Next Southwest Kickoff: 13U & 12U Day 2 Stellar Performers
There were several great players that travelled from several states to Oklahoma this weekend for the Southwest Kickoff event. It featured teams from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas City, Oklahoma, and possibly other places, too. Day 1 featured a lot of…
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Continue ReadingThere were several great players that travelled from several states to Oklahoma this weekend for the Southwest Kickoff event. It featured teams from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas City, Oklahoma, and possibly other places, too. Day 1 featured a lot of great talent, with Day 2 not lacking in talent or entertainment either. With this event, we were able to see some of the top players that will take high schools by storm. Now it is time to break down the talent for the 12U and 13U ages.
Nathaneal White
Nathaneal White
Nathaneal White impacted the game in multiple areas throughout the game. He has great size for a 13U player, being listed at 5’11 and being broader. He put his size to use by grabbing one rebound after another. It felt like a magnet, as the ball always ended up in his hands. He had multiple offensive rebounds, which led to second chance points more often than not. Not only did he score inside frequently from offensive rebounds, he had several points in the paint throughout the duration of the game. He had one play that showed great footwork, where he used a post move to step around the offensive player to score. Whenever he would go to set screens, he would set great ones that would hinder the defensive player from staying in front of the offensive player. On the defensive end, he was a big presence that contested shots well in the paint. Multiple times, he would come away with a block. It was impressive seeing his impact on both ends.
Jayden Holmes
Jayden Holmes
Jayden Holmes dominated inside the paint on both ends of the court. He was a rebounding machine, grabbing one rebound after another. Some of these rebounds were offensive rebounds, which led to second chance points. When he was not scoring off of offensive rebounds, he was scoring by getting good positioning inside. His scoring also came off of him knocking down a couple of jump shots from the mid-range, with one of them being over a smaller defender. On the defensive side of the ball, he contested shots at a high clip and came away with a couple of blocks, as well. Every area you can ask your center to positively impact, he dominated.
Michael Teague
Michael Teague
Michael Teague was the best player that I saw. He was exceptional in every game that he played. His impact expands to every area of the game and more. He can shoot efficiently, he gets to the rim and can finish through or over multiple defenders, and he excels at knocking down pull up jumpers. He is not afraid to look for his teammates or to get dirty fighting for a loose ball. He will dive for them and play physical defense. I counted seven steals in the championship game. Yes that is right, SEVEN steals! He can play defense effectively and had a couple of blocks. Rebounding was not a problem for him, either.
James Maze
James Maze
James Maze was an important piece to why Wheat State Elite made the championship game, before barely losing in it. He was like a swiss army knife for them, doing a little bit of playmaking, coming away with a couple of steals, and having a block. To go along with that he rebounded the ball some and showed some craftiness getting to the rim for two points or hitting floaters. His all-around impact was reflected on his teams success.
Taegan Trice
Taegan Trice
Taegan Trice utilized his size and athleticism well throughout the tournament. He grabbed several rebounds every game and consistently finished inside. Being taller than most, combined with his athleticism helped him rise up above the competition, but figuratively and literally speaking. He flashed the ability to drive and kick to open shooters, as well as showing the ability to stretch the floor. He knocked down a three and made a couple of mid-range jumpers. One of the areas that he impacted the most was with his defense. He a couple of blocks and a steal, but he impacted way more shots with great shot contest. His impact expanded to multiple areas of the game.