Midwest vs South Elite Showdown: Top 2027 Performers

Lewisville, Tx — The Midwest vs South Elite Showdown was a national 3rd-grade through 8th-grade tournament put together by Coach Josh Woodson and the F.O.E. family, with a grand prize of $500 to the first place winners. Teams came to play in Lewisville and Carrolton from all over the South and Midwest, Memphis, Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma, you name it. It was a joy to see how skilled, talented, and competitive these young players were. The tournament was filled with talent from top to bottom but here are just a few of the 6th-graders that stood out and caught my eye.

Ravondrick Williams Jr. | Duncanville, Tx | Class of 2027

This F.O.E. forward stood at about 6-foot-2inches, downright oversizing the competition with his length. Ravondrick wasn’t an easy player to get a clean shot over, he’s super long and throws people off when contesting their outside jumpers and shots inside the paint. No layups were allowed whenever Williams was around, he was an exceptional rim protector even as a help-side defender. There wasn’t a single game that I saw Ravondrick play this past weekend where he wasn’t in complete control of the boards. He continuously got a hand on the ball when it came off of the rim, going up high and hard to the glass on both sides of the floor, and creating second-chance shot opportunities all weekend long. He did a great job of consistently establishing position and posting up, looking for the ball in the high or low post. Williams was a very good finisher inside, even when getting bumped and pushed he still converted most of his shot attempts. This young prospect also showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and get through the lane using a powerful first bounce and first-step around the free-throw line, needing just one dribble to get all the way to the rack. Ravondrick Williams Jr. saved his best performance for last and once he had it going his teammates continued to feed him and let him eat. Williams completely went off and was near unstoppable in the championship game. He was all over the floor doing everything asked of him and much more, even knocking down a clutch free-throw to help seal the victory in the closing seconds of the game. I get the feeling that Ravondrick doesn’t have much of a ceiling, his potential is remarkable, there’s no telling what type of player he will become or how tall he will become but he already has the game to be a dominant player at both forward positions right now.

Trey Wright | Prosper, Tx | Class of 2027

This bucket getter was in attack mode from the get-go, driving the lane hard, scoring through contact, and knocking down his jump shots from deep, just out there showing an outstanding ability to create offense and make shots from anywhere on the court. Wright proved to be a skillful, score-first guard that can put up points in bunches and doesn’t need many shots to heat up. Very sound game offensively, nice smooth crossovers with phenomenal footwork. Trey used creative moves when penetrating inside and finishing at the basket, where he has good touch on his floaters and could also make tough layups with either hand. The Lightning Elite guard is someone you must account for at all times, he can be an effective player on and off the ball due to his ability to get open and hit shots from beyond the arc. Trey Wright played the game with a good competitive spirit, he made some impressive hustle plays when getting back on defense by jumping long passes and chasing a man down all the way to the basket before rejecting their shot. Trey was always cool, calm, and collected, he didn’t get rattled and he wasn’t phased by the pressure defense, he stuck to his game and it worked wonders for him.

Kavian Bryant | Forney, Tx | Class of 2027

Kavian Bryant is a pure hooper who’s very confident in his abilities. He knows how to let the game come to him, he plays at his own pace, and never rushes his shot, his dribble, or his passes, a very disciplined, poised, and under control player at all times with the ball. Kavian displayed a high basketball IQ for a player at his level. He’s a combo guard with lead guard abilities but also a natural at the shooting guard position. Good versatility with the ball, he can score from all three levels on the floor and pass it as well. It was impressive to see how Bryant used the pick-and-roll to set his teammates up with layups and open jump shots. A quality facilitator out of the two-guard position who looked to pass first before creating his own shot. Kavian was a knockdown shooter off the dribble in the mid-range and from beyond the arc, very efficient all weekend. Bryant was pulling-up and making his jump shots from the top of the key with no conscious whatsoever. He has so many different dimensions to his game that it put constant pressure on the defense with his unpredictable and aggressive style of play. Kavian Bryant is a high ceiling prospect that can truly become a special talent as he gets older.

Erick Reese | Little Elm, Tx | Class of 2027

Lightning Elite guard, Erick Reese was absolutely electrifying on the court, his energy was contagious and rubbed off on all of his teammates and even the crowd. The way he gave the same high level of intensity and effort on both sides of the ball was incredibly impressive. This past weekend, Erick was a relentless attacker who had times where he got into the paint of the defense effortlessly. His first step was lightning-fast and often got him to the basket in a blink of an eye, making him a constant threat to blow by his man off the dribble. Once inside, Reese showed terrific finishing skills at the hoop with both hands. This kid’s touch on his inside shots was impeccable, he completed plays with all types of layups, reverses, up and unders, you name it, he did it. Erick Reese was on fire by the final day, carrying the scoring load in the championship game and fighting hard until the bitter end.

Markell Gomillia | Oak Cliff, Tx | Class of 2027

Markell Gomillia showed off his elite dime dropping abilities with a lot of the passes he made. Markell threw guys open, made full-court bounce passes, behind the back passes, and passes thru tight windows in the paint. This point guard made others around him better with the way he put them in  positions to score. Gomillia is always looking even when you think he’s not, your hands must be ready at all times whenever he’s on the court. Good instincts with the ball in his grasp, great at controlling the pace of play, changing speeds and directions on a dime, and creating space or drawing fouls by initiating contact that often led him to the free-throw line. Markell has a true knack for drawing the foul when driving the lane, he bounced off of defenders, absorbed the contact thrown his way, and either finished the layup or got the call he was looking for. He proved to be an effective slasher, someone who can break their man down and get into the teeth of the defense on a consistent basis.  Markell Gomillia is a very energetic player that plays with a lot of passion and extreme confidence, the love for the game just oozes out of him when he’s on the court. 

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