TheNY2LA Sports Spring Extravaganza event came to a close Sunday afternoon after a solid day of play by several players and teams, capping a good weekend of hoops.  Teammates Dominic Martinelli and Damontae Taylor (All-In Athletics Figueroa) made for an impressive one-two punch in a toughly-fought game Sunday, 3D Empire had a great team effort win, and the 15U Open Championship saw some big performances on both sides, like sharp-shooting 2021 PG Eric Price (Quad City Elite) and a young player bursting on the scene in 2021 SG Foster Wonders (Pack Attack). Catch a rundown of some of Sunday’s top performances and a look at some guys boosting their recruiting stock with quality performances by reading below…

TOP PERFORMERS
JAYLEN BOYD – 2020 – PG – RAMEY-JETS UNITED
6-0 – LADUE H.S. – ST. LOUIS, MO
In the opening game, Boyd put together a really steady all-around game. Defensively, he was really active and cause problems for the opponent with his quick hands on the ball and with his athleticism, including two nice blocked shots down the stretch and another steal which he turned into point with a great look up the floor which he threaded perfectly to his teammate. Also, he showed he could score the ball from every level, scoring at the cup, popping a nice little mid-range floater and he showed a nice developing three-point stroke. As his shot gets even more smooth, he will be a tough stop, because he was excellent breaking down his defender off the bounce as well.

AUSTIN GARNER – 2020 – SG – 3D EMPIRE
6-4 – BYRON NELSON H.S. – TROPHY CLUB, TX
Garner played solid early, but as the second half rolled around, Garner took over the game with his energy getting by defenders from the wing and going to the basket strong, but even more so with his sharp-shooting, going 3-of-3 from three-point land before finally missing one. Two of those three’s were deep and with a defender bearing down, and another was a nice spot-up in the corner off a skip pass. He finished his day off with a sweet catch in transition where the defender swiped and he wrapped it around his back to side-step the opponent and then went to the cup for the finish, capping the win for his team.

BAYLOR HEBB – 2020 – G – 3D EMPIRE
6-1 – COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE H.S. – GRAPEVINE, TX
Hebb set the pace for his team right away along with his teammate Logan McLaughlin. The two were in sync from the jump, running the floor and connecting a couple fast-break buckets, one of which Hebb showed good body control by playing through the defenders chest and finishing. Hebb also made some really nice passes against the zone in the half-court for 4 assists in the game, and was hitting shots from mid area and outside for a couple three’s as well. His big impact though came from his running the court consistently and putting pressure on the opponent to have to defend in transition.

DAWAND JONES – 2019 – F/C – TEAM TEAGUE
6-8 – BEN DAVIS H.S. – INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Jones has been a monster on the boards, and at 6’8”, 320-pounds he moves well around the blocks and used his size to muscle through contact on the interior. Jones showed a little spring inside as well, powering up off the catch for a nice one-handed slam that nearly brought the basket down. He showed good touch around the rim and proved he has the ability to hit from the mid-post areas as well. He led Team Teague to a good victory with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

DOMINIC MARTINELLI – 2020 – G/F – ALL-IN ATHLETICS FIGUEROA
6-4 – GLENBROOK SOUTH H.S. – GLENVIEW, IL
Martinelli has really grown his game, and it was on display Sunday as he had an outstanding game offensively. He made jump shots, he was solid around the hoop, especially on a couple nice cuts to the basket where his teammates found him and he finished the plays off. He also drilled a three-pointer, and was playing hard in the rebounding game as well, snagging a number of boards. The 6’4” combo wing put together a 22-point effort to finish off his weekend in nice fashion.

MITCH MASCARI – 2019 – SG – MERCURY ELITE
6-4 – GENEVA H.S. – GENEVA, IL
Mascari showed his shooting prowess throughout the game and was able to get himself to the free throw a couple times by playing controlled and with good balance against pressure when attacking the hoop. The 6’4” swing guard was on point with some clutch shots, including a long range one to put his team in striking distance down the stretch of the game.

ERIC PRICE – 2021 – PG – QUAD CITY ELITE ORANGE
6-1 – GALESBURG H.S. – GALESBURG, IL
Quad City Elite went home with the 15U Open Championship and Price was a major factor in leading his team to it. The 6’1” lead guard was on fire in the first half, finding open looks from downtown and draining those shots consistently. He hit 4 three’s and then was also able to finish some other opportunities with dribble penetration and looks going to the hoop, finishing with 18 points in the half. The defense tightened its screws on him more in the second half, but he still played with good control and instead attacked the basket more and made a couple nice kick-outs to spot up shooters and also converted some foul chances at the free throw line, sinking 4 from the stripe, and finished the game with 22 points.

