Four Youngsters Who Shined at the MAYB Back 2 School Bash
There isn’t a lot going on during these latter months of summer. Many of the big-name clubs have turned their attention towards tryouts for next season. However, this is the perfect time for newer or lesser known teams who don’t…
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Continue ReadingThere isn’t a lot going on during these latter months of summer. Many of the big-name clubs have turned their attention towards tryouts for next season. However, this is the perfect time for newer or lesser known teams who don’t participate in the major grassroots tournaments to build their brands and develop team chemistry. Players from these squads don’t get much exposure during the busier parts of summer. This provides me with a chance to find some hidden gems in the younger classes, which is exactly what I found. Here are four youngsters who stood out at the MAYB Back 2 School Bash in McKinney, Texas this past weekend.
Nyah Chandler – 2024 SF (Wichita Attack) – The first two girls on this list are seventh graders who competed in the 9/10th grade division. I always enjoy seeing younger players shine among older competition, and these two certainly did. Chandler is one of the most versatile young players I’ve seen this year. She does a little bit of everything. She can score in the post, hit mid-range jumpers, and bring the ball up court and initiate the offense. Defensively, she has the ability to guard any position and comes away with a lot of steals. Chandler is a tremendous rebounder as well. I saw her out-rebound girls much taller than her do to her physicality and positioning down low, in addition to her just wanting it more. The position she plays in the future will likely depend on her physical development. Regardless, she has a bright future.
Kaitlyn Edwards – 2024 SG (Wichita Attack) – Edwards was probably the best shooter I saw on the girl’s side during this tournament. She moves well without the ball and can shoot from range. In the game I saw her in, she hit a pair of deep threes back-to-back in the 2nd half to put the game out of reach. She hit the second three ball as the trailer in transition, which is something that you don’t see from girls her age. She flashed some fancy dibbling as well. Edwards is a smart player. When she doesn’t have open looks from deep, she attacks the basket and gets to the line. She is an excellent free throw shooter too. On the defensive end, she is always engaged and showed quick hands that lead to some steals.
Aliyah Mohammad – 2022 G (Lights Out) – Mohammad is an athletic combo guard. She has a great combination of height, length, and speed for the guard position. It makes her a tough match up for anyone. I saw her play with a lot of swagger this weekend. She is confident and aggressive on the offensive end, using her quickness and finesse to get easy looks inside. Additionally, Mohammad does a lot communicating with her teammates on the court, which shows her ability to be a vocal leader. Her size and athleticism also allow her to crash the glass on defense. When you couple that with her court vision, she is able to get rebounds and immediately start the break, whether that be via a full court pass or turning on the jets.
Kamen Wong – 2022 PG (Lights Out) – While Mohammad is more of a new school guard, Wong’s game is a little bit more old school, and there’s nothing wrong with that! It actually makes Lights Out’s starting back court extremely dynamic. I got to see Wong make some really advanced passes in a variety of different situations. She is fast with the ball and uses her speed to draw extra defenders and open up her teammates. She is particularly good in drive and kick scenarios. She’s does more than pass though. Wong also possesses a nice-looking jumper and is pretty consistent with the three ball from what I saw. She can pull up and drill a three off the break, making her a nightmare for opposing teams when she is pushing the tempo. She is a little bit on the shorter side but makes up for it with her speed and ball handling ability.