Latest, Recruiting

Youngsters Show Off

Published by Gilbert Muako on May 25, 2010

Mississauga, ON – The 2010 Midget (U15) Boy’s Championships brought 92 teams in six divisions to Mississauga, Ontario to battle for their respectful Provincial Medals. The event missed some star power due to other top teams playing up from their age bracket, however, there was still some solid basketball played at the Division 1 level.

Scarborough Blues big three Tevoun Jackson, Kemar Alleyne and Raynold Kasongo

As expected the biggest game came in the finals. The number one seeded Brampton Warriors met up with the number two seeded Scarborough Blues. Both teams competed at a high level and kept it close till the buzzer sounded in an exciting manner.

Down by two with three seconds left in the gold medal game, the Blues had possession and with no surprise they would to their 6’1” combo guard, Kemar Alleyne, who had been their leading scorer in the event.

With the pressure defense on, Alleyne would fight through a double team, receive the inbound pass just inside half court, create bit of space and knock down a game-winning jumper to give the Blues their golden victory.

Thanks go out to Ontario Basketball for an excellent job putting the event together.

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Below are the scores from the gold and bronze medal games.

Gold Medal Game:

Scarborough Blues: 56 (Kemar Alleyne – 15 points; Renald Kasongo – 13 points)

-VS-

Brampton Warriors: 55 (Marcus Lewis – 18 points)

Bronze Medal Game:

Ajax Lions: 44 (William Mayor – 12 points; Anthony Pate – 12 points)

-VS-

Toronto Triple Threat: 54 (Glenford Miller – 23 points; Terique Clarke-Riley – 11 points)

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Extremely young and still maturing, all of these student athletes have a great amount of time to develop. Here are some players who stood out in particular, and are worthy of further attention down the road.

Standout Players:

Raynald Kasongo, 6’5.5”, PF, 2014 (Scarborough Blues)

Kasongo is physically more mature than the competition and it would’ve been nice to see him use it to his advantage more consistently. One moment he looks like a man amongst boys, the next, he disappears, not making his presence felt. With that said, he was really impressive. He presented unmatched strength in the interior, bodying defenders and finishing strong. Kasongo has good hands and feet, capable catching any pass thrown to him before doing work in the post. Not consistent but he has a decent looking jumper from about 15 feet. One thing that stood out large from him was timing and his monstrous blocks, had at least 3-4 every game. His shot blocking lets the offensive player think twice before attacking the hoop. If Kasongo finds the will and toughness to compete throughout a full game, he will be a problem to deal with. One of the top players in this class.

Aaron Ariri, 6’6”, PF/C, 2014 (Brampton Warriors)

Aaron Ariri Really had a chance to witness Ariri’s potential in the Gold medal game. He’s long, lean and definitely still growing. Runs the floor pretty well with long strides, Ariri does a solid job of shuffling his feet when faced to guard a smaller, quicker player. He is also solid in the rebounding department. At times, he looked a bit light around the basket when attempting to finish or fight for the ball. Adding strength will be a must as he grows. With the right training, you can’t help but imagine what type of player he could become.

Kemar Alleyne, 6’1”, Combo Guard, 2014 (Scarborough Blues)

The most consistent scorer on the floor, he makes sure the opposing team is aware of his ability to put the ball in the basket. Even though he plays more of the two, Alleyne could take the role of a lead guard as he did in the event. Even though he has a slower release he can knock down the three point shot. He also has a decent mid-range, with a quick pump fake or a jab fake before settling in the mid-range for a shot. Alleyne possesses pure confidence that he used to carry his team all the way to the finals and with three seconds left, Allyene drained the game-winning shot to take the gold medal from the Brampton Warriors. A player to watch for.

