Jarrell Hits the EYBL Minnesota

Top Teams:

Mokan Elite – Plays together as a team, not selfish, everyone is focused on winning rather than who makes the plays. Plays great team defense, always helping each other, diving on the floor for loose balls and always going after the 50/50 balls.  This is a high energy team, other teams who can’t match their energy level-watch out! Great guard play from Lourawls Narin Jr who may be the fastest player at EYBL and the heart behind the team.  And watch for Ben Richardson who is a great shooter and creates opportunities for others.  Also, Noah Knight who is a great defender and brings that high energy we are talking about.  This team could shock some people come Peach Jam if they make a deep run.

Texas Titans – The youngest team at EYBL, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they play. Very well coached team, plays very well together, talented from top to bottom. Excellent point guard play from Alex Robinson who is very tough to defend, great shooters on the wing with DJ Hogg and Jackson Forbes.  And two amazing big men up front: Tyler Davis and Djery Jean Baptiste, who got it done on both ends of the court. My favorite team to watch at the tournament.  If everything is clicking for them come Peach Jam there could be some surprises in store.

Spiece Indy Heat – Arguably one of the best front courts of the tournament.  Great guard play from James Blackmon and Justin Mitchell who scored and matched up well on defensive and were able to handle their own on the offensive end as well. Plays every game very physical with a grind it out style. The front court was very hard to handle with Trevon Blueitt knocking down 3s and getting to the basket off the dribble, Trey Lyles scoring in the post and rebounding, and Stephen McElevene rebounding and contesting shots on defense.   Some of the most competitive games of the weekend came from this team–every game was a nailbiter making it fun to watch. Should be interesting to see how they play at Peach Jam once JaQuan Lyle returns.

Team Takeover – May have been the best team at the tournament.  Excellent guard play, very efficient offensively, moves the ball very well, and tries to get the easiest basket every time down.  With Quadree Smith who is the enforcer on the inside, a guard like Phil Booth who was knocking shots down and getting to the basket scoring at will, and with a great wing player in Marcus Derrickson who can score in multiple ways and is also a pretty good defender they are decidedly a big contender to take the Peach Jam title. A team to keep your eye on and is fun to watch.

Team Penny – Overall, a very exciting team to watch.  On defense, they full court press most of the game trying to speed the other team up and create turnovers. On offense, they spread the floor, which allows Anton Beard to get to the basket and finish.  The team gives Dedric Lawson space to make open jump shots and create off the dribble because he is playing the 4 and a mismatch for most forwards. Keelon Lawson II is also a great wing player who plays with a lot of energy, is a great offensive rebounder, and attacks the basket with reckless abandon. A good team that recognizes who they are and plays within their role.

Mac Irvin Fire – Very athletic team who likes pressuring the ball on defense and causing turnovers, this leads to dunks and raises the energy level in the gym. When Jahlil Okafor is healthy they have the best front court in AAU.  Cliff Alexander dominated teams this weekend, looking like a man amongst boys on the court. Josh Cunningham had a very good weekend too–very athletic wing player who plays amazing defense and finishes at the basket. Shooters like Miles Reynolds and Torry Johnson allow Jahlil and Cliff to operate down low without getting doubled every time.  Key to the team is Jalen Brunson who is a premiere point guard who can shoot the ball very well, get to the basket, and finish or create a basket for other players. They can win Peach Jam if all players are on board.

E1T1 – Another team with very good wing play.  In particular, Boubacar Moungero is an exceptional wing player who gets to the basket and finishes in traffic, and is a decent shooter.  There is another good wing player in Koubie Eubanks who is also a pretty good shooter and defender. Big men Michael Gilmore and Alex Owens defend the rim pretty well, are capable of finishing around the basket, and rebound the ball. E1T1 play good team defense, the players know when to help, when to double, and when to dig the post. Exceptional team all weekend—they know how to win.

CP3 All Stars-  Played in one of the most competitive games of the weekend against Wisconsin Playground elite. Very athletic team between Theo Pinson, LJ Peak and Gary Clark, all three are very good players on the offensive end attacking the basket with aggression. Theo Pinson stands out between the three, as a very smooth player who can shoot off the dribble and make games easier for others around him  Only have 3 losses total throughout EYBL and you can see why when you watch them play. Very athletic team who moves very well together on defense and the wing players are athletic enough to guard bigger players in post.  They have very steady guard play. Definitely a team to watch out for at Peach Jam, as they just could win it all

Houston Hoops – Has the best wing combination with Justin Jackson, Kelly Oubre and Justise Winslow. A hard team to guard when all three of those players mentioned are out on the court at the same time. Oubre can do it from knocking down the three consistently, to getting to the basket and finishing over players. Jackson is a very good shooter who attacks the basket well and Winslow is an exceptional finisher around the rim. Their guards can defend very well and get open shots because most team focuses on the wing players. Overall, a very athletic team– difficult to deal with and should be a contender to win Peach Jam.

St. Louis Eagles – Very well balanced team with Larry Austin running the point, he gets everyone involved on offense and can get his own shot at the same time, 2 great shooters with Chaz Glotta and Andrew Fleming.  A great wing player in Jordan Barnett who does everything well and Ikenna Okwarabize who for a big man has great touch and can finish around the basket very well. Plays very good team defense with Barnett causing havoc with his length on the wing and Okwarabize defending the paint very well. A team to watch out for at Peach Jam–they could make a deep run.

