Day two of the annual NY2LA Sports Invitational featured some of the top prospects in the country. Teams from Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin all competed for a chance to advance to championship Sunday. Here are some of the players that stood out to me.
Top Performers
Kaliem Taylor – 2020 (Kevon Looney Elite 16u) - Taylor had a breakout performance scoring 27 points in Kevon Looney Elite's opening round overtime win. He was relentless in attacking the rim and wasn’t letting anybody stop him from getting his buckets. The 6-3 guard hit some big-time shots that helped bring much needed momentum to his team. Taylor currently holds offers from UNLV, Milwaukee, and Grambling State but you can expect that list to grow in the near future.
David Skogman – 2019 (Ray Allen Select 17u) - One of the hottest 2019 prospects in the Badger State had a very productive Saturday helping lead the talented Ray Allen Select team to two solid wins. Not many post players can stretch the floor as well as Skogman can, he has such a nice and pure shot that it rarely even hits the rim when it goes in. He is a solid rebounder and had several impressive blocks too.
Isaiah Rivera – 2020 (Quad City Elite 16u) - Rivera has had one of the better weekends out of any 2020 prospect here. He continues to make a name for himself on a national level and will be opening a ton of eyes in the coming months kind of like fellow Quad City player DJ Carton did last summer. Rivera can play multiple positions on the floor because his high motor and athletic ability allows him too. He can score from all three levels and has been doing so all weekend long. Rivera finished with 18 points.
Andre White Jr – 2019 (All In Athletics 17u) - The super quick and shifty point guard has been floating under the radar for the last 12 months but anyone who knows about him understands he is a division 1 caliber player. White already holds offers from Northern Illinois, Southern University, North Dakota, and Chicago State you can expect him to earn some more offers over the next couple of months. White is very explosive for his size and can get anywhere he wants to on the court. His crossover is lethal, and he shifts players almost every time he puts the ball on the floor. His jumper is pure, and he was showing it off all day long Saturday.
DJ Carton – 2019 (Quad City Elite 16u) - The five-star point guard did what he does best and that is win. Almost every time he attacked the basket it either ended in a dunk, lay in, or foul shots. When he wants to score he does and there is not much defenders can do to stop him. Defensively he was all over the place disrupting passing lanes and blocking shots. Carton had 17 first half points against All In Athletics. After earning close to 20 division 1 offers the 6-2 guard recently cut his list of schools down to Ohio State, Michigan, Xavier, Marquette, and Iowa.
Patrick Baldwin Jr – 2021 (Phenom University 16u) - Although he was one of the youngest players on the floor by two years he was still one of the most productive. He shot the lights out Saturday night and it didn’t matter where he was on the floor. Add to the mix some solid activity and the young talent delivered his best effort of the weekend so far. Baldwin is very skilled for his age/size and is making a name for himself as one of the premier 2021 prospects in the country. The 6-8 forward finished with 17 points 8 rebounds and couple of blocks in a convincing win over Chicago lockdown.
Anthony Washington – 2020 (WI Swing 16u) - One of the biggest stock boosters of the Spring continued his high level of play Saturday. Washington got off to a slow start but when he started getting things going he was able to help Swing get off to a 20-point lead. The rising 6-2 prospect has great length and size for the point guard position. He keeps the ball on a string and is always making the right passes. He can score off the bounce, knock down shots, and often gets out in transition where he usually finishes with an impressive dunk. Washington finished with 14 points in WI Swings win over.
Jalen Johnson – 2020 (Phenom University 16u) - The five star point forward finished with a team high 14 points in Phenoms first round win over the Wisconsin Swing. Johnson is an outstanding passer with combination of his height and vision he can pass right over defenses and fit the ball through tight gaps. He has a nice improving jump shot and is a lot more confident in his pull up game now then he was last summer. He currently holds offers from the likes of UCLA, Wisconsin, Arizona ST, USC, Florida, and DePaul to name a few.
