Plenty of candidates for this from the 16U of the Grassroots Invitational with the great depth of talent that was on display.

Owen Birschbach – 2028 – SF – Mammoth

The breakout grassroots season of Birschbach continued at the Grassroots Invitational. He has some size at 6’5” along with a growing well-rounded skill set. Throughout the tournament the wing forward made a ton of plays with all that he can do along with his high energy play. He uses his solid build to be an aggressive interior scorer who can score posting up and finish right through contact but also showed improved ability playing out the perimeter. He was consistently playing well off the dribble handling the ball well and being able to get to the basket. In an impressive double-digits win on Saturday, Birschbach scored an efficient 18 points.

DeAnte Burton – 2028 – PG – Courts Vision Elite

With his abilities on both ends of the floor, Burton was making plenty of plays during the tournament. This was especially the case down the stretch of a tight game on Friday while being highly active. This included on the defensive side with a good ability to defend the ball in the half court being tough to beat off the dribble as well as pressuring the ball effectively in the full court. Offensively, the point guard was at his best on the attack breaking down defenders with his quickness to both finish inside as well as pass it well on the attack.

Talen Carthans – 2028 – G – Indiana Impact

The guard showcased a very good scoring ability highlighted by his shot making. In a close win, Carthans was knocking down jumpers at a high percentage scoring 15 points. He was hitting deep threes, step back threes, and creating his own shot in the mid-range all while showing a smooth jumper. Carthans is a quick guard to both create separation as well as scoring getting all the way to the basket. A talented guard in the 2028 class to track.

Collin Dieck – 2028 – PG – NLG

As well to scoring 14 points in the one game I saw of him, Dieck also showed good point guard play as well to a good ability to defend the ball. His point guard tools include playing under control with the ball, running the offense, strong handle, and good vision distributing the ball out. He was effective as a scorer playing on the attack finishing at the basket as well as getting to the line often.

Brandon Newell – 2028 – G – Full Package

The guard has continued to impress and improve this grassroots season. He plays with good energy and has a well-rounded skill set. Newell is at his best as an aggressive driver who sees the floor well and finished it effectively all around the paint. He also contributed throughout the tournament with his ability to run the point and pass it well, hit some outside jumpers and rebounds it well as a guard.

Ayouba Turay – 2028 – PG – Team Herro

Turay is a skilled playmaking point guard with his ability to both score and distribute the basketball. He plays quick with the ball and moves well with it breaking down defenders to be able to get to his spots. Turay finished it strong around the paint as well to distributing it well both while pushing the ball in transition as well as running the offense in the half court. He also had some key moments in Herro’s 3-1 tournament including scoring 13 points in a tight win including a pair of free throws in the final seconds to go up 3 and seal the win.

Dontez Williams – 2028 – PG – D Rice Elite

The two-way play of Williams was a big reason for D Rice Elite to go undefeated here. He plays well with the ball in his hands as well to a very good ability to defend the ball. Over multiple games, Williams showed his ability to be a shutdown perimeter defender while causing plenty of turnovers too. Offensively, he moves well with the ball running the point getting into the paint to both be a scorer but also distribute it. Williams was also effective off the ball hitting a few threes over the weekend as well.