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<p>On <strong>July 11-14<sup>th,</sup></strong> I was able to take in the <strong>Nike Tournament of Champions West</strong> and the 3rd Session of the <strong>Nike 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.</p>
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<p><strong>Here, I take a look at some of the standout players of the Tournament of Champions that I saw.</strong></p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='663049' first='Lily' last='McCracken'] <strong>(Hoop Code 16U 3SSB)</strong> – McCracken was doing some heavy lifting as usual for her squad. She was extremely hard to stop off the dribble and was often too strong for defenders. Even when defenses keyed on her, it still didn't matter. She was also all over the place defensively, getting multiple deflections and steals every game.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='751755' first='Bailey' last='Williams'] <strong>(Utah Lady Prospects 16U 3SSB)</strong> – Williams is a rising prospect on the scene, and after her performance over the weekend, that should continue. She handled the ball very well and put her teammates in a position to get good looks at the basket. Bailey also did her share of shot-making making consistently knocking down three-pointers.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='558946' first='Mackenzie' last='Buckner'] <strong>(SW Premier Black EYCL17U)</strong> – Buckner should see her recruitment pick back up after her performance at the TOC. She showed that she can do pretty much whatever she wants on the court. There were times when she got the rebound and went coast to coast, finishing herself or dropping off dimes.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='598326' first='Markayla' last='Shirley'] <strong>(SW Premier EYCL 17U)</strong> – Shirley has flown under the radar for a while, but it's time that people recognize her skillset. She played very well throughout the weekend, providing steady play and shooting. She knocked down some big shots for her team.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='797309' first='Amaya' last='Rodgers'] <strong>(Hoop Code 3SSB 16U)</strong> – Rodgers is blessed with some athletic ability that most players just don't have. She impacted the games that I saw despite not getting many touches offensively. She attacked the glass very well and guarded multiple positions effectively.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='925236' first='Francesca' last='Sofia'] <strong>(Vegas Elite EYCL 16U)</strong> – Sofia is a quick point guard who did a good job of running the show for Vegas Elite. She did a good job of getting into the paint and not only creating for herself but for her teammates as well.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='892633' first='Layla' last='Curtis'] <strong>(Run N Gun 16U) </strong>– She hasn't even started high school yet, but you couldn't tell by her play. Curtis was very aggressive, wisely picking her spots. Her penetration had the defense constantly on their heels. She also played solid defense with active hands.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='1255431' first='Tifaimoana' last='Tuitele'] <strong>(SAVI Knight 15U)</strong> - Tuitele came up big during the weekend for her team. She capped it off with a 14-point performance, 12 of which came in the second half of the championship game. Sammie is a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. </p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='659956' first='Cabot' last='Hamilton'] <strong>(SW Premier Red EYCL 17U)</strong> – This was my first time seeing Cabot, and I came away impressed. On offense, she understood spacing and ball movement very well. When her opportunity came, she displayed a very quick release on her shot and knocked down multiple threes.</p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='852321' first='Jaiyana' last='Bogan-Jacobs'] <strong>(Hoop Code 3SSB 15U)</strong> – Bogan-Jacobs is just what you call a hooper. Defensively, she created havoc for the opposition as soon as she stepped on the court. On offense, she got downhill often, putting pressure on the defense. By the way she was passing the ball, she might already be among the best passers in the state without having yet played a high school game.</p>
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<p></p>
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On July 11-14th, I was able to take in the Nike Tournament of Champions West and the 3rd Session of the Nike EYBL/Champions League in Las Vegas, Nevada. There was no shortage of Arizona teams and players represented in the events. I'd like to give a shoutout to Savi Night 15U, who won their bracket by defeating Force National (OR) 49-47 in the championship game.
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