TYBL Session II Recap-2021

The Texas Youth Basketball League makes their second stop in Dallas. The circuit is ran by Rick Nelson and sponsored by Texas Hoops and Adidas and it showcased several players and games that caught my attention. Since there was a lot of talent and potential in the gym, we are going to break things down by age groups. In this one we cover the 2021 class.

Twin Towers

When watching Triumph 2021 warm up, you can’t miss the two big men that tower over everybody else in the layup lines. Jack Slaughter and Townes Ballard control the front court for the Triumph squad and they impact the game on the boards and on defense. When guards drive in the lane, the bigs length force them to take tough floaters and layups in order to get it to the rim. Now while both players are effective in that category, offensively they are still raw and need to work on their IQ and footwork more. They are only seventh graders so there is a lot of time but if or when it clicks for both big men, that team will be a nightmare for any opponent.

Backcourt Duos

When comparing the backcourts of The Program/Team Jordan and Texas Champions, I came off impressed with the two different styles.  The Program’s backcourt of Stephen Darden and Kealen Ferguson are big and scrappy. They are aggressive driving towards the basket and love to take contact while going up for a shot.  They are streaky when it comes to their jumpers but they didn’t have to rely on it because both players got in the lane at ease. For Tx. Champions, Isaiah Elizondo and John Shaffer are small but are very skilled. Both players possess solid jumpshots from the perimeter and have good vision when they are in attack mode. They turned the ball over some due to their height but they play with a high IQ and fed off each other well. The size will come to them eventually and they can be a nice backcourt for years.

Out in Austin

ATX Elite had one of the most fun pg’s to watch in the Tournament in the 7th grade division. Augustine Arroyo is fast, plays lockdown defense and is unselfish with the ball. That is a good formula for point guards to possess. His decision making needs some work and he can use more lift on his jumper off the catch but he is a game changing player. The staff will definitely keep our eye on him in the next sessions.

Wings

Two forwards that caught my eye were Sean Villarreal of Tx. Champions and Corvin Obrea of Xpress. Villarreal makes plays. He can get six straight points just from getting offensive rebounds, and the next four can come from drives to the basket. Teams need players like that in order to be successful and Villarreal can be a really good basketball player when it is all said and done. Obrea was the number one option for his team. Although Xpress runs good sets to get others open looks, Obrea knows how to be productive within the system which tells you about his IQ. He has a solid jumper from the perimeter and the lefty scores inside off of floaters and contact layups.

Playing Up

I like watching players play up a grade and perform well. Again playing well. For SA Admirals Langston Love and for BMM Duncan Powell, they did exactly that. Powell has been covered several times and his versatility gives BMM a chance to mix and match lineups. On Sunday his motor was on and off but Saturday he came ready to work. Once he can lock in consistently, Powell is a beast. Although on Sunday, his team had wide-margin victories so intensity does drop some when the games aren’t close. At the Hype Sports Winter Jam he looked very impressive; In session II he still played very well and he is one of if not the top player in his class. When I asked Love what grade he is I was shocked. He doesn’t play like a 7th grader at all and he has a lot of promise. Being able to make one move and get his defender on his hip to initiate contact and score, and also knocking down shots from off the dribble impressed me a lot. For the 2021 group, Love is a player that people are sleeping on.

The Undefeated

Mighty Kings came back this weekend after a not so impressive showing in bracket play at the Winter Jam. The Mighty Kings are 8-0 in the TYBL and they dominated their competition. The three headed monster of Imo Essien, Jaddai Henry and Myson Huff did what they usually do. Essien managed the game at the point position, Henry scored in a variety of ways and guarded multiple positions, while Huff scored and scored some more. That team has a good balance on offense and their on-ball defense gives opposing guards fits.

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/