OTR Holiday Showdown: Best Shooters

<p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1307-crop-4801x3152-1610509205.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1115225 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1307-crop-4801x3152-1610509205-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889585" first="Noah" last="Shelby"] - CREATE Academy - G</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="889585" first="Noah" last="Shelby"] knocked down seven threes collectively in both of CREATE’s games and he continues to show that he is one of the best shooters in DFW for the class of 2022. Shelby can hit shots off the dribble as well as off the catch and he doesn’t need much space to get his shot off. No matter how close the closing out defender is, Shelby will fire away and hit these tough shots consistently. His best shot of the weekend came against Level Up Academy as Shelby hit a deep left-wing three at the buzzer to give his team the win.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1261.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1115008 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1261-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889561" first="Austin" last="Nunez"] - TACA - G</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="889561" first="Austin" last="Nunez"] was an absolute sniper from downtown in both of TACA’s games at the Holiday Showdown. In both of TACA’s games, Nunez knocked down four three’s and even hit a game-winner against TWCA. In the game against TWCA, Nunez pushed the ball all the way from his baseline and hit a ridiculously deep, leaning three-pointer at the buzzer to give his team the win. He also went. 13-14 from the free-throw line over his two games.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1313.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1115005 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1313-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889590" first="Austin" last="Benigni"] - TWCA - G</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="889590" first="Austin" last="Benigni"] was arguably the best player at the showcase and his performance from three-point range did not fail to disappoint. His game does not rely on the three but when he gets going from distance he is hard to stop. What makes Benigni so hard to stop is that because he is so quick, defenders will sometimes sag off so they won’t get blown by. But when Benigni sees even just a foot or two of space in front of him, expect a barrage of three-pointers to be going through the net for him. He has NBA-range and his NBA-esque bag of dribble moves makes him that much harder to stop when he has the ball in his hands.</p> <p><strong>Nick Kendall - John Paul II - G</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1314.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1116618 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1314-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p>Nick Kendall’s role with John Paul II reminds me of J.R. Smith’s role with the Cavaliers during the second Lebron era in Clevland. Smith was not a top-three option on his team but he always found a way to impact the game and that is exactly what Kendall does for the Cardinals. While Obaseki and Tyson work the defense, Kendall is always moving without the ball and he stays ready for skip passes and full-court pushes to come his way and he gets his feet set and knocks down the shot. He is exceptional off the catch and his ability to always be ready makes him a reliable scoring option for the Cardinals when they need a bucket. But don’t get the J.R. Smith role-comparison twisted; Kendall doesn’t make boneheaded mistakes.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1315-crop-4189x2750-1610508991.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1115219 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/DSC_1315-crop-4189x2750-1610508991-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="779884" first="Jaylon" last="Tyson"] - John Paul II - G/F</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="779884" first="Jaylon" last="Tyson"] was dialed in from distance in John Paul II’s 25-point win over TWCA. Tyson shot an efficient 4-7 from downtown and he showed off his range as well as his sidestep going into his jumper. He hits shots that only he can make and he keeps the defense honest just because he can do it all on the offensive end.</p>