Marcus Domask – 2019 (Ray Allen Select 17u) - After a quiet performance in Saturdays afternoon game Domask put it all together in the night cap. The 6-5 forward was doing a little bit of everything in Ray Allen Selects win. Domask can score from all three levels and can do so in a variety of different ways. If he has any space he will hurt the defense with his shooting ability, and he can hurt you by attacking off the dribble. He has a high motor and loves to get after his opponents on the defensive side. Domask holds offers from Green Bay, Milwaukee, American, and Bucknell.
Stock Boosters
Logan Landers – 2021 (WI Sharks 15u) - The talented 6-9 forward had a very good game showcasing his overall skill set. Landers hit multiple deep contested threes, had some very nice pull up jumpers, and was finishing well above the rim. There is not many 2021 prospects that have his combination of size and skill making him very hard to match up against. Defensively he was all over the place blocking shots and cleaning the glass. Landers finished with a team high 20 points in the Sharks close loss to WI Swing NY2LA.
Brayden Dailey – 2021 (WI Swing 15u) - Dailey has been playing at a high level all spring and Saturday morning was no different. The 6-5 wing can knock down outside shots, finish around the rim, and he makes good timely passes. He has plus length which allows him to disrupt passing lanes and earn easy fast break opportunities. Dailey is one of the top 2021 prospects in the State of Wisconsin and will garner division 1 interest.
Eric Price – 2021 (Quad City Elite 15u) - Every time I get the opportunity to watch Price he adds something to his game. He uses his strength to his advantage when he attacks the basket as he can finish around the rim no matter how much contact there is. Price was also hitting deep shots from well beyond the arc throughout Quad City's win over ABC Lions. He has a solid feel for the game and plays with good control making him a promising young guard prospect to follow closely in the coming years.
Dayne Armwald – 2020 (WI Dynasty 16u) - The rising 2020 prospect put on a show in Dynasty's win over the Meanstreets. He was all over the glass on both ends of the floor as he ended with a total of 13 rebounds. He is always ready for the pass on the block and almost always answers with a bucket. He doesn’t have the ideal height for a big man yet but he has the athletic ability to make up for it. His high motor allows him to run the floor and earn easy buckets all game long. Armwald finished with a game high 25 points in Saturday afternoons game.
Steven Clay – 2022 (WI Phenoms 14u) - Playing up a grade at the 15u level Clay didn’t miss a beat. The long 6-3 forward has plus length and he knows how to use it to his advantage. He causes problems on defense as he likes to creep out and get easy steals which lead to fast break opportunities for him and his teammates. Clay finished with 18 points in Phenoms win over the GB Runners.
Deandre Henry – 2020 (Team Harden 16u) – Standing at 6-7 with a very built frame he was a matchup nightmare in the paint. Henry was getting whatever he wanted on the block, he has great footwork which allows him to pick his defender apart. He was getting up for rebounds at a very high rate and does a great job in kicking it out and finding the open man. Henry finished with 16 points in Team hardens win over the Illinois Rockets.
Jermaine Hamlin – 2019 (Quad City Elite 17u) - Hamlin was a man on a mission all day long for Quad City Elite. The 6-10 forward threw down multiple powerful two-handed dunks that looked like he was going to bring the rim down with him. Hamlin already has the height and when you combine it with his strength it was sometimes unfair for defenders trying to stop him in the paint. A legitimate division 1 caliber big man you can expect for his recruitment to pick up in the coming months. Hamlin finished with 9 points in Quad City Elites win over All In Athletics.
Foster Wonders – 2021 (Pack Attack 15u) - Wonders was scoring from all over the place and his defenders couldn’t do anything to slow him down. He is very skilled around the basket as he has many different post moves he displayed against Bigg Ten Hoop Stars. He has good size and strength and he knows how to use it to his advantage on both sides of the floor. He cleaned the glass on both ends of the floor but most importantly on the offensive side where he earned many second chance points for him and his teammates. Wonders finished with a team high 29 points.