Alabama Challenge – Very good team overall with guard play from Devin Booker who can do a little bit of everything–combo guard nice jump shot likes shooting off the dribble.  He’s a very tough kid, had a cut to back of his head and finished the rest of that game and then played in the next one despite the injury. Team is very athletic up front thanks to Demetrius Houston, Jeffery Garrett, Jr., and William Lee.  These players disrupt a lot of shots due to their athleticism, rebound the ball really well, and finish over the rim when attacking.  Didn’t end up qualifying for Peach Jam unfortunately.

Georgia Stars – A high energy team with an in your face attitude. Have one of the best big men at EYBL in Noah Dickerson.  He’s a 20 and 10 type of guy in every game, he can play with his back to the basket, and tries to dunk at every opportunity. Have two good guard players in Eric Lockett and Tadric Jackson. Jackson is a very athletic player, if he gets two steps to the basket he will try to dunk the basketball every time, uses his body very well when attacking the basket to get space to finish over bigger defenders, in your face a lot after making a play. Very good team overall impressed with their energy level and ability to maintain it throughout every game.

New York Lightning – Very underrated team who plays tough defensively. They have two of the most underrated prospects in the country on this roster in Angel Delgado and Luis Montero. Angel Delgado is an undersized power forward but what he lacks in height he more than makes up for in skill.  He has a solid back to the basket game and is athletic and strong enough to finish over bigger players. Excellent rebounder, leads the EYBL in rebounding and plays with a lot of intensity on the defensive end. Luis Montero is a point forward type of player.  Being a 6’8 and lanky guard it is difficult to find a player to match him up with. If you put a smaller guard on him he will shoot right over him, but if you put a bigger player on him he will drive right past them. Very skillful player who can improve on his ball handling a bit but it’s clear he is something special in the making. This is a great team– most of their games over the weekend were close, they had a shot to win each and every one. Have the defensive ability and talent to shock some people at Peach Jam.

Team Final – Had a very good weekend overall.  Plays together as a team, difficult to guard because of their length, which makes it hard to score on them too. Have two of the better guards at the tournament in Malachi Richardson and Mikal Bridges. Malachi Richardson is a very good wing player and streaky shooter.  If he heats up—he is someone to watch out for.  He’s also a very good slasher, as he gets to the basket and stays at the free throw line.  Bridges is a very long athletic player who looks like he is still growing.  Very efficient scorer, doesn’t need a lot of shots to get his numbers, great attacking the basket and finishing in traffic. Has the capacity to develop a consistent jump shot. Will be interesting to see them at Peach Jam.

Team Texas Elite – Great balance on their team, have some good guards who can really shoot in Austin Grandstaff and Matt Mcquaid.  Grandstaff is an excellent shooter and can also take you off the dribble and can either pull up for a mid range jumper or finish at the basket.  Their greatest strength is the excellent front court in Elijah Thomas and TJ Maston. Elijah is a beast in the post, knows how to use his body, very nimble for his size, and can finish at the basket with either hand. Also, he’s a very good rebounder and contests a lot of shots at the rim. TJ Matson is the x-factor for this team. Every game I watched him in this weekend he had at least 11 rebounds in the game and balls just seem to find him. Also, a very good finisher but could use some back to the basket moves. Overall, a great player.

As for the highlights, the most memorable games were: Indy Spiece Heat vs St. Louis Eagles and Texas Titans vs Georgia Stars.  The Indy vs Eagles game was very competitive from the start. Eagles got out to an early lead on Indy but Indy got back in the game on a run sparked by Trevon Blueitt and James Blackmon. Spurring the Eagles towards making another small run behind Ikeena Okwarabize who made a couple of baskets. But once again Indy made a comeback with 20 seconds left in the game.  Indy went up two points and the Eagles got the ball.  Eagles runs a play, the ball ends up in Chaz Glotta hands as he comes off a pick and roll and elevates up for a three over Trey Lyles and knocks it down with 6.8 seconds left.  Indy gets the ball past half court and calls a time out with 4.3 seconds left.  Coming out of the timeout, Indy runs a play and Trevon Bluiett catches the ball at top key, drives down middle lane and makes a lay up leaving Indy with a one point lead. Eagles inbounds ball to Glotta, with 1.8 seconds left, he takes one dribble and throws up a half court which looks good but hits the volleyball net above court and Indy win the game 68-67.

The second game between Texas Titans and Georgia Stars was also a close one. This game was very intense from the get go as a consequence of the way the Stars play.  The Stars are a very talkative team who try to get under your skin to throw you off your game. But the Titans remained composed and kept playing their game. Alex Robinson played a very good game for the Titans shooting the Stars down off the pick and roll by getting to the basket, making mid range jump shots, or passing to an open teammate. Jackson Forbes, Tyler Davis and DJ Hogg contributed a lot to the Titans as well.  As for the Stars, Noah Dickerson and Tadric Jackson had big games, leading for the majority of the time. In the second half, with 4 minutes left, the Stars were leading by seven points.  Titans made a comeback that started with a three pointer off a DJ Hogg three, which was an assist to Alex Robinson.  That run lead to the Titans going up five points with just a minute left in the game and the Stars fouling trying to get back in there.  Robinson iced the game from the free throw line.  Titans ended up winning 72-68Top Teams: