Over the course of the grassroots season, one of the most dominant players on the NY2LA Platinum Elite regardless of age groups was Elijah Poniewaz. The 2028-point guard shined with the Missouri Phenom.
Even while playing up a level at 16U, Poniewaz led Missouri Phenom to a NY2LA Platinum Elite championship this summer. The championship run at the Summer Jam tournament included multiple stellar games. This was highlighted the most in the semifinals in which he scored 37 points including the game winning basket with just 2.5 seconds to play. He also led the attack in the championship game with a team high 17 points in the winning effort. The weekend before at the Final Chapter tournament, he also had multiple star performances including a 34-point game as part of a 4-0 weekend.
“Playing with Missouri Phenom this summer taught me a lot. Not just about basketball but about discipline, teamwork, and competing at a higher level. The experience pushed me out my comfort zone and helped me grow both as a player and a person,” Poniewaz said about his season.
“Shooting, attacking, and playmaking ability,” Poniewaz mentioned when asked about the best aspects of his game. “I can score on all three levels, creating opportunities not only for me but my teammates also.” Not only is he a true three level scorer but has such a great ability to create for himself. Moving forward, he is working to improve his “agility, my first step, increase my body control through better movement angles, and get my feet faster. Simple to make be become harder to guard and more explosive.”
With just a year of high school basketball experience, Poniewaz has an incredibly advanced skill set. This is in addition to a unique high intensity and winning nature to his game. As he moves deeper through his high school career, Poniewaz is a player who college coaches will want to be familiar with as there are few 2028 guards in the area as talented as him. Next up for him in his sophomore season, he is looking to win a state championship but also achieve a 4.0 GPA.