John Wall Holiday Invitational: NC All-Tournament
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The John Wall Holiday Invitational hosted their 50th tournament this December where teams from across the state of North Carolina and even two from out of state came to Cary Academy to compete against one another. There were some excellent…
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Continue ReadingThe John Wall Holiday Invitational hosted their 50th tournament this December where teams from across the state of North Carolina and even two from out of state came to Cary Academy to compete against one another. There were some excellent matchups in the 4 days of the event. The following athletes are who stood out to me competing at a high level every minute that they played in the games at the tournament. Check out my selection of players from North Carolina who deserve All-Tournament accolades.
Kyla Bryant Kyla Bryant 5’8″ | CG Salisbury | 2023 State NC jumped into passing lanes anticipating what her opponents were going to do. She can also strip the ball with ease from guards thinking they could dribble by her. She is tough driving to the hoop. Even when her opponents think they have her stopped, she finds a way to score some points. She showed off her range from deep throughout the tournament. Her crossovers are lethal opening up the court for her to drive or pull up for a jumper. She did a nice job making adjustments using shot fakes to get around for an open look. She even used a spin move to get away from her defender. She was doing everything her team needed her to do including getting inside for rebounds and maintaining a calm composure as the leader for her team.
Darrionna Howard Darrionna Howard 6’1″ | PF Clayton | 2023 State NC was showing how she’s ready for college grabbing the board and exploding up the court. She hustles back on defense grabbing a steal to take it immediately up the court finding her open teammate cutting to the hoop. She had some points off of putbacks, too. She knows how to take matters into her own hands handling herself in the paint using her body to protect the possession and score some points. You could see how important she was to the offense controlling things in the paint as the opposing second half adjustment was to double her whenever she caught the pass. She showed her defensive IQ drawing charges, and she was ready to block shots when people tried to drive in the paint. She had back to back steals on defensive pressures, and she took these all the way herself. The first she scored an old fashioned three point play on her own, and the other she dished out to a trailing teammate for three points.
Highlights
Reychel Douglas Reychel Douglas 6’0″ | SG Millbrook | 2023 State #41 Nation NC showed all of her versatility posting up in the paint for her points using power dribbles and going after the rebounds. She uses her handles dribbling between her legs to protect the ball and create some space before she pulls up for the three pointer. She had some nice dishes inside to her teammates finding the open looks. She picked off her opponents’ passes on the other end. Her consistency showed in some nice back to back plays. First, she drove hard to the basket earning a trip to the free throw line. Then, she showed off her range knocking it down from deep followed by hustling back on defense to deflect a pass that ultimately led to a steal and points for her team. She followed in transition being ready for the offensive rebound. Her power dribble spin move seems to be unstoppable in the paint.
Zamareya Jones Zamareya Jones 5’6″ | PG North Pitt | 2024 State NC moves so fluidly with the ball finding her open teammates with ease. Her step back move for three is textbook and swishes through the hoop. She can pull up for a midrange jumper or take it all the way to the hoop. Her court vision is superb finding her open teammates and knowing how her defenders will close in on her opening up the court for others. She showed off a nice floater through contact after driving to the hoop. She doesn’t have to run the point guard position either stepping out to the shooting guard position getting open for her shot from deep. Jones makes passes that seem to sit perfectly in the air finding their destination in the hands of her teammates. She reads the opposing offense well jumping in front of passes to grab the steal. She finds ways to grab the rebounds on both ends, and she immediately finds a teammate to push the ball to.
Ella Hobbs Ella Hobbs 6’4″ | SF Jay M. Robinson | 2024 State NC may be known as an inside presence, but she can definitely shoot from deep. She has a nice reverse layup she can easily put back up off an offensive rebound. She was sealing off her opponents on the block making her hands a big target for her teammates to send the ball to and for her to convert into points. She reads each shot well knowing how to position herself to grab the rebound, and these usually turn into more points for her on the offensive side of the ball.