Spurs City Shootout: 14U Tenacious Performers

One thing I love seeing is players giving it their absolute all on both ends of the floor. Pure hustle and heart, not an ounce of quit in their approach. The players below demonstrated that all weekend and stood out in major ways.    Shay is a determined, smart point guard with the ability to get all his teammates involved while simultaneously making plays himself. He has a calm demeanor, and it comes in handy throughout his games - giving him the ability to confidently work his way out of defensive jams when bringing the ball up the floor and make the right plays time and time again. He's intelligent about the game, which is incredibly impressive at his age - if his shot is off, he'll draw contact and get to the line to get into a rhythm. His shot being off is not a common occurrence though, as he can light it up from beyond the arc and torture opposing defenses with his mid-range game. He's an elite passer off the dribble and often sets his teammates up with picture perfect opportunities at the rim. He has some of the best defensive hands I saw all weekend - in his last game on day 2, I particularly noticed this and was tracking his steals. I eventually lost count once he went into double digits. Buth is a team player with absolute star potential.     Davion is a confident, active player that is always trying to make the right play for his team and for the win. His defense stands out among the pack and - he's always in front of his man and reading his next moves like a best-selling novel he can't put down. I'm not sure if he requests it or not, but most of the time he's covering the opponent's best player and once you see him shut them down a couple times you can easily tell why. He can frustrate his opposition quickly, usually leading them to heave up a bad shot or make an errant pass leading to turnover after turnover. He's not shaken easily, if one part of his game isn't clicking, he intelligently focuses on another and whatever he can do to help his squad to victory.     Elijah is a focused, heads-up player that makes plays for his teammates on both ends of the floor. He's a master on the offensive glass, regularly snagging the ball for second and third-chance opportunities. He puts his teammates before himself and it shows in his approach on the court - often looking to set them up with a great shot rather than taking a good one of his own. He's smart and he communicates throughout the game, often lifting his team up in the process. He doesn't panic under pressure, and his demeanor seems to suggest he almost expects it and welcomes the opportunity to work his way through it. He's a good paint protector on defense and his rebounding ability on that end allows him to significantly limit opposing second-chance opportunities.     Andrade is a speedy, sharpshooting guard that can positively impact the game in several ways for his team. He can catch fire from beyond the arc, sometimes going on multiple streaks in one game. He's great finisher on his drives and can battle his way through contact for extra opportunities at the line. His defense is lethal because he knows how to reach without fouling and successfully steal the ball more times than not. He can quickly frustrate an opponent, leaving them frazzled and mistake-prone while he scores buckets on the other end. He knows to get to the charity stripe consistently and is great at creating contact in order to do so. LT seems to have a nonstop motor and never appears winded, even when he should be from going full speed all the time on both ends of the floor.     Owen is a passionate, playmaking guard that puts his body on the line for his team and will do whatever it takes to end up on the winning side of the ball. He's a beast on the glass on both ends of the floor, particularly offensively, where he routinely racks up extra opportunities for himself and his teammates. His awareness is solid and he always seems to know what's developing around him in order to capitalize on what's next. He's a good decision-maker and rarely takes bad shots or turns the ball over. He can score effectively in the paint and from mid-range and has a quick release on his shot that's difficult for his opponents to block or deflect. Leugers never takes a play off on either end and his passion for the game is apparent.

One thing I love seeing is players giving it their absolute all on both ends of the floor. Pure hustle and heart, not an ounce of quit in their approach. The players below demonstrated that all weekend and stood out in major ways.