Dynasty Region Finals 16U: All-Tourney First Team
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Well, it’s all wrapped up now and Team Griffin 2023 has walked away with the championship in the Platinum Division. Now there’s just the little matter of picking the All-Tourney Teams. I say every time we have a tournament that…
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Continue ReadingWell, it’s all wrapped up now and Team Griffin 2023 has walked away with the championship in the Platinum Division. Now there’s just the little matter of picking the All-Tourney Teams. I say every time we have a tournament that the tourney was loaded and picking a team was hard – and that isn’t a lie. This time around, it is EXTREMELY hard. The Dynasty Region Finals had the best of the best on display and so many players rose to the occasion. So, without further ado…
Gracy Wernli Gracy Wernli 5'9" | SG Bixby | 2023 State OK | 5-9 SG | Team Griffin 2023 / Bixby, OK | 2023 | @GracyWernli
If there were an MVP award given out for the Dynasty Region Finals, it would be given to Gracy. She was head and shoulders above every other player in the building. It wasn’t just this weekend either. She is one of the best players in the state of Oklahoma and she did it on an even bigger stage this weekend. She was probably the best shooter in the 16U division, though she definitely is not limited to just shooting. She has everything that a coach could possibly want from a player. She goes hard all game, defends well and handles the ball with ease and confidence. She is precise in running the offense and a leader who is basically a coach on the floor for her squad. She had double digits in every game and totaled 75 points in the four games her team played on their way to the Championship for an average of 18 points per game. If there were any doubt as to whether our No. 8-ranked player in the class of 2023 was a D-I talent, I think all of that has been settled with her performance against the level of competition faced at the PGH Dynasty Region Finals. Gracy is an absolute scoring machine and you’re going to want to get to Oklahoma this season and enjoy the show!
Elauni Bennett Elauni Bennett 5'9" | CG Lee's Summit North | 2023 State MO | 5-10 F | KC Lady Run GMC 2023 UAA / Lee’s Summit North, MO | 2023 | @elaunibennett_
As I’ve said before, when my notebook has one word beside your name – BALLER – that is a very good thing. That means I have seen a player who not only has the ability to put the ball in the basket consistently, but also has the “want-to” to fill it up consistently. Elauni has the drive that I – and I believe most college coaches – are looking for. She is willing to do anything that it takes to get her team the win and most of what it takes is her dominance down low with the ability to score seemingly at will. Only two players scored in double-digits every game of the Finals and Bennett was one of them. She just knows how to score. I saw teams double team her several times and it still did not stop her. Elauni’s footwork in the post is so good that she most of the time just stepped through the double team, whirling left or right and simply flipping the ball in the bucket. I say simply, only because she makes scoring look so easy. She showed a nice step back jumper and a floater as part of her offensive arsenal. She also racked up the rebounds on both ends and threw in a few blocks for good measure. I can definitely say that Elauni was the best “big” at the Finals this weekend as far as 16U’s are concerned.
Seleh Harmon | 5-9 CG | Team Trae Young 2023 / EPIC (Norman), OK | 2025 | @SelehHarmon
“Do not leave No. 30 open.” I heard an opposing coach say it and it should probably be the mantra of every team that faces Team Trae Young. Seleh is an absolute scoring machine and can flat-out fill it up. She showed a tremendous stop-and-pop/mid-range that the women’s game is lacking at the high school level. She uses way above average handles to make room from anywhere inside the arc and when she senses that her defender is off balance… here comes a shot. She is very bouncy and rises above any challenges, with a nice high release that is very hard to block. She is called upon a lot more to bring the ball up the court for Trae Young after an injury to a teammate and it is not a problem at all. She has superior ball-handling skills and is very, very quick. She plays with a great tempo and keeps her head despite whatever is thrown at her from the opposition. Oh, by the way, she is only a 2025 and was playing two years up. The future is bright for Seleh Harmon and you as a coach owe it to yourself to get to a gym and see her as soon as possible.
Mariann Blass Mariann Blass 5'8" | CG York | 2023 State IL | 5-8 CG | Illinois Rockets 2023 BSA / York, IL | 2023 | @BlassMariann
Mariann is an absolute BEAST of a scorer. She does a great job of moving without the ball and when the pass comes she is set and ready to let it fly. She also does a great job of handling the ball, especially as she weaves her way through traffic to finish at the rim. She is a true three-level scorer who seemingly takes every part of her game seriously. She scored 21 twice during the Finals against stiff competition and left opposing teams grasping at straws for how exactly to stop her. She is quick and efficient in movement and is a very heady player. She seemingly knows what to do in every situation – despite the defensive pressure – and it is clear that she has a very high basketball IQ. I spoke to several college coaches in attendance who were excited by her abilities and I guarantee that if you watch her you will join them. Blass is a basketball diamond in the rough just waiting to be discovered. Perhaps dominating at the PGH Dynasty Region Finals will be the catalyst for just that!
Miya Nieto | 5-6 CG | Missouri Tarheels 2023 / Kickapoo, MO | 2023 | @MiyaNieto40
As someone who watches almost entirely Oklahoma players due to the nature of my job, it is always so fun for me to “discover” someone from a different area. Miya is a player who gets you excited from the outset and one that I will be following to see where she ends up. This kid can flat-out play some basketball. Every stop she has been at on the PGH Circuit, Miya has been recognized as a top performer… and for good reason. She stands out from the outset and if you even glance toward the court that the Tarheels are on, you’re going to pause and say “I need to go over there and see this up close.” Not many players in a gym full of good players can draw a crowd from amongst her competitors and other parents, but Miya does. Her handles are silky smooth. She is both quick and fast and plays very under control for someone who could seemingly blow by most defenders in the building. Being undersized is not an issue when you can throw your defender off balance with your handles and quick first step. She creates space and doesn’t miss. Oh yeah, she also tosses wicked one-handed passes all over the place and runs the offense like a coach on the floor. There isn’t much she can’t do, it would seem. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this young lady!
*Tomorrow: PGH Dynasty Region Finals: All-Tourney Second Team*