Awards for Day 2 of the 16 Under AAU Nationals

Best Finisher Award:

Without a doubt the best finisher of the day was future Wake Forest Demon Deacon Kevin Swinton. This 6-foot-7 North Carolina Gator snatched every pass near him, dunking the majority of them with authority. He also displayed some nice back to the basket moves, finishing a few times with a nifty left handed jump hook.

The Hook Up Award:

Hopefully, Swinton showed some love to his dynamic 5-foot-5 point guard Dominique Stevenson for hooking him up countless times. Stevenson had his way on the court, penetrating at will and dishing no-look after no-look. And when given the jumper, he consistently buried it.

The Gunslinger Award:

The purest stroke of the day belonged Johnny Wolf of Cincinnati Salamone. The 6-foot-2 shooting guard was automatic from the three point line. He scored 11 of his teams first 13 points, ending the half with 18 points while also demonstrating the ability to get to the rim and finish.

Mr. Excitement Award:

5-foot-10, 170-pound point guard Dominic James dazzled the Assembly Hall crowd with an array of athletic moves and pinpoint passes. The Indiana native’s two handed alley hoop slam from the left wing brought the partisan crowd to its feet.

True Grit Award:

After leading his North Wisconsin Saints team to an upset victory the day before against the Arkansas Hawks, 5-foot-9 point guard Matt Miller kept his overmatch team in the game by hitting clutch threes and repeatedly getting to the free throw line. The fiercer the game got, the better this gritty competitor played.

Best Flush Award:

Six-foot-6 All Ohio Red’s Jamelle Cornley stunned the crowd with his resounding one handed alley hoop slam off a baseline inbounds.

Mr. Handles Award:

Point guards Jason Greene of Lehigh Valley Lightning and Mike Moore of Indiana’s Tiffany’s share this award. Both of their teams were dependant on their penetration to score. The 5-foot-10 Greene consistently finished at the rim when not dishing, and the 5-foot-6 Moore shot extremely well from behind the line.

The Sleeper Award:

In the absence of top prospect Mike Mercer, Georgia Stars’ Rasheen Barrett admirably filled his shoes by knocking down pull up jumpers and playing relentless defense. The 6-foot-4 small forward was pivotal in helping the Stars overcome a 19 point first half deficit.

Player of the Day-

Old Gold’s Dream Team’s Nathanid Minnoy lit it up for 32 points with an array of shots. The 6-foot-3 Chicago native was strong with the ball and without ball, displaying a great feel for the game.