I attended Double Pump Summer Tip Off this weekend, a very well organized event with great teams and talent all over the board. These are the teams that stood out to me all weekend in the 17U and the 16U age group.
17U
Superior Athletes – Arguably one of the most athletic teams at the tournament, defended teams well and played together for the most part. Also had the best backcourt of any team in the tournament. Jeremy Hensley, Kendall Small, Ron Freeman and Stephen Thompson. All four can create their own shot, shoot the ball and defend well. Hemsley was the most athletic player I saw all weekend. He has a very explosive quick jump and can catch you off guard with his leaping ability, also a very capable shooter. Small is a point guard who can get his own shot as well as create for others, ok shooter and solid defender. Freeman is a great wing player that can play one through three and guard multiple positions; very athletic finishes at the basket as well as good a solid shooter. Thompson is the glue man. He does everything well and helps the team in anyway he can. Very entertaining team to watch they like to get up and down and play with high intensity.
Utah Pump N Run – The best coached team I’ve seen all grassroots season, very efficient and unselfish team. There really isn’t a go to player on the team they all play well and play together. Run the flex offense almost perfect every time and rarely there is a contested shot taken. Talk well on defense all move in synch. This team was like a well oiled machine that just got the job done, never really got rattled and knows how to win games. Jake Miles is a knockdown shooter.
OC Pride – Well rounded team can either play a fast pace game or slow the game down. Very smart guards who read the situation and know how to get assists with nice look-offs. One of their best guards is JoJo Ballestero he is a undersized point guard but very smart basketball player. What he doesn’t have in size he makes up for in toughness. He can really shoot the ball and gets open shots for his teammates. This team also has a very good wing player in Robbie Berwick who can do a little bit of everything. Good shooter, attacks the rim relentlessly, plays very well defense. Also capable of playing point guard if the team needs it, the team also has good big men who play their role well by defending the paint and rebounding the ball.
QJZ Elite – Team that loves to play a fast pace game and likes to get up and down to get shots up as quickly as possible. They press teams to speed the game in their favor. The two-standout players on the roster were the Ball brothers Lonzo and Li Angelo. Li Angelo who is an 8th grader is a combo guard that can shoot the ball, can get into the lane and finish occasionally, and also a very good defender who can disrupt the offense. Lonzo Ball who is the older of the two is a 6’4 freshman point guard who has a lot of upside. As of now he can create shots for his teammates and get them involved, A very good shooter who in any open space can knock down the shot, can also get to the basket and finish at the rim. One of the better defenders of the weekend and can guard on ball and play good help side defense. One of the most exciting teams at the tournament forces teams to play their style for the most part. Lonzo has a phenomenal deep baseball pass ability putting pressure on transition defense.
Arizona Power (White) – A very hard-nosed team that plays great defense allowing them to compete in any game and have a chance to win it. Very smart team that plays very well on both ends together, always seem to be in synch with each other and make the right play. Team was lead by some very high IQ guards who knew how to play the game. One of the stand out guards on the team was Shomari Gilliam who was a bit undersized but had a lot of energy and smarts. Gilliam is very good at creating a shot for himself and others. Had a very good midrange game and also could shoot the ball from three point range, High IQ knows when he needs to speed the game up and knows when to slow it down. A very good defender played very well full court on guards to how to speed up opponents. Another player that stood out on the wing was Russ Davis, an undersized small forward who may be able to play shooting guard. One of the top rebounders at the tournament and was 6’4 but he always took the right angles when going to get a rebound and did what few other kids did hustle-wise . Also a very good defender on the perimeter and the post may not have the quickest feet on the court but always gives effort. On the offensive end he is very efficient, doesn’t take bad shoots and is always trying to make the easy play. He has great touch on his shot and is able to attack the basket and finish at the rim. Very well coached team always play with high intensity and under control.
D1 Ambassador Danny Granger – A very athletic group that was able to finish at the basket with the best of them. A very long team with everyone on the front line being 6’6 or bigger which cause teams some issues up front. One of the players that cause issues up front is Zach Lee a 6’6 wing player that is capable of playing in the post or on the wing. He caused mismatch problems for most teams because he can create space to make a shot, but put a guard on him was able to take him to the block and post him up. He is a very tough player to match up with on the court. Also a very effective rebounder. One guard that really stood out on this team was Brian Long who is a matchup problem to opponents with his strength. Long is a great shooter who gets great lift on his lefty jumpshot. He finishes strong at the basket and also can post up smaller guards because he is so strong.
San Diego All Stars – This team also likes to get up and down to make it a fast paced game. They have very good guards and wing players that are smart with the ball allowing them to play this style. Justin Moore (2016) at the Point Guard is a dynamic player, gets to the lane and either creates a lay up for his teammates or himself. A decent shooter but he sees the floor well and also a great defender. Also has a very good big man in Daniel Melifonowu 6’8 who is a high-energy guy, that get rebounds and defends the paint well. He is relentless when going to rebound the ball on either end of the court, has soft hands and is able to catch the ball and finish at the rim. The other standout on this roster is Trey Kell shooting guard who is a knockdown shooter either off the dribble or catch and shoot. Can finish at the basket also, solid defender plays with some effort on this end of the court. Good team knows how play together and plays good team defense.
