Nike TOC: Teams & Players Who Impressed This Weekend (Part 2)

<p>Over the past three days I have watched over 32 games being played between the Nike TOC tournament, EYBL Nike Nationals, and the USJN Showcase. Throughout this week I will be dropping some articles and write ups on players/teams that made big strides this weekend, while looking toward their future. </p>   <p>In this article we will focus on players/teams/programs that competed solely in the Nike - Tournament Of Champions portion of the event. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy! </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">- Air Minnesota -</h2>   <p>Air Minnesota was a program that caught my eye early on in this AAU season. Every age group from 15-17U played the game the right way and showed that they understand the strategic aspect of the game of basketball. Well at TOC all of the age levels that I named above, won their perspective championships. As a whole, the program took very little loses over these past 4 days and it's something that should be noticed. When I sat down to watch each age group, they displayed a good feel for the game of basketball while playing unselfishly. Something every coach asks for out of their players. Each age group had stand out players in most tournaments they participated in, putting their names on the radar for potential scouts. I'll be excited to see where this program excels to in the offseason. With the coaching staff and adults they have behind the scenes, they are sure to be successful.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">- 258 Mentality - </h2>   <p>258 Mentality showed out this weekend in their home state and that comes to no shock if you know this program. They possess several players that have high ceilings and bright futures on the basketball court. This weekend they had a perfect mixture on display of unselfish distributing and a fierce game style to bully their competition. This season was the first time I had a chance to watch this program at any age level. Once seeing them it was obvious to myself that there are some players in this program that could be really special when it comes to the sport of basketball as they grow. If they can expand their games as they physically grow and the coaching stays up-to-par like it has been, the sky is the limit. </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='846390' first='Khloe' last='Nicholson'] - 2028 - PG: </strong>I first had the opportunity to watch Khloe play this year in Council Bluffs, Iowa at a Prep Girls Hoops event. Right away she amazed me. Over this next two years the entire state of Illinois, and maybe the country is going to find out about Nicholson. She is a 6FT point guard who is shifty with the ball, can create and distribute at a high rate, and shows extremely advanced skill moves when attacking her defenders. I have talked to a few coaches and recruiters out there that run things at a high level and the consensus is, she has Team USA type potential. Keep an eye on Nicholson over the next few years, at this rate, she is going to be something really special. I'm telling you, you can book it right now.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">- [program_tooltip program_id='713145' first='Wisconsin' last='Blizzard'] 2025 -</h2>   <p>The [program_tooltip program_id='713145' first='Wisconsin' last='Blizzard'] as a program put on a weekend at the 15/16u levels. Both teams had winning records in their perspective tournaments, while taking care of business on both sides of the floor. When I had the chance to watch the 2025 team that the Blizzard had on the floor, they were a group of lights out shooters who could not miss. They were playing against a zone and making the opponent pay for it. In the second half alone I think I saw this squad knock down 6-8 shots from behind the three point line. When you are making those shots, it opens up the middle of the floor, creating a big hole of the offense to then score at the basket or in the middle of your zone and that's exactly what happened. I'm excited to see this program grow. Especially those 15/16U teams from this season. They have several players with a lot of promise on the court. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">- [program_tooltip program_id='713344' first='Chapman' last='Basketball Academy'] South -</h2>   <p>CBA South had a few teams that shined this weekend across all three tournaments being played at McCormick place. Their groups of girls were long, athletic, and more than anything - SKILLED! On several occasions I was left in amazement by some of the moves that were being pulled out of these players offensive "bags". The future is bright in this program and I can't wait to see where they take it. Both the boys side and girls side of this program are playing high level basketball, all across the country, during AAU season. As of right now, the sky is the limit for everyone involved. </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='632387' first='Charlotte' last='Wentworth'] - 2026 - Forward:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='632387' first='Charlotte' last='Wentworth'] displayed a lot of intangible traits when she is playing basketball and that is something that every coach loves to see, no matter what division. Wentworth has good size at 5'11 and moves really well. She is the type of player that can defend and dominate the paint right now, while being able to spread the floor and knock down a jump shot from the outside. In the contests that I saw Wentworth compete in she was all over the floor, showing that she will do anything to help her teams succeed. She is only a 2026 with a lot of room to grow but from what I have seen thus far, she is definitely a player to know out of the 2026 class in the state of Wisconsin. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center"> - Illinois GameTime 17U - </h2>   <p>This is my second time seeing Illinois GameTime compete in the past 2 months and they yet again displayed a good sense for the game of basketball. A team with solid coaching, a built roster that is stacked with multiple players at every position, and positive vibes. They work hard and let their game do the talking for them when it comes to dominating their opponent. This squad does have some stars that shine but overall, they really work well as a team. They play through one another and make sure every possession counts a majority of the time. This group will play in two more events at the end of July in Florida this season. If they continue to work hard and do it for each other, they are sure to keep finding success against some elite competition. </p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='405520' first='Kaitlyn' last='Parker'] - 2024 - PG/CG:</strong> Parker is a complete guard in my opinion. She can bring up the ball as the one and create/distribute, she can become the two and shoot the ball from deep, or she can play the three and work against small opponents in the mid-post. In every contest that I have seen Parker play, she is the most dominate offensive player on the floor, while being an irritant on defense. She understands her angles while always being in the right spot, at the right time. I'm not sure where she has interest from but this girl can hoop, there is no doubt about it. I'm sure at the end of the day she will be playing at the college level, somewhere where she can shine.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">- Quad City Shockers - </h2>   <p>The Quad City Shockers get a lot of respect from me in the AAU realm. A program that is based on grit, determination, and just having a nice feel for the game of basketball. So many times doing this you will see good players that don't have a "feel" for the game. That is NOT the case with this program, at any high school level. The players are there to learn and get better, while being dominate in the fundamentals of the game. In general, this program had a great weekend overall in Chicago. I even saw that one of their top teams finished undefeated, going 7-0 and winning their championship. This Shockers program has some Top 25 girls in the rankings out of the state of Iowa, if they can continue to grind in the offseason, the future looks promising. They just have to stick with it.</p>   <p></p>   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/Screenshot-2023-07-03-at-4.56.43-PM.png?w=1012" alt="" class="wp-image-690975" width="229" height="232" /></figure>

Over the past three days I have watched over 32 games being played between the Nike TOC tournament, EYBL Nike Nationals, and the USJN Showcase. Throughout this week I will be dropping some articles and write ups on players/teams that made big strides this weekend, while looking toward their future.