Nike Tournament of Champions West: More Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On <strong>July 11-14th,</strong> I was able to take in the <strong>Nike Tournament of Champions West</strong> and the 3rd Session of the <strong>Nike</strong> <strong>EYBL/Champions League</strong> in <strong>Las Vegas, Nevada</strong>. There was no shortage of <strong>Arizona</strong> teams and players represented in the events. I'd like to give a shoutout to <strong>Savi Night 15U</strong>, who won their bracket by defeating Force National (OR) 49-47 in the championship game.<br><br><strong>Here I take a look at some of the standout players of the Tournament of Champions that I saw.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='788383' first='Leila' last='O'Dowd'] <strong>(SAVI Sky 16U)</strong> – The versatile wing was feeling it, as shown by her game in which she made a ton of three-pointers. When she wasn't hitting perimeter shots, she was punishing defenders around the rim. The Higley transfer is looking to have a big junior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749670' first='Noelle' last='Mulvanny'] <strong>(Hoop Code 17U 3SSB)</strong> – Mulvanny continued her consistent play and continues to rack up offers. She was often the most athletic player on the court. Her effort and energy made for a bad combination for opponents. Her stock will continue to trend up without a doubt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='608451' first='Aaliyah' last='Rogers'] <strong>(SW Premier Black EYCL 17U)</strong> – The quick guard impressed with her play during the event. End to end, she was hard to stay in front of for defenders and her outside shot has improved. She was one of the better on-the-ball defenders that I saw in the entire building.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='640378' first='Ava' last='Lewis'] <strong>(Phoenix Premier Lee/Wimbish 17U)</strong> – Lewis showed off her expanding offensive game. She looked more comfortable stepping away from the paint and operating. She was her usual self on the boards as she often dominated. Ava had multiple double-doubles throughout the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='481475' first='Averi' last='Mehlberg']<strong> (SW Premier Black EYCL 17U) </strong>– Mehlberg was as consistent as anyone throughout the weekend. She was active on defense, getting deflections and steals. Her jump shot is a thing of beauty, and she was hitting. She made defenses pay for giving her too much space.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1257898' first='Analycia' last='Sandoval'] <strong>(Hoop Code 15U 3SSB)</strong> – Sandoval was a load in the paint every single time that she touched the ball. She was very efficient around the basket and showed off very good footwork. She kept the ball high and away from the defenders. She also rebounded very well. One of the top incoming freshmen in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='673100' first='Tamia' last='Pietila'] <strong>(SW Premier Red EYCL 17U)</strong> – It can't be just me that thinks Pietila is getting better every time that I see her. When she's able to play her game, she is hard to contain. She played tough on the ball defense and passed the ball very well. When she got her feet set on her perimeter shots, you could almost count it as good.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='608219' first='Bella' last='Burcar'] <strong>(Hoop Code 17U 3SSB)</strong> - Burcar reminded people that she is still one of the best players in the state. She played with energy on both sides of the court. She rebounded well from her wing position. She was also very active on the defensive end. She shot the ball well and still has one of the quickest releases around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->