Championship Sunday is always the most exciting day for me, it’s a chance to see which players can still perform at a high level after competing in 5-6 games in a short time span. With that being said, here are the players who stepped up and stood out:
2020 6'0 Jeremy mull – Team Invasion 16U
Mull is a shot creator and a shot maker, he led his team with a smooth 26 pts in their 9am game. Muller is extremely accurate from deep, knocking down 6 three pointers in their battle with LBA Thunder. Team Invasion was down for majority of the game but in the closing moments they battled back and snuck away with the victory. Mull was the catalyst to his team's comeback scoring 18 points in the second half. When the going gets tough for a team, he's one of those guys a coach trust to simply just make a play.
2020 5'10 Marquis Eskew – LBA Thunder 16U
Athletic combo guard that is always in attack mode. Eskew lived in the paint in their matchup with Team Invasion, he uses his speed and quickness in transition. Coming at his opponent full speed he gets defenders back pedaling and blows by. Eskew is good at attacking off of ball screens, he got the rim and had multiple acrobatic finishes with both his right and left hand. Really good athlete at 5'10, in space he throws it down with two hands on the fast break.
2020 5'4 Juleoni Novelli – WCBA Elite White 16U
This young point guard was entertaining! Whether it was advancing the ball up the floor with a full court dime, spraying a three ball, or just handling the rock. Juleoni had me impressed the entire game. Has playmaking ability, in the 1st half he knocked down 4 triples but in the 2nd he became more of a floor general. Plays with confidence, don't be fooled by the height he definitely belongs on the court.
2021 6'3 David Lyman – WCBA Elite Blue 9th
Beside Lyman's name in my notes in all caps says, 'SHOOTER!' He is a player that on the court you have to be aware of all times. The opposing team could play great defense for majority of the possession and make one mistake at the end which is letting Lyman get free. He will burn you almost every time, Lyman plays with confidence rightfully so as he has the green light from his coach. He is long and rangy at 6'3, the lefty duo of David Lyman and Harper Strickland was big time for WCBA at the Southern Showcase II.
2021 6'5 Harper Strickland – WCBA Elite Blue 9th
Harper is long, athletic, and runs the floor very well. He consistently beat his man down the floor for easy layups. In the half court, when he catches the ball he surveys the court. He has the ability to pass the ball across the court with strength and accuracy to shooters. He also can put the ball on the floor and make decisions, whether it's making a pass or getting back to his left hand and using his soft touch. On defense, he's a luxury because he can switch out on guards and contain them. Rebounds well too, overall Harper is a good player is multi dimensional on the floor.
The Addition
2021 6'2 Travis Cooper – Carolina Dream Team 15U
Cooper made plays for his Carolina Dream Team squad. Undersized in his match up with Harper Strickland he continued to battle. I loved his energy and effort on the offensive glass. He earned his squad multiple second chance opportunities in their game vs WCBA. Finishing with 16 points and numerous rebounds, I had to show this young man some love for his effort!