Session 2 of the NY2LA Sports Association came to an end last weekend. With the season halfway complete, action will pick back up in July with two more highly anticipated events taking place in Milwaukee and Las Vegas. Throughout Session 2, a number of breakout performers elevated their games in Dallas.
Here are 10 prospects who raised their stock after a strong weekend in the 16U association…
Chase Adams – 2018 – PG – SYF Players
The competitiveness and will power is what separates Adams from a lot of players. While he’s a great passer and can thread the needle with the basketball, Adams has a killer instinct when the game is in the balance. Despite his 5-foot-8 frame, Adams will attack and finish at the rim, using a nice floater in the paint. 1-on-1, he’s a very creative scorer off the bounce and makes it look easy when he shakes his man to create space for his jumper.
Cortez Bailey – 2018 – PG – All-In Young & Reckless
We loved the way Bailey just attacked and flew to the rim. Bailey was able to beat his man off the bounce consistently and didn’t shy away from contact at the basket. He drew so many defenders and had the presence of mind to drop the ball off to a teammate for easy scores. That energy translates to the defensive end of the floor. Using his quickness, Bailey sticks to his man like glue on the ball.
Kyle Kluge – 2018 – G – Minnesota Comets
The ball found the hole at a high rate when Kluge was handling it this weekend. A crafty scorer that finds different ways to beat people, Kluge had it working in Dallas. Kluge can catch and shoot from the perimeter, but also take advantage of over-pursuing defenses. He’s better suited right now as a shooting guard, but showed some ability to run the show offensively and get his teammates involved.
Mike Hemingway – 2018 – PG – MBA Select
Hemingway is a speedy guard that loves to dribble penetrate and make plays. A terrific passer in traffic, Hemingway did an excellent job of driving and dishing, wrapping passes around the defense for easy scores. On Sunday, Hemingway also carried the load offensively, scoring a team-high 19 points in a loss to Grand Rapids Storm. A fast floor general that pushes the tempo for 30 minutes, Hemingway kept his team in the game with his transition efforts.
Ahmad Muhammad – 2018 – PG – Kessel Heat
Muhammad is a really good, pure point guard and the type of presence a lot of teams don’t have. He understands when to speed up and slow down the tempo. Muhammad also has a feel for the hot hand, setting his teammates up in scoring position and playing through his scorers when they’re feeling it offensively. Muhammad can put the ball in the basket as well. Quick off the bounce, Muhammad was getting to the cup when he saw breakdowns in the perimeter defense.
Dontez Rayner – 2018 – SF – Indy EBC
Rayner is quite impressive physically. A built, 6-foot-4 small forward, Rayner is tough to stop when he gets momentum going towards the rim. Rayner has some bounce and pretty good athleticism to get up over defenders and finish over contact. Rayner also works hard defensively. On the ball he was very tough to beat and made things difficult on the opposition.
C.J. Siegel – 2018 – PG – Wisconsin Playmakers
A small, but quick and athletic lead guard, Siegel has some impressive physical tools despite being undersized. Siegel can explode to the basket and hand a couple of impressive finishes at the rim and chase down blocks. Siegel can go 1-on-1 and get by defenders with ease. He also showed some ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter as defenders are bound to give him an extra step of space or two to avoid getting beaten off the dribble. His highlight came on Sunday, scoring a game-high 20 points against Omaha Elite.
Mason Steffen – 2018 – G – Wisconsin Swing
When Steffen has it going offensively, he can be as good as any guard in the association for the most part. A strong driver with a nice mid-range game, Steffen is a tough matchup because he plays so physical for a guard. Steffen goes right through the chest of defenses on his drives and then gets them leaning where he can use his sweet pull-up jumper.
Lacey Watson – 2018 – G/F – Quad City Elite
Watson has a unique ability to create for himself offensively. Mostly a slasher last year, Watson has put in a lot of work on his perimeter skills and can now drain shots from all over the floor. He’s still a tough, hard-nosed driver that attacks and draws contact, but Watson’s creative scoring ability from the outside has helped take his game to the next level.
Rashad Williams – 2018 – PG – Reach Legends
The 6-foot-1 sophomore is just a flat out playmaker. He can shoot the basketball from deep, attack the basket, and fire in some impressive passes through the cracks of the defense. A terrific ball hander, Williams is very tough to stay in front of. He keeps the defense guess for 30 minutes with the tricks he has up his sleeve. Putting together a big game on Sunday, Williams went for 18 points and a handful of assists against the Minnesota Comets.