BY: Antonio Threadgill
Here are some of the standouts seen from the Phenom March Madness.
Mason Dockery (Rise 11U) had a team-high 21 points in the game. He is a very smooth player that scores the basketball on all three levels. He was excellent in transition using his euro-step to get around players to score at the basket. He also hit three 3-pointers in the game. He was one of the best 11 years I had seen all weekend.
Ian Ramirez (PSB) was the best shooter that I saw all weekend. He hit 6 three-pointers on his way to 29 points against Relentless. He scored 29 of his team’s 61 points. Not only did he show off his long-range shooting skills he also hit a lot of midrange pull-ups.
One of the best 2-way players I had an opportunity to see was Mekhi Allen (Charlotte Royals) he was relentless. He locked up the team’s best player and on the offensive end, he was also able to get to the basket and score buckets for his team. Not only that he got to a lot of 50/50 balls. He seemed to always be around the basketball making winning plays for his team.
Tyrie Pressley (NC Rise) has a smooth left-hand stroke with a nice touch on the basketball. Pressley is a rebounding machine on the offensive end of the floor. He has long arms which allows him to get out in the passing lanes and get deflections and steals on the defensive end.
Ryan Tate (Elite U) point guard with a very high IQ. He hit five three-pointers against the Carolina Flyers 2027. He finished with a game-high 19 points. He can really fill it up and get his teams involved in the game. I think we will hear his name again somewhere down the road if he continues to develop. He could be on my team any day of the week, a great floor general getting his team in the right spots on the floor.
He teams up with another guard named Jayden Adams(Elite U) who is also a great guard. These guys together caused havoc all day for opposing teams. They play well together and unselfishly. They made it hard for guards to bring the ball down the floor with their on-ball pressure. Once they get a still they off to the races getting to the basket for easy scores.
Cam James (Rise Gainey) had 17 points in his game against TSB. This kid is huge for his age and did a great job of running the floor and getting rebounds. He played super hard and gave his best effort all day. If he continues to work on his footwork, he will be a really good player. Dominated the offensive boards in games.
Zayden (NC Rise) shot it well from three-point range. He plays the game at a great pace for his age. Very good IQ and plays beyond his years. What I liked about him is don’t seem to be rushed when he is handling the ball.
Dorian Moore(CP3 Select) had a great day he won a lot of hustle plays on both sides of the ball. This kid plays the game with a lot of energy. He knows how to get his team extra possessions. He finished the game with 18 points.
Got to love the play of Doc Caldwell (Charlotte Royals 2028) kid understands how to control the game. He is an excellent passer for his age and can score the basketball from anywhere on the floor. Leads his team and every facet of the game.
