The third and final part of our recap of the Texas Youth Basketball League by Rick Nelson and sponsored by Texas Hoops and Adidas is to the 2020 class. We have covered over thirty kids to this point and let's get started with the 8th grade group.
In my opinion the 2020 games were the most entertaining, especially on Sunday. Texas Elite (Cryer) was part of two really good ones. Against Nike D1 Shooters they went to double overtime and came out victorious and against Texas Premier, it was tight throughout but ended up short. LJ Cryer showed this weekend that he is a top 5 talent in his class in Texas. I will be honest, I didn't think he had a good jumper at first but he proved me completely wrong. He shot 40% from three and he shot the ball well off the dribble. Defensively he is effective because he moves laterally well and he plays defense with active hands. But what I like about Cryer the most is that he is unselfish with the ball and he doesn't mind racking up more assists than points, if thats what his team needs for him to do to win. His teammate Marcellous Paul shot the ball well and was strong in transition. Paul is more of a set shooter at this point and his handles are a little shaky but he plays his role very well. Usually the second and sometimes the leading scorer for that Texas Elite group, paul has the tools to be a nice prospect in the future. Victor Idusuyi Jr. for Tx. Elite has a Dejuan Blair type of game to him. He has a great frame, gets off the floor quick, like there are springs in his legs, and rebounds the ball at a high level. Jr. as they call him is the enforcer for his team and he makes an impact on both sides of the ball with his aggression and motor.
Nike D1 Shooters made their appearance and they have added some new pieces to the group. Jaquan Scott and Vincent Rockwell were the two big ones. Scott is 6’6 with a long wingspan and he makes it tough for guards to get a shot off close to the basket. He was making it hard for anyone to score around the rim. His motor is so-so but what he can bring on the floor is important for that team. Rockwell compliments their point guard Kade Anderson at the two-guard. Where Anderson is a pass first, slasher type of pg, Rockwell is a score first guard that can get hot quick. What I really like about Rockwell is that he can score with either hand effectively, either that is with layups or floaters. You really would only know that he is a lefty by his jump shot, because anything else he is effective with both hands. Anderson did a great job facilitating and he attacked the rim a lot of times. Biggest flaw with him is his jumper but he manages the game and he played solid defense on Cryer, making him work some on his shots when he was guarding him. Jay Wilson, who maybe the most talked about player on D1 brought it when he wanted it. The more I see him, I realized he gets down on himself very hard and that affects his play and demeanor. He will have to learn how to control himself when he is mad at himself because from a viewer’s standpoint, it looks like he has a bad attitude. I like a player that gets on himself when he isn’t playing good but don’t visibly show it. He is young though so there is a lot of time but when he didn’t let things affect him, he looked dominate at times and he can do that consistently. There were stretches where he scored 10 plus points straight and swatted anything coming into the lane. Wilson is a top 2020 talent, and his guard play has improved a lot, he just has to keep working on the mental.
Tx. Premier stayed undefeated in the TYBL. Blake Smith has impressed me a lot, playing point guard with a cast on his wrist. You can tell when it is hurting at times, but he plays through it. I still don’t think Smith is a point guard, but more of a combo guard but he has come a long way because I had him as a forward at the end of the summer. Julien Smith struggled, it seemed like he couldn’t hit a shot to save his life but when he wasn’t making shots he did show the ability to create for others and that is important. Nathan Dominick was good as well especially in the high post. He is a small forward but I like that he can score from inside and out. Dominick had good games and was sometimes the main option they looked for when they needed a shot. I have been watching Jeffrey Mills for some time but his game against Tx. Elite Cryer showed how versatile he is. He is a 3 and D guy and for those that don’t know what that means, I’m saying he shoots threes well and plays good defense. There isn’t much of an in-between game but he will drive if the lane is open and make the right decision. He is like the Shane Battier for Premier. Anthony Scott is like a pesky dog. Defensively he gathered a lot of steals and I would honestly say he was the Defensive MVP for that division this session. He is a sparkplug for his team and the intensity for his team increases when he is in the game.
San Antonio Admirals are a sleeper team in that division. Caleb Golden is a beast and the athletic guard was scoring with ease. Golden’s game isn’t flashy but the 6’1-6’2 point guard was abusing smaller guards on offense. His name will rise soon and I know the people in San Antonio are very familiar with this kid. Daniel Jackson is a long forward that plays multiple positions. One minute he is guarding posts, the next minute he is guarding the PG and then the next he is bringing the ball up the court. His versatility was key to his team’s success.
We will stay with San Antonio kids. San Antonio Hoops Elite had a huge win on Sunday against Tx. Elite Cryer and a big thanks to that was Truett Heintzelman. He shot 6-6 from three point range and finished with 22 points I believe. The next game he played good as well, showcasing his solid ball handling and finishing abilities. Heintzelman can play, he is a definite talent.
Tx. Elite Holloway had some nice pieces to build around. Justin Hill and Clay Baldwin are a strong backcourt. Hill is strong with the ball, a one move and go type of player. He shoots it well from the perimeter but his first step gets him past people that defended him. Baldwin may have had one of the most clutch performances from that weekend. With his team down by 14 points to Team FAM with four minutes to go, Baldwin scored 15 points and made three straight three pointers in one minute. His performance that game helped his team win in overtime. Melvin Holloway spaces the floor and brings a lot of energy. He may be the smallest player on the court but he made an impact on his team just like Scott did for Premier. He plays good defense, he facilitates the ball well, finding Baldwin and Hill for good shots and communicated well on both sides of the ball. Holloway is a player that plays his role very well and that allows his team to be competitive.
