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NPSAA Final Recap And Standouts

Published by Gilbert Muako on March 22, 2011

It was a great ending to the 2011 NPSAA Championship. PHASE 1 Academy, a team that had struggled earlier this season, gelled at the right time playing strong as a unit and finding their way to the final four. After not having their star player in the lineup on day one, REDA would make a comeback with thanks to Grant Mullins’ leadership by winning a very controversial semi-finals game over Grassroots with Mullins hitting the game winning free throws to claim the 101-100 victory. They would go on to defeat YAAACE 96-81 and be crowned 2011 NPSAA champions.

Final Standouts:

Negus Webster-Chan 6’7″ SG Starting 5 2012 - Playing in his first game back on Canadian soil since leaving for prep school, Webster-Chan was primed to show off his improved ball skills and he did just that. Dialing up sharp looking jumpers from deep and sinking every one of them by hitting nothing but mesh. He also used his ball-handling abilities to break down guys while making a move to the basket. Despite the upgrades to his individual game, Webster-Chan was still an unselfish player, making sure to get other guys in position to score. Another improvement is the size that the Louisville commit has added — something that has enabled him to attack and finish in traffic. He scored an effortless 21 points in the 106-101 win on Friday night.

Martin Dixon Green 6’3” SG Starting 5 2012 - The highest point total by a player in the event came from 2012 star guard Martin Dixon who completely gave the competition more than they could handle. A super athletic guard who has continually progressed his ball skills, Dixon-Green had things rolling from the jump and wouldn’t slow down at any point of the one game he played in the tournament. He can Make plays off the dribble and use his size and strength to get to the basket, can absorb contact and still finish, and his ball handling and outside shooting seems to be improving every time we see him. It would be nice to see him develop a mid-range game, but for now (almost like smaller version of JR Smith) he either knocks down long range shots or attacks the rim for high flying finishes. Martin Dixon-Green exploded for 39 points on Friday night.

Nik Stauskas 6’6” SG Grassroots Canada 2012 – Stauskas was by far the top performer in the tournament. As we mentioned in the day one recap he has great size and an intriguing skill package that comes with it. His ability to handle, create his own shot, pass, and consistently hit jumpers made him a tough cover throughout the whole tournament. Stauskas carries a certain confidence about himself and showed he’s willing to put a team on his back if needed to. No one was a better fourth-quarter performer than he was, making tough jumpers and frequently attacking and getting to the line where he is a high percentage free throw shooter.

Grant Mullins 6’1” PG REDA 2012 - Not sure if there’s been a more consistent player we’ve seen throughout the whole season. Mullins never fails to impress. REDA crumbled on the first day of action without the leadership of their point guard who was scheduled to arrive the following day from a Florida trip. Once Mullins made his return you could see the impact he had on his team’s performance. He’s an outstanding floor leader with an extremely high basketball IQ. A guy you can count on to control the team and make sound decisions every second of the game. He also has a soft shooting touch and will consistently make mid-range and long-range jumpers when given the open space. With his team down by one in the semi-finals, Mullins hit two clutch free throws to seal the win after being fouled at the buzzer. He scored 24 points in that game to lead REDA to the 2011 NPSAA Championship win. One thing that we would like to see Mullins do is add some strength over the off-season.

Raviel Burton 6’6” PF PHASE 1 Academy 2011- A tough power forward who plays with a high amount of energy, Burton was one player who truly caught many off guard in this event with much not known about him. He’s an excellent athlete who doesn’t yet have much ball skills but finds other ways the get it done. He has an incredible motor and toughness going after rebounds on both ends, is a strong finisher around the rim, never shying away from any contact and, in fact, seems to embrace it. He easily became a crowd favorite using his quick leaping ability to put guys on posters.

Notes

- 6’0″ PG Novell Provo was the youngest player in the event but it didn’t show due to the confidence and poise that he possesses. Provo was instrumental in the 106-100 win Friday night for his Starting 5 team. He handled pressure quite well and made crucial baskets extra late in the game to help seal the victory.

- 6’9″ 2011 C Collin Holder was outstanding around the rim offensively and defensively in the championship game Saturday night. holding the ball high and finishing with easy lay-ins or throwing down numerous dunks. He’s made drastic improvement in his play over the year which is very impressive but the big man still has a few holes in his game to fill in and with continued work it can easily be done.

- Though bothered with a slight injury on his thumb, 6’4″ SF Ben Davis managed to put together the best series of games we’ve ever seen from him. He was solid, hitting from the outside and made plays in the paint. He scored 25 points in Grassroots’ win over New Creations.

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