ISAIAH SANDERS – 2020 – F – MICHIGAN PLAYMAKERS
6-6 – CASS TECH – REDFORD, MI
Sanders played with much better energy and confidence throughout the Playmakers’ morning run on Sunday. As the game wore on, Sanders started imposing his will more and more on both ends of the floor, coming up with some big rebounds, and then offensively playing under control when he attacked the rim and finished with a soft touch off the glass, also getting himself to the free throw line. Beyond that, Sanders displayed his ability to step outside the three-point line and hit shots with a good release and sank a couple triples.

DAMONTAE TAYLOR – 2020 – G/F – ALL-IN ATHLETICS FIGUEROA
6-5 – ZION-BENTON H.S. – WAUKEGAN, IL
Taylor had himself a really nice overall game on the offensive end of the floor for his team in a tightly contested game throughout. He made plays with his length, and with his athleticism, showing good body control with off-balance type shots as he finished baskets against contact on the break, made some nice slices to the hoop off the bounce on some half-court sets, finished with a nice half-spin into a short range one-handed shot another time, and then showed his ability to explode off the floor and throw it down on a break one time. When his perimeter game really comes together and he develops more strength, he will be a definite prospect on the upswing. He had 18 points in a nice win to finish the event.

FOSTER WONDERS – 2021 – G/F – PACK ATTACK
6-4 – IRON MOUNTAIN H.S. – IRON MOUNTAIN, MI
Wonders wowed in the 15U Open Division Championship game on Sunday, as he showed off a number of different assets to his game. He started the game off hot with an immediate long-range three-pointer and then followed that up with a number of nice finishes at the rim both in transition and within the half-court offense. He used his body really well inside to create space and get cleaner opportunities to score, he played patient and with good burst past his defenders to score throughout the game, then again hitting three late in the first half. The 6’4” wing was also stout on the boards and was a more than capable passer also, but it was his efficient 25-point effort, which also included sinking 7 free throws, that really stood out.

STOCK BOOSTERS
CONNOR DILLON – 2020 – SG – IL IRISH
6-1 – PEORIA NOTRE DAME – PEORIA, IL
Dillon didn’t have a huge numbers game in a hard-fought game Sunday, but his effort on both ends of the floor was still noticeable. He showed a really good feel in the offense in particular, draining a couple three-point attempts with good confidence and a nice stroke, and then got to work showcasing an ability to take defenders off the dribble a bit too and then scoring on the move to the hoop.

JAYDEN HOUSTON – 2021 – G – QUAD CITY ELITE ORANGE
6-0 – DAVENPORT NORTH H.S. – DAVENPORT, IA
Houston played well, even beyond the chartable numbers on Sunday, with his hustle and pressure defensively in particular. The feisty guard harassed the opponent from start to finish in the Championship game and really helped his team come up with some big stops defensively, especially down the stretch of the game. On offense, Houston also displayed some shooting ability as he sank a big three in the second half and was solid throughout the game of finishing his lay-up opportunities when they got out at run the floor. He had 11 points and 4 steals in the game.

LOGAN MCLAUGHLIN – 2020 – PG – 3D EMPIRE
6-2 – HEBRON H.S. – CARROLLTON, TX
McLaughlin really impressed with his ability to control the tempo of the game practically from start to finish in their win early Sunday.  The 6’2” point was active hustling after loose ball plays and also on the boards and when he secured the ball he was fantastic making pinpoint accurate passes to breaking teammates up the court, tallying 7 assists in the contest. McLaughlin scored the ball pretty well too, attack the rim a couple times going right down the middle of the paint and finishing, but also hit a nice mid-range jumper over a defender.

BRETT PERRONNE – 2021 – SF – PACK ATTACK
6-3 – KIMBERLY H.S. – KAUKAUNA, WI
Perronne really impressed Sunday in the 15U Championship with his ability to shoot the ball. He had a nice release and hit from three and from shorter range a few times, showing great touch on the shorter shots and toughness when going to score at the hoop. He finished with 11 points in the contest.

CHRISTIAN SHUMATE – 2020 – SF – CHICAGO LOCKDOWN
6-5 – PLAINFIELD EAST H.S. – ROMEOVILLE, IL
Shumate took a little bit to get in the flow of the game, but once he did he was a real presence on the offensive end, and gave them some athletic size inside on the defensive end. He impacted his team by running the floor to take advantage of some one-on-one opportunities with smaller defenders and played over the top to finish, but then also slashed to the hoop well to score off the catch when in the half-court offense.

NICHOLAS SMOLDT – 2020 – SG – CHICAGO LOCKDOWN
6-2 – PLAINFIELD EAST H.S. – PLAINFIELD, IL
Smoldt had the hot hand from the perimeter for Lockdown as they tried to make a push against a balanced 3D Empire squad. The 6-2 shooting guard was able to come through screens, pop back on flares when defenders were caught out of place and hunted his shot with good readiness, then putting it through the net with good efficiency. He drilled 4 of his 6 three-point attempts in the game.