2025 Kellen Karr (Riptide Hickory)
The most important thing to have offensively in today’s game is options, and Kellen has all kinds of them with how he’s able to easily switch up his approach and which hand he’s using to make plays. He’s a very comfortable left-hand passer, seeing over the defense and whipping around cross-court passes to find guys spotting up or cutting. His size, pace, and overall feel are separating factors that elevate his playmaking from others. A lot of things start to pile up in the stat sheet as his impact reaches every area of the game.
2026 Jibriel Koko (Pro One)
With the game on the line and the pressure picking up, you have to know who wants the ball and will close out possessions. Jibriel is that guy, he showed no trouble breaking full-court pressure himself with a decisive handle and breakdown game to open up the floor, catching defenders with heavy feet. He’s so easily able to shift between high-speed transition playmaker and half-court game manager with a tight handle and siphoned control of his quickness. When he turns the corner, he’s putting defenders in tough spots and exposing any hesitancy to help.
2025 Isaiah Green (Team Raiders)
It doesn’t get much simpler than making layups and creating your own fastbreak opportunities pressuring the ball up top. Isaiah has the length and activity that all wings should play with to be a solid 2-way threat. He consistently led the charge and took care of what was necessary to close out possessions on both ends, proving how much being in the right spots and playing hard does for you. Whether it was finishing around the basket, securing rebounds, or turning defense into easy offense, there was no question what you were getting from him.
2026 Jordan Buzzard (Team Hope)
Having talked about Jordan’s potential and expected growth in his game over the last year, this weekend he put it all together and showed off what’s to come. The stretch forward has a great frame and is developing the right coordination to go with his athleticism in becoming a more impactful presence. He’s always had a good basketball sense working off others and finding the right plays in his role, but this weekend he was able to assert himself more by getting after rebounds, handling the ball when needed, knocking down threes, and showcasing his post work comfortably scoring on the block with over the shoulder touch.
2023 Bessam Khalifa (Dubai Tribe)
It’s not often your 5 man can comfortably act as a lead ball handler and decision-maker, but Bessam fits the bill for the modern-day approach. What he provided was vital for this group, using his IQ to be the anchor for all their actions whether on or off the ball, and he’s able to balance his offensive leadership between scoring and facilitating. He truly understands the game and has the skill set to make plays off his reads with handoffs, cuts, pick-n-roll or working on his own down low. Anyone looking for a late pickup, this is your guy.
2024 Nidas Paulauskas (WS Christian)
There’s no doubt about the big names and talent Nidas is surrounded by, but I think that actually allows him to better take advantage of his role and abilities. He’s a good-sized guard with perimeter marksmanship and good off-ball feel to work off others in the half-court and transition in an efficient way. He’s a good playmaker when needed, lets the game come to him, and is quietly effective in going about his business to help secure wins. It’s guys like this that fly under the radar but can subtly be huge impacts in filling out lineups to make every position a threat on the court.