The 2016 NY2LA Sports Lone Star Invite opened up on Friday. In the inaugural event, combining the NY2LA Association with the 17U open division, opening night featured a number of highly contested games. In one of the main events, Marcus Garrett powered Swaghouse Elite to a big victory over Playground Elite in the highly anticipated showcase matchup.

Here are the top performers and stock boosters from Friday’s action.

TOP PERFORMERS
Marcus Garrett – 2017 – PG – Swaghouse Elite
You have to like a 6-foot-5 point guard who’s slippery with the basketball. Garrett is such a tough cover because ;/he’s got the size to see and shoot over the top of the defense and yet quickness to get by and finish at the rim as well. A nifty lead guard, Garrett has a knack for the big play. Garrett is a very good all-around player that rebounds, distributes, scores, and defends. He was outstanding down the stretch in Friday’s win over Playground Elite, finishing with a game-high 14 points.

Terrence Lewis – 2017- SF – Playground Elite
Lewis didn’t shoot the ball as well as he would have liked from the perimeter, but he’s got so many other parts to his game, it didn’t stop him from putting together a strong performance. He certainly got the best defensive effort from Swaghouse Elite, who made him work for everything, but Lewis had a couple of bright moments as a slasher. Lewis powered his way to the rim and finished with some finesse against multiple defenders. As always, Lewis was active on the glass and put home a number of second chance points. 

Jalon Robinson – 2017 – G – T.J. Ford
Down by nearly 20, T.J. Ford was led back into the 17U showcase matchup with SYF Players by Robinson. The junior combo guard buried shot after shot as T.J. Ford mounted a tremendous comeback that came up just short. Robinson exploded for 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, including five triples. A smooth guard with a quick trigger, Robinson didn’t need a lot of space to snap off his shot. He also showed the ability to knock down shots from well past the arc. 

Doug Wallen – 2017 – SF – Illinois Irish
Wallen did what he does best on Friday. An athletic forward/wing that can play above the rim, Wallen got out in transition and showcased his leaping ability. A kid that works the glass and makes defenses work, Wallen closed off the interior for the opposition and controlled all available rebounds. Wallen can also bring the ball up in transition and plays somewhat of a point forward role with his ability to see the floor and distribute on the go. He had 13 points in Friday’s showcase victory over CYM. 

STOCK BOOSTERS
Alex Filo – 2017 – F/C – Chicago Lockdown
Filo showcased a nice back-to-the-basket game in Friday’s blowout win over the Oklahoma Magic. The 6-foot-8 junior finished well down on the block and even made a couple of nifty baskets with the defense draped all over him. Filo has a nice turn around jump hook or turn around jump shot. He did a good job of setting the defense up by going one way and drop stepping the other. Filo finished with a team-high 14 points in Friday’s win. 

Kaleb Roy – 2016 – G/F – Oklahoma Magic
Roy was a bright spot for the Oklahoma Magic in their loss to Chicago Lockdown in the 17U showcase. The unsigned senior can play all three positions on the wing and is also asked to handle the point guard duties. Roy shot the ball well on Friday, nailing a couple triples. The 6-foot-3 senior also did a nice job of attacking the teeth of the defense and finishing against contact or making plays for his teammates. Roy had a team-high 12 points on Friday. 

Mitar Stanojevic – 2016 – SF – CYM 
Stanojevic has an intriguing skillset and flashed some nice potential in Friday’s loss to the Illinois Irish. A 6-foot-7 small forward, Stanojevic did a great job of taking advantage of mismatches. Able to put the ball on the deck and blow by defenders, Stanojevic got to the rim at will. Also a decent shooter, Stanojevic showed the ability to knock down perimeter shots. He even displayed toughness around the basket, muscling his way inside for scores. Stanojevic finished with a game-high 35 points on Friday.

Jarius Stevens – 2016 – G/F – SYF Players
Stevens’ aggressiveness and tenacity helped the SYF Players hold off T.J. Ford on Friday. A 6-foot-4 senior, Stevens played much bigger than his size and was all over the glass on both ends of the floor. Stevens wrestled away contested, loose balls and kept the paint secure by blocking and altering shots. Also able to handle the ball on the perimeter, Stevens can go 1-on-1 and take his man to the hole. Stevens finished with 11 points in Friday’s win. 

De’Ante Walker – 2017 – G – Illinois Irish
Walker brought a lot of energy to the Illinois Irish in their win over CYM in the showcase victory over CYM. Coming off the bench, Walker got after it defensively, recording a handful of steals which then led to his offensive outburst. Walker knocked down three triples and also made a couple of nice drives to the hoop. A speedy combo guard, Walker used his quickness to his advantage on both ends of the floor. He had a team-high 15 points in Friday’s victory.

RECRUITING NOTES
Mitar Stanojevic listed offers from Drake, Mississippi Valley State, and Southern Illinois. Interest is currently coming from UNLV, and Arkansas-Little Rock. 

Kaleb Roy is fielding interest from Denver and Idaho State.