2022 Maverick Shootout: 1st Team Breakdown and Overall Thoughts
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Overall thoughts — The 2022 Maverick Shootout was absolutely a fun summer tournament to cover. The 24-team, 118-game tourney drew in a ton of talent for one of the first weekends of summer ball. The three host sites (Kamiak, Lynnwood,…
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Continue ReadingOverall thoughts — The 2022 Maverick Shootout was absolutely a fun summer tournament to cover. The 24-team, 118-game tourney drew in a ton of talent for one of the first weekends of summer ball. The three host sites (Kamiak, Lynnwood, Meadowdale) were the triangle I drove around the whole weekend. I probably saw close to 20 full games and mostly stayed in the winners bracket as much as I could, with several other games sprinkled in elsewhere.
The 20-minute halves with running clocks made it interesting when close games went down to the wire. The player competitiveness was off the charts for a summer league event and it was easy to tell who wanted to be there and who just simply showed up. Coaches played around with different lineups/sets and it was used as a nice tune-up for the tournament’s top teams and players to stay in rhythm after a long AAU spring season for some.
1st Team All-Tournament Analysis:
Parker Baumann Parker Baumann 6'5" | CG Shorecrest | 2023 State WA , 6’5, Guard/Forward, Shorecrest, C/O 2023 — Tournament MVP
You can’t run out of things to talk about Parker’s game. To me, Baumann was far and away the most complete player at the Maverick Shootout. He put on a full display as he led Shorecrest to a 4-0 tournament record and didn’t leave many boxes un-checked, if any. What stood out to me the most was his willingness to defend and set up his teammates. He can control the pace of the game when the ball is in his hands and his mid-range game was locked-and-loaded all tournament long. He was able to get to his best spots on the floor with ease while making it a priority to help build his teammates up as a playmaker in the process. He fools defenders with his ability to find the open man and the basketball IQ is off the charts. He consistently makes the right play on both ends, whether it being sitting in the chair on defense or carrying his team through rough moments on the offensive end.
Daniel Savovic Daniel Savovic 6'0" | CG Everett | 2023 State WA , 6’1, Guard, Everett, C/O 2023
Daniel’s play as an all-around combo guard at the shootout was fun to watch. The soon-to-be senior seemed to me like the glue that holds a stacked Everett roster together. He had one of the prettiest shots I saw over the weekend and he is dangerous long-distance shooter with the ability to put the ball on the floor and sneak into the lane to finish. He is such a great fit in transition alongside fellow backcourt mate Isaiah White Isaiah White 6'5" | CG Everett | 2024 State WA (’24) and it showed over the weekend. He can shift around between both guard spots depending on what is needed of him and really is a player who goes with the flow of the offense and doesn’t force things. Savovic earned a 1st-Team All-Wesco nod last season and seems to have brought his game to an even higher level since the High School regular season wrapped up.
Drew Jensen, 6’3, Wing/Guard, North Creek, C/O 2023
One of the most physical wing players I saw over the weekend, Drew turned in a gutsy performance as the Jaguars had some success in the winners bracket before bowing out to Shorecrest in the semifinals. Jensen is a knock down volume shooter and can fire away beyond the 3-point line. He is a blocky 6-foot-3 and his size helps him take hits to the body inside when the game gets physical, and he welcomed it at the tournament. Jensen was a 1st-Team All-KingCo selection last season and had a game where he sunk a school record of 14 3-pointers for North Creek. He’s someone that slipped under people’s radar (including my own) and is pegged for another leap next season.
Luke Blachly Luke Blachly 6'4" | SF Archbishop Murphy | 2023 State WA , 6’5, Guard/Wing, Archbishop Murphy, C/O 2023 — Tournament’s Top Shooter
It was very much a coming out party for Luke at the Maverick Shootout. Archbishop Murphy’s group came into the tourney under-manned and Blachly was relied on heavily on the offensive end to score the basketball. He didn’t disappoint and was a double-digit threat each game, showing his improved jump shot and finishing ability. He has a lightning-quick release from deep and in the mid-post area and his shot looks the same just about every time he raises up. He is an efficient scorer who makes quick moves to create the open look and convert. He plays well off the ball and is a player who doesn’t necessarily need control the rock to score. In the painted area, he has extreme touch around the basket and his finger-roll seemed to just slide right into the hoop over the weekend. He is a willing rebounder as well, and he had to give more of an effort on the glass than he normally would if the Wildcats had 6-foot-6 Mateen Usui Mateen Usui 6'6" | PF Archbishop Murphy | 2025 State WA (’25) available.
Josiah Pierre Josiah Pierre 6'5" | SF Kamiak | 2023 State WA , 6’5, Wing, Kamiak, C/O 2023
There is so much to like about the way Josiah plays, and you can tell that he has put on some solid muscle to his frame since the end of Kamiak’s 2022 regular season. It’s something that he’ll need moving forward as the Knights tallest player who’s natural position is on the wing. He’s a great two-way competitor who can defend on the perimeter and challenge opposing bigs when he’s asked to do so, and he had to do a lot of that at the shootout. Offensively, Pierre loves attacking the basket, shedding off defenders and is a very reliable scorer in the mid-range. His length does him wonders on the glass and his long strides make it an absolute chore to stay in front of him as he spins into the lane looking for holes in the defense. He is capable of collapsing the D and finding open shooters on the corners and wings.