Storm Classic Standouts: Day 2
Saturday is the busiest day of the Storm Classic, with most teams playing 2-3 games to conclude pool play. After game 2 or 3 the top players start to separate themselves from the pack. Here are some top performers from Saturday’s pool play action:
Markeese Hastings (Family 17u) – Hastings was relentless on the glass all day. Despite giving up height to most big men (he’s only 6’6″), his relentless motor and excellent leaping ability allow him to be an elite glass cleaner. Also, he consistently hit the three ball at a good percentage. If the defense closed out too hard, Hastings showed he could put it on the floor and attack from the perimeter. He defended both the wing and the post well.
Callaghan O’Hare | MLive.comKevin Rice (Family 15u) – Rice made a strong case for a position as the top player in his class (2020) with his dominant play Saturday. He was a scoring machine, putting up loads of points effortlessly and efficiently. His body control and soft touch around the rim was impressive. He showed good handles that allowed him to penetrate at will. He really did a bit of everything for his team.
Jalen Terry (Family 15u) – While Rice did a ton of scoring for The Family 15u, Terry did a majority of their playmaking/passing. He displayed his excellent court vision and passing abilities, setting up his teammates with easy shots. Terry wasn’t one dimensional, however, as he had multiple impressive finishes at the rim. His soft touch and ability to finish around/through bigger opponents was on display as well.
Steve Pearson (Playmakers 15u) – Pearson is the type of player who makes his team better without having to dominate the ball. He used his elite athleticism to rebound at a high rate, going up and getting it over much taller opponents. He also used his good court vision to facilitate the rock and set his teammates up with easy looks.
Rashad Williams (Family 17u) – Williams exploded for 4 threes in the first half in The Family’s matchup with a very good C2K Elite team. He scored efficiently and looked very impressive on defense as well. It’s important to note that C2K had jumped out to a double digit lead before Williams went off and single-handedly brought his team back into the game.