2013 Swish N Dish

This week marked a transition, as the 2013 class is now nearly closed with the McDonald’s All-American game, and the weekend saw the beginning of the AAU season, with future stars on deck. With a focus on underclassmen from the 2014, 2015, and 2016 classes, the top teams in the Midwest traveled to Milwaukee to take part in the 2013 NY2LASports Swish N Dish tournament. The event saw many new faces and teams trying to impress. 

The Tournament:

After an intense high school season in the city of Chicago it came as no surprise that the 17U final featured two Chicago AAU teams. Both the Nike backed Mac Irvin Fire and Meanstreets overcame all comers throughout the three day tournament to face off in the finals. In a game of runs, Mac Irvin made the final run and took home the championship with a 60-55 win. The Fire led 30-21 at the half behind the outside shooting of Jalen Brunson and Tori Johnson, but Meanstreets started the second half on a 16-0 run led by small forward Paul White (2014) and scintillating point guard Tyler Ulis. After falling behind early in the second half, the Fire began to get big man Jahlil Okafor touches and then relied on the clutch shooting of Johnson to hold on to the lead and their first tournament championship of the 2013 season. While these two teams are not scheduled to face off in the EYBL regular season it is almost certain that they haven’t seen the last of each other.  

Meanwhile, in the age bracket below the Saint Louis Eagles took home the 16U crown led by star freshman Jayson Tatum. The Eagles won three games in the final day which included hard fought victories over the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, All Ohio Red, and finally the Devin Harris Superstars in the final.

Stock Soaring:

Jalen Brunson (6’2”, 2015 PG, Mac Irvin Fire 17U)

Jalen Brunson

Well known in Chicago basketball circles after leading his Stevenson squad to the Illinois state championship game against perennial power Simeon, Brunson was not discussed much on the national level. That will no longer be the case after this weekend. Right before the tournament started Brunson switched AAU teams and joined the powerful Mac Irvin Fire.  Brunson got everyone’s attention on Friday night and took the tournament by storm all weekend long as he tossed in three after three while running the offense like a veteran. Brunson ran the pick and roll to perfection and either attacked the basket for a lay-up or dumped it off to Okafor time and time again. Throughout the tournament it came as a surprise any time Brunson did miss a jump shot as his shots routinely found the bottom of the net. Brunson’s stock will start to soar after this tournament and will soon become a national name as the EYBL circuit begins. 

Stock Rising:

Ikenna Okwarabizie (6’10”, 2014 PF/C, STL Eagles 17U)

Fairly new to the game of basketball, Okwarabizie played an integral part for the Saint Louis Eagles. Standing at 6’10”, Okwarabizie already possesses college strength and athletic ability while protecting the middle for his squad. On Day 2 of the tournament, Ikenna rejected numerous shots that came his way and even included a finger wave for good measure. He also attacked the boards and threw down forceful dunks whenever possible. When the Nike EYBL circuit starts up, college coaches will certainly start tracking this impressive athlete. 

Future Star:

Jayson Tatum (6’7”, 2016 G/F, STL Eagles 16U)

After earning the Saint Louis Metro Catholic Conference “Newcomer of the Year” award and sharing the conference “Player of the Year” awards Tatum did not waste any time getting to work on the AAU circuit. Despite playing one year up on the Saint Louis Eagles squad, it’s not hard to realize that this kid is going to be special. Tatum helped his team capture the 16U championship trophy while dominating all day long as he staked his claim as the top freshman in the country. 

2016 sensation - Jayson Tatum

Tatum did it all over the weekend including a masterful 21 point performance in a quarterfinal win over the Wisconsin Playground Warriors. In a back and forth affair, he put the team on his narrow shoulders in the second half and scored in a variety of ways: drive to the basket, post-up, mid range jump shot, and three. Tatum’s favorite move comes when he isolates his defender at the top of the key and attacks the basket going either right or left. On several possessions he caught the ball on the wing and saw that a shorter defender was guarding him. Upon recognition, Tatum quickly backed his man down in the post for an easy score. Despite his lanky frame, Tatum backed down his defender in an aggressive manner and usually only needed three or four dribbles to go from the three point line to the basket. Tatum’s finest sequence came when he attacked the left side of the basket and got an “And-One.” Tatum missed the free throw and despite having four players from the opposing team lined up for the rebound, somehow managed to come up with the loose ball in traffic and converted a five foot bank shot for a four point play. Tatum also used his length on defense to create deflections and steals while making the man he guarded extremely uncomfortable. After this tournament it’s safe to say that the future is bright for this star.

