Review of Swish N DIsh

Written by Jarrell Strong @indiJarrell

NY2LA Swish N Dish // Milwaukee, WI // April 5-7, 2013

17U (52 Teams):

Standout Teams:

• Illinois Wolves
• All Ohio-Red
• Quad City Elite
• Ramey Basketball
• St. Louis Eagles
• Team Zona
• Mac Irvin Fire
• Ray Allen Select
• Meanstreets
• Iowa Barnstormers

Notable Games:

• On Friday night, Mac Irvin Fire outlasted Ray Allen Select in triple-overtime in what proved to be one of the best games of the weekend.
• Moving to Saturday, All Ohio-Red beat Wisconsin Playground Warriors, 68-67, in overtime
• The Iowa Barnstormers held off a pesky TP Elite squad with an 80-71 victory that was a closer game than the final score indicates.
• Arguably the best game of the entire weekend was between the St. Louis Eagles and Mac Irvin Fire – MIF prevailed in OT, 78-77 in a game that provided a great atmosphere and had the whole gym buzzing.
• Semi-final #1: MIF beat the Illinios Wolves 84-82. MIF led by seven at halftime and weathered a late surge by the Wolves to seal the win.
• Semi-final #2: Meanstreets survived a battle with Ray Allen Select in which Meanstreets, led by Tyler Ulis, came back to win by one.
• Final: All-Chicago final between MIF and Meanstreets – The game of runs featured a nine-point halftime lead for the Fire only to see Meanstreets respond with a 16-0 to take the lead but the Mac Irvin Fire responded with force to take the crown with a 60-55 victory.
• (piture of the packed gym at the 17U St. Louis Eagle vs Mac Irvin Fire)

16U (56 teams)

Standout Teams:

• DTA
• Wisconsin Blizzard
• Illinois Wolves
• All Ohio-Red
• Wisconsin Playground Warriors
• Central Net Gain Sports
• Iowa Barnstormers
• Mac Irvin Fire
• Meanstreets
• St. Louis Eagles

Notable Games:

• The St. Louis Eagles and Jayson Tatum turned an ugly first half into a beautiful second half to conquer the Wisconsin Playground Warriors in the quarterfinals.
• Semi-final #1: DTA used a ferocious late comeback in regulation to force overtime and another mini-comeback in overtime to take down the Wisconsin Blizzard, 64-62. Trailing by 12 with just over five minutes to play, DTA fought back and caught some breaks that helped them advance to the finals.
• Semi-final #2: The St. Louis Eagles edged All Ohio-Red, 52-49, in a hotly contested battle. Back and forth all game, Jayson Tatum answered the bell for the Eagles to seal the victory.
• Final: The championship went to the St. Louis Eagles as they defeated DTA in the Final 72-66

15U: 56 teams

14U: No info.

All Results:

14U Platinium – AI9 defeat All Ohio-Red

14U Gold – Randolph defeats Chicago Lockdown

15U Platinum – Wisconsin Academy-Hauser Defeats Wisconsin Playground Warriors

15U Silver – Iowa Barnstormers defeat SYF Players

15U Gold – St. Louis Eagles-White defeat Milwaukee Spartans

15U Elite – VCC Ohio Warriors defeat Team Y&R

15U Bronze – Madison Spartans defeat Bryant Center

16U Platinum – St.Louis Eagles defeat DTA

16U Silver – Mac Irvin Fire defeats Ilinois Hoyas Elite

16U Gold – Meanstreets defeat R.E.A.C.H. Legends

16U Elite – Illinois Flyers defeat Wisconsin Blizzard – Emery

16U Bronze – Sherman Park Elite defeats Illinois Select

17U Platinum – Mac Irvin Fire defeats Meanstreets

17U Silver – Ramey Basketball defeats Team Zona

17U Gold – Missouri Impact defeats DTA

17U Elite – Racine Warriors defeat Wisconsin Bulldogs

17U Bronze – Wisconsin Blizzard defeats Wisconsin Rap

Top Players:

Charles Matthews (Meanstreets 2015) – Long, athletic player that is lethal both inside and out. Plays the game at a steady pace and doesn’t force anything. Very smooth player has a great feel for the game

Jalen Brunson (Mac Irvin Fire – 2015) – The most impressive player of the tournament – will be a high-major prospect and is a player to really keep your eye on. Creates space on every shot, attacks the rim at will and is a great finisher. Brunson has a great feel for the game and has a knack for the big play.

Michael Finke (Peoria Irish 2014) – Committed to Illinois, the lanky Finke certainly looked deserving of the recruiting attention he received. While his frame will need to be filled out, his mid-range game is strong and he runs the floor very well for a player of his size.

Ikenna Okwarbizie (St. Louis Eagles 2014) – Despite just one year of competitive basketball experience, the 6’10’ Okwarbizie passes the eye test as he looks like an NBA power forward when he walks onto the floor. While extremely raw, there is much reason for excitement as he moves well on his feet and has a nose for the ball on rebounds. This is a player who has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential.

Scott Lindsey (Illinois Old School 2014) – The 6’4 wing is very active on both ends of the floor as he gets to the basket when he wants to finishes well on offense and interrupts every pass into his lane on the defensive side. His jumper is okay and his potential will only grow as his shooting develops.

Larry Austin (St. Louis Eagles 2014) – Phenomenal floor general, Austin has great vision on the court and gives his teammates great looks on a consistent basis. Not just a passer but shoots the ball well, a good finisher in the paint and rarely turns the ball over.

Jordan Barnett (TEAM? 2014) – A long and wiry wing, Barnett is tenacious attacking the basket and is always in the right place on defense. Just a consistent jumper stands between him and greatness. Excellent Rebounder

Nick Noskowiak (Wisconsin Playground Warriors 2015) – Another great point guard who is great creator and an even better defender, his future is very bright. Can improve on his touch around the basket and shooting in traffic but that is more nitpicking than anything.

Reed Timmer (Ray Allen Select 2014) – A smooth lefty, the combo guard has a high basketball IQ and if he can develop his ball-handling a little more, he will be a tough matchup for anyone.

Riley LaChance (Ray Allen Select 2014) – Solid point guard that moves the ball around well is made more dangerous by the fact that he can score from anywhere on the court. Capable on the defensive end to boot.

Brady Ellingson (Ray Allen Select 2014) – Best shooter of the weekend, Ellingson has a quick release and will become absolutely dominant if he can learn to attack the basket and finish in the paint. Defense has room for improvement but his shot makes up for his few deficiencies.

Cliff Alexander (Drose All Stars 2014) – The only knock on this human rhino is that he is a bit undersized 6’9 for the power forward position but Alexander is a man amongst boys on the court and craves physical play. Extraordinarily efficient in the post as he has both a soft touch around the basket but great vision if another teammate has a better look. What he doesn’t have in height, he easily makes up in energy and effort.

Jayson Tatum (St. Louis Eagles 2016) – Very dominate player all weekend playing up in the 16U division. Most likely the best freshmen in the country, long athletic point forward at 6’6 is a phenomenal ball handler can attack the basket. Great jump shoot of the catch or the dribble and can be effective in the post. Tatum will be fun to watch develop over his high school carrer