(Xavier Booker put on a show Friday night)

 

Friday night, the 2021 NY2LA Sports Spring Extravaganza started with a bang.

 

In 17U action, the opening set of games saw EG10 and JH1 go into overtime. A bit later in 16U play, George Hill All Indy and the Illinois Wolves played a back and forth game that saw numerous elite performances. Overall, it was a great night in all age groups.

 

The 16U game between GHAI and Illinois Wolves featured off-the-charts intensity from the tip. Xavier Booker’s first half was a glimpse at his incredible potential. He finished above the rim in the lane, popped for threes, beat defenders off the dribble, rebounded at a high level, and pushed the ball up the floor himself. His production at 6’10” was fantastic. Booker had a good second half with another three and a couple of finishes in the lane, but the first half was like seeing the future. He has a ton of upside and just needs to work towards making that performance a regular thing.

 

Jalen Hooks had a good showing for GHAI as well. He opened the game with a three off the dribble. Hooks made his biggest impact in the second half. He had a few rim-rocking dunks as well as some blocks that might have dented the floor.

 

With Booker playing well, it looked like GHAI might run away with the game. That was not the case as Cameron Christie took over in the second half. In the first, he did not break loose for many shots. Christie made a couple of mid-range shots late in the half but was quiet. In the second, the lanky guard started to make shots over defenders all over the court. He buried jumper after jumper over outstretched arms. Christie is not an explosive athlete, but he displayed an elite shot-making skill on Friday night.

 

The 17U EG10-JH1 saw Pike’s Ryan Conwell have a big game. The lefty guard scored really well by using his body to create separation in the mid-range. With regulation coming to an end, his three-pointer over two defenders hit the rim before bouncing off the top of the backboard and falling through to send the game to overtime.

 

Liberty Christian’s Christian Nunn was impressive going to the basket. He found a way to get to the rim in transition and half-court. Once he was there, Nunn finished at a high level as well.

 

The overall star of the game was JH1’s Leon Bond. He is an extremely athletic wing from Wisconsin. Bond had highlight-reel dunk after dunk against EG10. His quick second and third jumps made him unstoppable on the offensive glass.

 

Josh Terrian nailed big threes for JH1 as well. He was automatic when he found daylight from beyond the arc. He also played under control and made the right decisions with the ball each time he touched it.

 

The athleticism of 17U Yanders Law-Blue was eye-catching. Jonathan Dunn showed out in transition early and often. His energy and explosiveness led to most of his production, but Dunn also made a couple of outside shots. Cameron Liggins and Logan Applegate had plenty of highlights as well. Yanders Law put on a show.

 

Evansville Bosse guard Julian Norris played well in C2K Elite’s win over Mac Irvin Fire. He had one stretch in the first half where he scored over a defender in transition, hit a three, created a steal before hitting a teammate for a triple, and finished it with a deep two. There is no doubt that he can knock down shots. I was impressed with his rebounding. In a physical, athletic game, Norris went after rebounds and pulled them down frequently.  He finished with 16 points.

 

His C2K Elite teammate Amarion Dickerson was great at the rim. He is an explosive 6’6” forward that played with a fantastic motor. He filled a role to a tee.

 

Friday was the first time seeing 2024 center James Brown in person. The Mac Irvin Fire youngster checks a ton of boxes – 6-8+, wide shoulders, long arms, plays with a mean streak, finishes well in traffic. The future is bright for Brown.