16U
Arizona Power – A very well coached team that runs their sets and play as a unit on both ends of the court. They don’t get rattled too much and everyone knows their role and executes it. AZ Power has some fantastic guards. The first one is Markus Howard , a point guard who runs sets and tries to get everyone involved, very capable shooter and can really defend the ball. The next is Kenzo Nudo who was one of the best shooters I saw all weekend, also capable of getting to the basket and finishing, and gives great effort on the defensive end. The last standout guard is Terrance Johnson who can really do it all, can shoot the ball, take it off the dribble and either pull up or get to the basket. Creates space on shots and gets open shots for his teammates. They also have great wing players on the team that does a little everything well and plays with high intensity. The first one is Nate Renfro who very long and athletic player, capable shooter, very good at finishing at the basket. Also a very good defender also his length gives him an advantage. Dane Kuiper committed to New Mexico after the event. He has a phenomenal feel for the game, a fantastic shooter and a tough competitor. Craig Neal gets a good one. Marvin Bagley who is the #1 player in 2018 and plays on this team, was still injured.
Utah Pump N Run – Just like the 17U team, they know exactly how to play the game and what they should do, everyone plays their role. They run their offense to perfection most of the time and always in synch on both ends of the court. They have stand out players at the guard spot and the wing. The outstanding guard on the team is Malek Harwell high IQ basketball player knows how to play the game, he is a very good shooter and if he gets open space there’s a good chance the shot is going down. Malek lets the game come to him and looks effortless when he is playing. The great wing player is Jarriesse Blackmon 6’6 wing, very lanky and athletic. Right now the strongest part of his game is his defense the other most always know where he is on the court, cause if ball is in his area he is likely to block it if he can. He’s no slouch on the other end of the court either; good shooter and can finish at the basket strong. Can bring it up the floor if needed. Overall great team that plays the game right and you can tell they’ve practice and have played together for a while.
Las Vegas Knicks – One of the most exciting teams to watch at this age level, very athletic team that plays defense very well and fire power on the offensive end to give teams headaches. Guard play on this team is strong, good defensively and even better on the offense. The two leaders of the group are Darrian Traylor and Colby Myles, Traylor is a scorer can score the ball in multiple ways from getting to the basket and finishing with a floater or lay up to knocking down threes. Not shy player at all if he feels like he is open will shot the shot, also a good defender. Myles is the point guard who runs the team, can finish at the basket with the best of them and creates shots for his teammates. He really gets after it on the defensive end of the court driving the other guards crazy. This team has a very talented player on the wing by the name of Nate Grimes who looks the part as a great player and plays the part on the court as well. Finishes at the basket strong uses his height to his advantage keeps the ball high, a streaky shooter if gets hot look out for him. Also amazing rebounder goes to get the ball and keeps it high once he gets it, protects the paint well by either blocking shots or disrupting them. Very well coached team, they’re athleticism and toughness makes them a scary team to play.
Oakland Rebels – Very smart teams knows how to play the game and never seems to really get rattled by what the opponent is doing. The Rebels play great team defense, always talking and helping each other out. Arguably had the best point guard at the tournament in Juwan Anderson, great player coming off the pick and roll either he can come off it and shoot, get to the basket or find a open teammate. Very good shooter, can finish at the basket with either hand, and gets to the free throw line frequently. Another good guard on this team is Jeevin Sandhu who is a knock down shooter and stretches the floor out and gives his teammates more space to operate with. Also very capable of getting to the basket and finishing, very good defender always giving effort and energy on that end of the court. Another key component on this team is Isaiah Thomas very strong post player who is very good player. Excellent rebounder goes and gets them with both hands, blocks a lot of shots and moves his feet very well for a big man. On offense he has very good hands and can finish at the basket strong, post very hard and gets low to back his man down not a very strong post game but is effective down there. With Anderson on the court team always have a chance to win because he controls the game and make sure everyone on his team is doing the right thing.
Team Bibby – Within the first five minutes of watching this team you can tell they have been together for a long time very in synch with each other on defense, and knows where each other will be on the court at any time. Bibby had amazing guards and wings on this team that disrupted teams on the defensive end and were very hard to guard on the offensive end of the court. The standout guards were JJ Rhymes, Michael Bibby and N’Keal Harry. Rhymes is very dynamic basketball player, can finish at the basket with the best of them. Very capable shooter and a great defender seems to be everywhere when he is on defense. Bibby has an very high IQ on the court growing up with a father that played in the NBA is the reason for this, great shooter who makes shots when ever he gets open space. Also creates shots for his team and plays with a lot of energy. Harry is a very strong and athletic player for his age, gives him an advantage over most kids his age. Finishes at the basket well especially in traffic, a decent shooter and a excellent defender. In the post they also have a great player by the name Carlos Johnson who is athletic and has a strong body for this age group. He dominates in the paint because he is bullies his way through people and finishes at the rim, decent shooter and capable of taking defenders off the dribble and getting to the rim. Very dynamic team who played up an age group and dominated most teams They lost to a very good Knicks team, the chemistry and athleticism of this team makes it scary to play them.
Black Mambas (NY) – Toughest and hardest defending team at this age group. They love to press teams and cause teams to make erratic decisions. Very unknown to everyone at the tournament since they were from New York and they opened a lot of eyes during this tournament. Their guards make thhis team go. The two standouts were Michael Almonacy and Tavon Ginyard. Ginyard is a typical east coast guard plays with a lot of energy and toughness. Alomnacy is a very good combo guard who plays bigger than his size, a very smart player who has a quick first step that allows him to blow past defenders and get into the lane. Very good shooter stretches the floor and makes his team better. Very good defender knows what angles to take and very quick laterally. Another very good player on this team Jamel Allen who can play either in the post or the wing, can go on the wing and take players off the dribble and score or can get in the post and score it’s like pick your poison when guarding him. Has a nice one-dribble pull up jump shot and capable shooter from three-point range. Also very good defender can guard basically every position on the court and disrupts a lot of shots. Overall a great team who depends on their defense to win them games but they also are a good offensive team, a team to keep your eyes out on for the rest of July.
