EYBL - Dallas: Day 2

Top Match-Up:

Tyus Jones (2014 - #1 PG) vs. Joel Berry (2014 - #3 PG)

Two of the top point guards in the country got to go against each other on Saturday afternoon and the match-up did not disappoint. Joel Berry held the strength advantage with a powerful upper body while Jones countered with his long arms and reach. Berry started the game off with a strong drive to the right side resulting in a contested three footer, while Jones quickly answered with a right handed drive of his own off a pick and roll. Both players were aggressive on defense early on and Berry picked Jones’ pocket twice as he tried to perform a left to right crossover. The first steal turned into a fast break lay-up attempt while the second led to an easy basket for a teammate. Not to be outdone, Jones put pressure on Berry near the sideline at one point and forced him to step out of bounds while trying to avoid the trouble. As Howard Pulley started to fall farther and farther behind, Jones picked up the full court pressure which Berry handled and turned into easy assists for teammates. Jones tried to counter with two NBA range three-pointers. At the end of the day, the two top point guards battled to an individual draw, although Berry seemed to play the aggressor more often than not. As E1T1 pulled away for an easy win with their abundance of talent, Berry set the tone with 10 points and 11 assists on 5-8 shooting. After a remarkable Friday night, Jones finished with 18 points on 6-10 shooting but turned the ball over five times

Best Individual Performance:

Malik Newman, 6’4”, G, 2015, Jackson Tigers

Malik Newman - Top Player in the Class of 2015?

This time last year, Malik Newman made his first EYBL appearance and quickly dropped 26 points on 8-12 shooting against Baltimore Elite. Fast forward one year and Newman came into the Dallas tournament as one of the EYBL leading scorers. In his first Saturday game, Newman went up against the Oakland Soldiers and their 2015 star Ivan Rabb. Newman went for 20 points and 5 rebounds on 8-15 shooting in a 75-71 win which turned out to be a warm-up for his afternoon performance. Against Spiece Indy, he was unconscious. Despite facing one of the top teams with numerous Division One players, Newman scored at will. Whether it was aggressive drives to the basket, mid-range floaters, or step back contested threes, Newman could not be contained. 22 points in the first half quickly turned into 36 points early on in the second before muscle cramps set in and rendered Newman useless over the final stanza. Despite the cramps, Newman’s 24 minute stretch was a thing of beauty. The whole Spiece team knew he was getting the ball, but once the ball touched his hands the defense was helpless. With his performance on Saturday, Newman served notice that he should be considered for top dog status in the class of 2015 as well as the top scorer in the EYBL.

Best Individual Performance – Runner Up:

Jayson Tatum, 6’5”, G, 2016, St. Louis Eagles 16U

While Newman put up a fantastic performance in the EYBL, Tatum was putting up his own spectacular game 30 minutes away in the first round of the playoffs for the Next Level National tournament. Tatum started to knock down open jumpers in the second half coupled with impressive forays to the basket. On almost every second half possession Tatum scored including two free throws with two seconds left to force overtime. At the end of the day, Tatum’s St. Louis team came away with the win and he finished with a remarkable 38 points. Not bad for a freshman.