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)
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| 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.
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| 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.
