The 2017 NY2LA Sports Lone Star Invitational kicked off from Fieldhouse USA in Mansfield, Texas on Friday. Opening night featured a number of intriguing matchups in the 17U open division, highlighted by Marek Nelson and Lone Star Elite, who cruised to an easy win while putting on a show…

SEE ALSO
2017 NY2LA SPORTS LONE STAR INVITATIONAL DAY 1 RECAP – PART 1
2017 NY2LA SPORTS LONE STAR INVITATIONAL DAY 1 RECAP – PART 2
2017 NY2LA SPORTS LONE STAR INVITATIONAL DAY 1 RECAP – PART 3

ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST
2017 NY2LA SPORTS LONE STAR INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE

17U OPEN DIVISION TOP PERFORMERS
Avery Anderson – 2019 – G – RM5 Elite
Liked the overall activity that Anderson displayed on Friday. An electric combo guard that’s smooth off the dribble and contributes across the board, Anderson was impressive in a loss to the Louisiana Roundballers. Anderson has intriguing length for his size and proved to be nearly unguardable in isolation sets. Anderson is so creative and fast off the dribble that he’s able to create a shot at will. Anderson didn’t just settle for being a scorer though. He was on the glass, dropping dimes, and collecting steals in what was a complete effort. 

Uche Dibiamaka – 2018 – G/F – Team Stackz Elite
There’s some rare qualities about Dibiamaka. A 6-foot-3 junior with guard size, but power forward strength, Dibiamaka can fill a variety of roles. He plays a lot of point guard for Team Stackz, but is really capable of playing four spots on both offense and defense. A tough, high motor player, Dibiamaka was a bully on Friday. When he puts his head down and goes to the rim, he’s very tough to stop. An energy player that gives his team a boost on both ends, Dibiamaka was everywhere at times, scoring, rebounding, and playing hard-nosed perimeter defense.

Marek Nelson – 2017 – SF – Lone Star Elite
Nelson looks like a good pickup for any Division 1 programs who need a wing in the 2017 class. The unsigned senior exploded for 24 points in an easy win over Florida Triple Threat. An athletic, high motor wing, Nelson is very impressive physically. He plays above the rim, stays in front of people defensively, is an active shot blocker, and gets on the glass. A player that stuffs the stat sheet and also does a number of things that don’t show up in the box score, Nelson impressed with his ability to be a glue guy, but also dominate the scoring column. There were 10-plus Division 1 coaches watching Nelson on Friday. Expect that number to increase if he continues to play like this. 

Patrick Terry – 2017 – SG – Dallas Dynasty
Another unsigned senior that helped his cause on Friday, Terry had a big first half as Dallas Dynasty would run away from the Jackson Tigers. Terry plays bigger than his 6-foot-0 frame and was terrific off the bounce. His ability to break his man down off the dribble and simply take what the defense gave him was too much for the opposition. Terry did a good job of mixing it up with dribble drives and jumpers. He’s quicker than he looks and appears to have the ball on a string when he’s going to the rack. Another compelling part of Terry’s game was his ability to size his man up and suck defenders into the driving gaps. From there, Terry whipped passes between defenders for easy buckets. 

17U OPEN DIVISION STOCK BOOSTERS
R.J. Johnson – 2019 – PG – Nike Pro Skills 16U EYBL
Johnson was in control throughout as Nike Pro Skills used a late rally to upend Team Stackz Elite. Playing up a level, the 5-foot-11 sophomore showed terrific poise and feel for the game at the point guard spot. Johnson made one bad decision the entire game, but was otherwise solid. A pass-first floor general, Johnson does a great job of getting his team organized and putting his guys into a position to succeed. He doesn’t look to score much, but Johnson is very smooth on the ball and can shake his man in the open floor. The opposition used bigger athletes against Johnson to try and keep him out of the paint, but he wasn’t fazed by pressure and length. 

Malcolm Nicholas – 2017 – SG – Florida Triple Threat
Although Florida Triple threat dropped their opener to Lone Star Elite, Nicholas had a solid effort. Creating his own offense throughout, Nicholas showcased a good blend of speed and strength. Nicholas has an electric first step plenty of wiggle with the ball in his possession. His mid-range game was outstanding on Friday as Nicholas created a ton of space for his shot off quick, simple moves. A 6-foot-6 senior, Nicholas was also impressive in transition. He gets up and down the floor well and hunts fast break baskets at a high rate. 

Brian White – 2018 – PG – Louisiana Roundballers 
White was calm and collected down the stretch to lead his team to a victory. The 5-foot-8 point guard hit some big shots down the stretch to hold off RM5 Elite. White displayed excellent shooting ability, particularly off the bounce. He’s quick, but plays under control and gets a ton of lift on his jumper to avoid being blocked/contested. White was very efficient from the floor and only took quality shots. Once the LA Roundballers turned up the heat defensively, White was also at the center of the madness, creating a number of turnovers that led to fast break run outs. 

RECRUITING NOTES
Avery Anderson has offers from SMU and TCU. He listed Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Baylor as schools currently expressing interest.