rebounder in the paint. Walker will be a player to keep an eye on going into Day 2 of the tournament.