Phoenix, AZ – MLK weekend is tournament time, the holiday comes with a 3 day weekend, making it an attractive time to host high-level basketball events. With several tournaments taking place throughout the city of Phoenix, it was difficult to…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inPhoenix, AZ – MLK weekend is tournament time, the holiday comes with a 3 day weekend, making it an attractive time to host high-level basketball events. With several tournaments taking place throughout the city of Phoenix, it was difficult to choose just one. I finally decided on the ML King of the court tournament, which featured some of the top 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade teams in the state. The event which took place at various High Schools throughout the city, was loaded with talent. In this article, we take a look at some of the breakout stars of the event.
Cameron Holmes 6’3 SG AZ Battle 2025 – The first thing you notice about Holmes is his size. The 6’3 wing towers over his opponents on the floor, his skill was difficult to hide as well. The lefty gets to the basket with ease and has range out to the college 3. He was dominant all week, leading AZB to the 8th-grade gold Championship en route to being named tournament MVP.
Bruce Branch III 5’7 SG Skyriders 2027 – Branch is what I call a quick evaluation player. It took less than 3 possession for me to realize his talent. He was good on the offensive end, but what was most impressive to me was his defense. Branch used his long arms and good instincts to get on ball steals as well as tips and deflections when playing the passing lanes.
Quincy Everson 5’10 PG AZ Battle 2025 – Everson can best be described as a high IQ player. He understands the game at a high level and played with good defensive instincts. Offensively he showed off his playmaking ability, delivering several sweet bounce passes to set up teammates.
Cameron Hurt 5’3 PG Hope Code 2027 – Hurt was a blur. The PG was unstoppable getting to the hole and finishing. He was able to do this in both transition and off the bounce in half-court. He also showed off his range on the day, knocking down a couple 3’s in a competitive semifinals game against Skyriders.
Isaiah Rider 5’3 PG Skyriders 2028 – Despite being one of the youngest players on the court, Rider was one of the most advanced. He had a good semifinal game, but it was his championship game performance that really made him stand out. He displayed a crafty handle, routinely splitting traps and double teams. His shooting was also on point as the PG knocked down 3 trey’s in the Championship game. He led all scorers with 15, en route to helping the Skyriders take home the crown.
Jaiden Hong 4’10 PG AZ Select 2027 – I’m a big fan of jitterbug PGs and Hong was one of the best on the weekend. The 4’10 PG displayed a little wiggle to his game, shaking free from defenders. His signature skill was his shooting, as he launched and buried several deep 3s throughout the week.
Jerzy Robinson 5’9 PF Sky Rider 2026 – Robinson was the most physical player at the event. The forward is a candidate for my modern throwback team. She has an old school back to the basket game and combines that with rugged rebounding. On the modern side, don’t be surprised to see her out on the perimeter handling the ball. Robinson showed a tight handle and the ability to execute between the legs COD’s effortlessly.