Team FAM couldn’t finish the game out but it happens. As a coach, especially when coaching middle schoolers, it will happen more times than usual because they are in the process on learning how to finish games. Forward Hayden Brittingham was big time for the FAM group. He is very athletic and he loves taking contact inside. Brittingam is a handful to guard and was one of the best forwards in that division. He can handle the ball some, more of a straight line player from the perimeter but let him get a half-step on you and he rise up and dunk it.
For 3D Empire, first off I enjoy watching them play because they move the ball extremely well and they play within the system that the coach has them in. Logan McCaughlin was shooting the ball from the volleyball line sometimes and he has such a quick release on his jumper. He was impressive in the last session and he did better this go around. Danny Sommerhalder ran the point position and he got in the lane using his solid frame and he was effective making passes off the drive. When opponents backed off from him, he made them pay by making jumpshots. Sommerhalder just makes the right decisions. Brayden Gerlich, who I have covered several times is quietly productive. He is a type of player to get a double-double and nobody knew he got one. He is a solid rebounder and he is good in the pick and pop, because he can stretch the floor and shoot the three or drive against slower bigs.
I like what DJH5 have in the backcourt. That team is slowly coming together and I’m interested on how the team looks when AAU season starts. Juan Merino is very quick and when teams were trying to set traps on him, he used his speed and strong ball handling abilities to split the trap and get his team in transition. He finishes strong when he gets in the lane and he has a solid jumper coming off the dribble. He may be going very fast but he still is in control and I like that about him. Darrius Whittington has a good frame for a guard. He is athletic and he scores at a high level. He will initiate contact when he goes up for a layup in traffic and he can shoot it well from the catch. The backcourt with Merino gave opposing teams problems because they are fast and look to push the ball whenever they can.
The Program/Team Jordan had some solid pieces. Jaden Hullaby was relentless going to the rim. When his team was up a lot or down, he made it a mission to get in the lane and score or draw a foul. Bryndon Looney is a long forward that shot the ball from the perimeter well. He racks steals up because he knows how to use his length and tip passes during the press. Looney and Hullaby made a good one-two combo and I like how they play off of each other.
Texas Heat struggled some on Sunday but they had some players that played good this weekend. Donovan Payne showed his offensive potential against Tx. Premier. He took their bigs out to the high post and short corner and used his speed and athleticism to get a step on them and finish. He showed the ability to catch, drive and score which I would love if he did that more often. Zaakir Sawyer is a bully. A big guard that has great size for his position and he uses it to create separation for shots. When in transition, he was tough to guard because he is quick and explosive. He needs to use his left hand more but he put together a compilation of good games. Ryan West for the Heat did a good job as well. He has good vision and he is a streaky scorer. He gets his 8-10 points and he does it quietly. Chris Thompson ran some point guard for the Heat and he looked solid. He has more of a score first mentality but he looked to create for others from time to time. He still needs to polish his handles but he did ok running PG and he just needs more reps to get more comfortable.
BMM had another good showing in Session II. KJ Liggins suited up in the army black and white uniform and he did a good job handling the ball. He was effective in the perimeter, being able to score from the three point line and attacking the paint over bigger defenders. Liggins knows how to score with the ball in his hands but will need to move more when it isn’t. Like setting off ball screens, slashing more, but honestly I may just be nitpicking here and I could say that about many guards so he’s ok. He played very well last weekend and was one of the better looking guards in that division. Brandon Lawrence came to play and I like what he did managing the game as always. He just has a good balance of scoring and facilitating. Brendon Lewis is in the back-court with him and he makes plays. A high volume scorer, when Lewis is hot, he is very hard to guard. He is capable of scoring 20 points in a game and I like what he brings at the guard spot. Their big man Quevian Adger knows how to rebound and block shots at a high level but his offensive game is coming along. I also saw him this weekend so I will be talking about him more very soon but he is getting comfortable when he has the ball in his hands which is something I wouldn’t have said last summer. I like his progress and it shows that he is putting time in the gym to get better.
Who Else
There are players that deserve recognition for their performances. Jake Milkereit for Blade did a good job shooting the ball. He was Blade’s leading scorer for most of the games and the scrappy guard did a nice job coming off screens and knocking down jumpers. Talking about scrappy guards, Malik Nash for 3T Elite is very scrappy. He plays until the final buzzer hits and he does a great job getting into the lane and finishing. I saw him in Houston a few months ago and he impressed me then. Nash is tough and I like his productivity on the floor. Darryl Brown for Triumph Elite is about 6’4 and he can stretch the floor and make mid-range to three point shots. Brown has a good first step and he is a matchup problem because of his ability to shoot and being faster than a lot of bigs. If he works on his ball handling he can be a serious problem. A light bulb lit or something clicked for Misiel Teklai of Nike D1 Shooters. Teklai against Tx. Elite Cryer was on another level. He single handedly kept his team in the game in the second half and in both overtimes. Teklai is extremely quick and he is shifty. If Teklai can put performances like that up consistently, He can be a special player. Jace Howard of Total Package is a big time player. The guard/forward is quick and he used his length to score inside over others. Off the dribble he is effective especially when he pulls-up from the top of the key. Howard has basketball in his blood, being the son of Juwan Howard and he showed a lot of promise last weekend. Tito Moronta for STXwas one of my favorite point guards to watch in Session II. Talk about a true point guard, Moronta was unselfish with the ball and he knew when he needed to score. When he looked to score, he took good shots also and that impressed me. He made five three pointers against BMM and his team almost won. His demeanor and game is mature and I will definitely be following his progress in the future.
Check Lonestarprepspotlight.com and follow us on Twitter @spotlight2019 and @ani_umana. Register for our 2016 Elite Skills Showcase on February 27-28. Grades 5-8 and some of the best talent from the south will be there. We will make announcements of players coming. STAY TUNED!
To register, go to this page http://lonestarprepspotlight.com/events/elite-skills-showcase/
