Stephen Sosa (Full Court Athletes, Texas)
The Elite Cavaliers Best Of The Best Showcase had plenty of talent. Basketball Spotlight was in the building and we decided to break our reports down by position. We will begin with the forwards that impressed us on Day 1.
Day 1 Top Performers (Forwards)
Stephen Sosa (Full Court Athletes, Texas)- It will be hard to find another post player more fundamentally sound than Sosa. This kid loves using the up and under move while kissing the rock off the glass. He also has great touch facing the basket. In their showdown with the Elite Cavaliers he carried the squad as long as he could. He put in major work today.
Logan Ray (Full Court Athletes, Texas)- Sosa’s teammate Logan loves hitting the boards on the weak side and finishing in transition. He seems to have long limbs, which means a growth spurt will be coming soon. I like his skill set and how he hammers the boards. Look for him to have a bright future.
Courtney Lark (Rytes Warriors, Texas)- Lark is a quick athlete that plays the passing lanes and loves to get out in the open floor. He stepped his game up against the Cincinnati Lakers by being active inside and marching to the charity stripe. He’s very efficient shooting free throws.
Damion Blythe (Cincinnati Lakers, Ohio)- Blythe does all the dirty work inside for the Lakers. He played good interior defense, hit the glass and scored on put backs. Other players might get the lime light but his play is needed for them to be successful.
Leon Davis (Elite Cavaliers, Ohio)- Davis exploded to the hole for buckets in the 2nd half against the FC Athletes. I like his ball handling for his size and his ability to create off the bounce. He’s playing the forward spot on this level but will transform to a guard in the near future.
Nick Ward (Ohio Warriors)- The southpaw went to work against Detroit Showtime. He caught the rock either on the high post or low blocks and scored with ease. He’s nimble on his feet and knows how to maneuver around shot blockers. This kid can flat out score.
Anthony Dockery (Prep Hoyas, Ohio)- Dockery was an animal on the glass and scoring inside. He powered his way to the cup in transition and established post position in the half court set. He’s tough to handle on this level but he will have to develop his outside shot and ball handling soon.
James Manns (SCAA Buckeyes, Ohio)- Manns upside seems to be tremendous. He’s currently standing about 6’4 and has the lanky build. He alters shots when playing post defense and can score in the lane. What really impressed me was his willingness to handle the rock. He might be a big time wing one day.
Zach Warden (Charleston Cavaliers, Ohio)- Warden’s length helps him impact the game on both ends. He alters shots and snatches rebounds before others can grab them. He also has good touch around the cup.