Eli was certainly one of the most clutch players from the weekend; hitting a 3-pointer to give his team the lead in overtime of the Silver bracket championship… and then sealing the win with a steal and a pair of free throws in the final seconds.

Eli isn’t quite to the height to be considered a true power forward, but that’s how he looks at times. He has a big body, and plays very strong in the paint. But he’s got amazing moves as well; he can drive the ball and shrug off a defender before shooting a jumper… or post up and wrangle rebounds for his team.

Eli scored 15 points in both the semifinals and finals of the Silver bracket. He’s got a wicked euro-step, and no shortage of talent in his footwork. But even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, he’s a solid team-first kind of player. In tense moments, he gathers the team around him and tries to keep everyone calm.

Eli takes pride in his shooting abilities, and a no-fear attitude that helps him in the kind of late-game situations that he faced at this year’s Midwest Melee.

Eli is another kid who’s late game heroics helped deliver his team a title in this year’s Silver bracket of the tournament.

In the title game against NEB, toward the end of regulation, Eli scored the go-ahead basket for his team-and then came up with a clutch block on defense. Then after the game went to overtime, Eli was the one who delivered the game-winning 3-pointer, and followed that with a game-sealing steal; along with a pair of clutch free throws.

Eli’s clutch heroics came up big in the final minutes, but he was dominant from start to finish. He’s already got a big frame, but still has slick moves in the paint. He can post up strong, but you can also give him the ball at the top of the key and he’ll drive right through the defense. He’s still at a size where he can be incredibly versatile; running the point or playing the post-depending on his team’s needs.

And as an 8th grader, we can’t overlook his free throw shooting abilities. On Sunday I once saw him make 5/6 free throws over one stretch of the game. That might not sound exceptional at first glance, but I rarely see free throw shooting at that strong of a clip for kids who have yet to enter high school… not to mention that some of those free throws were in high-stress situations late in the game.

Eli has a sick euro-step, and has the body control to shrug off a defender before burying a jumper. And he’s also a solid team-first kind of kid. He gathers his teammates to him, and rallies the troops in tight situations. And obviously has the ability to play the hero as well.

Eli prides himself in being able to drive the ball well and finish in contact. And he admits that he’s never afraid of a big moment on the floor.