Marcus Lewis, 6’2”, Wing Player, 2014 (Brampton Warriors)

One of the more interesting players, I saw in the two days, Lewis truly stepped up his game as the tournament continued most noticeably in the championship game, helping his team in any way possible, hustling for loose balls, defending, or crashing the boards, he did it all. Definitely the type of player you would want on your team, he brings so much energy to the game and doesn’t always need the ball in his hand to score. With continued work Lewis could turn out to be a very good player.

Tevoun Jackson 5’8”, PG, 2014 (Scarborough Blues)

Jackson was the best pure point guard I watched. The younger brother of standout combo guard Daniel Mullings (2010) and point guard Jermaine Mullings (2012), it seems he’ll wind up being the best lead guard of all brothers due to his pass first mentality, incredible passing abilities, superb court vision and leadership at this age. It’s fascinating to watch Jackson run his team, always one step ahead, seeing passes before the defence could even react. He also has great arm strength for some someone his size and age whether using it to zip a crisp pass down low, on the open court or snatching a rebound and throwing a long ball to the other end of the court. At his size and position he will definitely need to improve his shooting touch which seems to be his biggest weakness at this point. He already has tremendous speed and quickness to get in the lanes. Just like his brothers he is also a pest on defence, striping the ball, active hands and feet in the passing lanes and staying in front of opposing guards.

Dishawn Thompson, 6’2”, Wing Player, 2014 (Ajax Lions)

Dishawn Thompson The younger brother of All-American Tristan Thompson, has great size at this point. Dishwan seems like he’ll end up playing more on the wing. He is also a very passionate player who verbally communicates on the floor at all times. Thompson scores a bunch of points in transition, and likes handling the ball and making plays for his teammates. An unselfish player, he’ll drive, draw the defense and kick out to the open man or taking away his shot to give an extra swing pass to an unattended teammate. Will need to improve consistency on his shot (putting more arc to it, tends to be flat at the moment).

Anthony Pate, 6’1”, SG, 2014 (Ajax Lions)

A quick lefty with nice scoring touch, Pate can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. With a quick first step Pate can get in the lanes and is at his best when attacking the basket, using a running floater or an acrobatic finish to score. He has great concentration of completing plays at the hoop. Will need to put more work into his outside shooting and didn’t seem too confident using his off hand (even though he completed couple of baskets with it).

Glenford Miller, 6’2”, SF, 2014 (Toronto Triple Threat)

Strong player, great size, and active, Miller can cover all areas on the floor. Offensively, he can score off the drive, use his body down low and hit in the midrange. He also has the capabilities to defend multiple positions. An improving, well-rounded player, he will turn out be a very good talent by his graduation year.

Players to keep an eye on:

Jake Babic, 6’1”, SG, 2014 (Oakville Vytis)

Babic is on his way to becoming a solid player. Has a good looking shot, has a solid handle, and is a good decision maker who can create for himself and others.

Rasheed Smith, 6’6”, PF, 2014 (Oakville Vytis)

Extremely raw, skinny and athletic. It’s evident Smith is still getting the hang of the game of basketball. He displayed great effort on both ends of the floor, diving, fighting for rebounds, altering shots, and just helping his team in any way possible. Can play out of control at times. Smith has the right intentions he just doesn’t play out as expected. He did complete some impressive no look passes that caught many defenders off guard. An active player who has length, Smith probably had the most exciting play in the event, displaying his athleticism with a poster dunk all over a defender while being fouled. Only the right amount of work will tell the player Smith will become, the potential is there.

Tyvon Hall, 5’10”, Combo Guard, 2014, (YAAACE)

Competitive combination guard with nice shooting touch, Hall had one of the best looking jumpers over the weekend. Capable hitting shots in the midrange or extends his range outside, with a nice elevation and release point on his shooting. He is a good decision maker and understands when to shoot and when to give the ball up. He also has the knack for hitting clutch shots.

William Mayor, 6’3”, PF, 2014 (Ajax Lions)

Tough competitor who will battle down low, rebound, defend and hustle. Plays strong and can finish around the basket.

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