Queen City Clash- 1st Team All Tourney 12U

Watching these young players were a treat for everyone! The skills they showed made them worthy of being 1st Team tournament performers.    Jace showed all the skills of an excellent power forward Saturday afternoon. He was great at scoring in the post around the basket. I was pleasantly surprised to see his ball handling skills. Jace easily broke down his opponent and drove to the basket. Either he scored or kicked out passes to open teammates. I watched a hard working player who did whatever he needed to help the Unit 12U squad win. Jace showed off his athleticism by pushing the pace up court and scoring baskets in transition. He did this on numerous occasions throughout the game. Rebounding is where Jace truly excelled on the basketball court. He didn't mind battling in the paint for boards on either side of the ball. Some of his points came from grabbing offensive rebounds and finishing around the rim. On a couple of baskets, he was able to score through contact and convert three-point play opportunities from the free-throw line. Defensively, Jace was able to block a couple of shots and force a few turnovers with great post defense. Keep it up Jace!!     Nolan was one of the best 12U players in the tourney over the weekend. He excelled at getting into the paint and scoring at the rim. There were a number of occasions where Nolan scored despite being fouled. These led to numerous three-point play chances from the foul-line. He's a great shooter from the floor. I watched him knock down multiple threes and a host of shots from the mid-area of the court. Nolan was great at rebounding and hitting teammates with nice passes. He seemed to have a knack of finding ways to make positive plays for his team. On defense, Nolan was awesome at playing the passing lanes. He generated multiple steals by timing passes from the opposition. during the game Nolan played great on-ball defense and blocked a shot. He's a great young player with a bright future ahead of him. Keep working Nolan!!     He's an excellent point guard who showcased his skills as a true "floor general." Miller played the games under control and with a clam demeanor. Nothing seemed to bother him in regard to pressure from his opponents. He ran the Griffin Elite offense with precision and efficiency. He's a great facilitator who always managed to find his teammates open for easy scores. I'm confident enough to say, "Miller led his team in assists over the weekend." He has a pass first mentality with the ability to score when he needs to. Offensively he can break down defenders and get to the basket. During the game, Miller was able to nail multiple threes and score on lay-ups during fast-break opportunities. He's a solid point guard who led by example throughout the tournament. Keep it up Miller!!     This young man was the best shooter in his age group. Julian started off the game by nailing three consecutive three-pointers. I saw a young man with excellent shooting form and ball rotation on every shot he took. He was very aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. Julian always found ways to free himself for open looks at the basket. Whether it was using the hesitation dribble or teammate screens, Julian found ways to effectively make shots. Beating his opponent off the dribble or scoring in the paint were also strengths of his game. Defensively, he played great on-ball defense by pressuring opposing guards into turnovers. Julian is a great young shooter who will always have a spot on any team. Keep shooting Julian!!     Simeon was a dominant presence in the paint over the weekend. He easily scored over smaller defenders attempting to guard him. Simeon used numerous post moves to be an unstoppable force during the game. The big man showed great footwork by using drop-steps and pump-fakes to get his shot off effectively. On a few occasions, Simeon scored baskets through contact. This led to multiple attempts from the free-throw line. He converted many of his three-point play opportunities. During fast-breaks he finished at he rim whenever the team had opportunities to run. Simeon impressed me with his tenacity to rebound the basketball. Every time I looked up. "I saw him grabbing every board he got his hands on." He easily out-rebounded everyone in the game. On defense, Simeon blocked multiple shots and protected the paint from opposing players. In my opinion, this young man has a great upside that will take him far in the game of basketball. Keep working Simeon!!     Prince is a shooter! As soon as this little guy comes off the bench, he comes in firing. I believe he's a great scorer in the making. Already at a young age, Prince plays with no fear of taking shots regardless of the circumstances. It didn't matter who defended him, he always found ways of attacking the opposing defense. Prince is a great shooter who showed the ability to nail shots from mid or long range. During the first game of the day, I watched him knock down three shots from beyond he arc. Prince also mixed in some perimeter shots and tough slashes to the basket. His most effective shot was the floater going down the lane. He made this shot numerous times over taller defenders protecting the paint. I really appreciate the toughness of this little guy. Despite being the smallest player on the court, Prince was fearless! On defense, he was great at applying pressure on the ball. He often forced opposing guards into mistakes and turnovers. Keep shooting Prince!!

Watching these young players were a treat for everyone! The skills they showed made them worthy of being 1st Team tournament performers.