NY2LA Milwaukee: Thursday’s Top Performers (Michigan Players Only)
Thursday was the second day of NY2LA action here in Milwaukee. In addition to NY2LA teams, there were some non-circuit teams from across the Midwest in action. The big stories from the day, however, came from NY2LA teams competing against each other in tournament play. Both the 17u and 16u brackets were dominated by Michigan team Reach Legends, while the top performer for the 15u was Wisconsin-based Swing. Regardless of the success of their respective team, there was plenty of players who performed at a high level individually.
Here are some of my top performers from day 2 here in Milwaukee:
Rashad Williams (Reach Legends 17u) – Williams had a solid first game, as he reached double figures easily. It was the second game, however, that made a case for the best individual performance of the day. Williams had 38 points on 10-13 from deep, which is an insane stat line. Watching it unfold was even more amazing, as he simply took over and won the game single-handedly for his team. Williams is one of the best shooters in Michigan and showed it again today.
Mike Fletcher (Greenwood Elite 16u) – Fletcher dominated in a win over Playground Elite. He displayed this dominance in a sequence where he jumped a pass, got a steal into a fastbreak dunk, stole the ensuing inbound and finished, then got a fastbreak where he was fouled and made both free throws. He displayed great mobility for a guy of his size and strength.
Photocredit: http://thelocalathlete.comCarrington McCaskill (Reach 16u) – McCaskill displayed his ability to play above the rim once again today. He had several noteworthy dunks, including a one-handed putback dunk over an opponent’s back. He did the same on the defensive end, pinning shots on the glass or swatting them out of bounds. It wasn’t just highlight plays, however; his ability to play vertical helped alter opponents’ shots and protect the rim.
Marcus Alston (Elite Nation 16u) – Alston is a strong, built, athletic guard who showed a few impressive dribble moves to shake defenders. When he got in the lane he finished very well, absorbing contact with his strong body and double clutching to avoid the long arms of big guys. He displayed nice touch around the rim as well as a nice mid-range floater.
Quinn Blair (Reach 17u) – Consistent as ever, today was just another day at the office for Blair. In the second game of the day, he impressed with a stretch in which he hit a nice post hook, then an and-one, followed by another finish in close. Blair was efficient and made smart, winning plays per usual.
D’juan Seal (Reach 17u) – Seal opened his July campaign with the same success he found in the spring. He is super athletic and versatile, both of which he displayed today. He made his biggest impact defending – racking up both the steals and the blocks. He also rebounded as well as anybody, despite only being 6’4″. Offensively, he had a few dunks per usual, but he also hit jumpers out to the three point line consistently. His play today was good enough to earn him an offer from a top-tier D2 school in Ferris State.
Jarvis Walker II (Greenwood Elite 15u) – While maybe not a huge game statistically, I was really impressed with Walker’s motor and toughness in a difficult loss to Playground Elite. He’s already very strong and built as just a freshmen, but he’s sure to use this toughness to benefit his team. He had several strong takes where he simply willed his way to the rim and either finished or got to the free throw line. A tough defender, he put a ton of pressure on the other team from any spot on the court. There were more than a couple instances where he would get his hands on the ball and just rip it right out his opponent’s hands.