Top Performers:

Jahlil Okafor (6’8”, 2014 C, Mac Irvin Fire 17U)

Okafor started the tournament with a game winner and 35 point performance and finished it with a championship. This is Okafor’s third year playing for the Mac Irvin 17U squad and he is basically a man among boys on the court. In every game that Okafor played this weekend he was absolutely murdered by his defender or defenders every time down the court. To Okafor’s credit he never once lost his cool despite getting hacked or a forearm in his back at every post up. When Okafor did catch the ball down low he used his patented spin move to get to the basket for lay-ups and short hook shots. He avoided foul trouble and was a beast on the boards pulling down 15+ in the championship game. While Okafor is unstoppable down low it would be nice to see him add a Tim Duncan esque bank shot to his game. He loves to face-up his defender after catching the ball in the post and if he could utilize a short jump shot it would make his spin move all the more devastating. 

Tyler Ulis (5’9”, 2014 PG, Meanstreets 17U)

While Ulis only stands 5’9” he is a maestro with the ball in his hands. With long arms and exceptional handles, it is almost impossible for a single defender to keep him in front. As a result Ulis was getting into the paint at will in both the semi-final against Ray Allen Select as well as the final against Mac Irvin. Once in the paint, Ulis showed off great body control when converting at the hoop as well as a floater that he hit several times over an outstretched Okafor hand. Several of his finishes in the paint had the crowd shaking their heads afterwards. Big 10 coaches such as Tom Izzo were keeping tabs on Ulis during the high school season, but things should start to heat up quickly once the EYBL season starts. 

Jordan Barnett (6’7”, 2014 SF, STL Eagles 17U)

After a strong high school season, Barnett climbed up the recruiting rankings and should continue to climb throughout the AAU season. Standing 6’7”, Barnett also has long arms which help him in numerous aspects. In his first game of the tournament, Barnett went for 20 points on 7-9 shooting and 5-6 from the free throw line. Barnett’s baskets all came within the flow of the offense and resulted in lay-ups and dunks off of cuts or drives to the basket. When not scoring in the lane, Barnett was more than capable of knocking down an outside shot and showed off a quick release when doing so. While he is a strong scorer, Barnett also grabs rebounds and can block shots as well. One of the most efficient players on the circuit, Barnett’s rise is just beginning. 

Cliff Alexander (6’9”, 2014 PF, D Rose All-Stars 17U)

I certainly hope that this AAU tournament will not represent the rest of Alexander’s AAU experience this spring and summer. As usual, “Big Cliff” dominated on the blocks and erased shots on the defensive end. Unfortunately for Alexander, he did not get much help and the D Rose All Stars were sent back to Chicago early on. With two dominant Chicago AAU teams playing on the Nike circuit, it will be a shame if Alexander’s talents are wasted in early AAU knockouts. Cliff was aggressive when catching the ball in the post and used his size and athleticism to pretty much score at will. He did step out of the post a few times to attempt mid-range jumpers. While he did connect on one 15 footer, he will definitely have to work hard at this area of his game. 

Charles Matthews (6’5”, 2015 SG, Meanstreets 17U)

Matthews is a match-up nightmare for guards on the AAU circuit and uses his size and strength to get to any spot he desires on offense. Once at the desired spot, Matthews uses his jumping ability to rise up and over his defender for a feathery shot. Out of all the players in the tournament he probably gets the highest in the air when shooting. A physically imposing guard, Matthews will need to continue to work on his assertiveness as the AAU season continues. 

Nick Noskowiak (6’2”, 2015 PG, Wisconsin Playground Warriors 16U)

Playing for the 16U Wisconsin Playground Warriors, Noskowiak got people talking after leading a come from behind victory over the athletic Illinois Celtics. With a game similar to Bronson Koenig, Noskowiak showed off an impressive feel for the game all weekend long. After leading the 16U team to a victory Saturday morning he jumped up a class to play for the 17U Warriors team in a hard fought overtime loss to All-Ohio. Noskowiak nailed threes on a regular basis, hit the open man, and played the game with some flair. On Sunday morning, he battled the Saint Louis Eagles all the way till the end hitting three pointers from all sides of the court while also aggressively attacking the basket for contested lay-ups or trips to the free throw line to the tune of 23 points. Noskowiak handled the ball well under pressure and showed the ability to attack in one on one situations as well as the pick and roll. Besides for Jayson Tatum, Nick Noskowiak impressed the most in the 16U age group.

Tori Johnson (6’2”, 2014 SG, Mac Irvin Fire 17U)

Behind Brunson, Johnson was the most consistent shooter for Mac Irvin over the weekend. Johnson hit numerous threes in every game including a crucial three pointer to stop a 16-0 run in the championship game. Towards the end of the game Johnson also sealed the victory with clutch free throw shooting and a fast break dunk. A very quiet player that is deadly from behind the arc.

Esa Ahmad (6’7”, 2015 SF, All-Ohio Red 16U)

Ahmad did all he could for his All-Ohio Red team in a 16U semi-final loss to the St. Louis Eagles scoring 19 points. Using his size and strength, Ahmad finished easily at the rim while showing off improved ball handling skills. Big 10 schools took notice during the high school season, but with a few more performances like the one he had in the semi-finals they will be knocking down his door.