TexasHoops Weekly: San Antonio TOTW

Introducing our post-GASO Monday blog series, featuring the “Team of the Weekend,” selected by TexasHoops analyst Lyndon Cook.

*these picks are not indicative of the “best” 5 players from the weekend, they are simply selecting the 5 players who I felt took their game to the next level or impressed me the most. Plenty more standout players will be highlighted throughout the week as part of our player analysis coverage.

Isaiah Halliburton - SA Hoops Elite - 2020

Strengths: Open court speed, quick hands on defense, using screens to create on offense, leadership.

Analysis: Halliburton had shown me flashes of excellence at the Live Period GASO and at last month's Complete 94 in San Antonio, but this weekend kept that going consistently throughout the event. The 27 points he put up against Drive Nation-Shelby almost earned him a spot in this team on that performance alone, yet he kept it going even further as SA Hoops made it to the semifinals of an NBA Championship Bracket. Halliburton is a problem on defense with great anticipation and reactions to the ball, and though small in stature will take it to the rim in transition. His displays at the point this weekend were full of dimes and lots of vocal leadership.

Evan Butts - Houston FAM Elite - 2020

Strengths: Aggression to score, elevation and high release on jumper, making the right play on the drive.

Analysis: It was pretty much a coin flip between Butts and teammate Dylan Miles for which Houston FAM player I included in my TOTW, but I decided on the former after watching him light into several teams with an aggressive pull-up game. Butts has one of the best mid-range games in his class, and it looks the part too; Straight up and down with nice elevation and a pretty release. He was also good on the drive, and integral to FAM's Championship at the San Antonio GASO.

Terrance Ramirez - 3D Empire 15u - 2022

Strengths: High skill level, scoring in transition, understanding his role in offense and maximizing production from it.

Analysis: Ramirez is going to be some kind of special scorer when all is said and done. I've given him a few mentions throughout social media and the website this weekend, but he was a stone cold lock for a TOTW spot after going for games of 28, 24, and 22 against serious older competition. He can already score at three levels, and has excellent body control to finish through contact. Empire's 15u group looked to him to step up with his scoring production this weekend, and he came up with the goods in a title-winning weekend for his team.

DeAuntre Davis - Urban ASAK - 2020

Strengths: Activity level and motor, defensive versatility, opportunistic scorer, instinctive rebounder.

Analysis: Davis may fly under the radar for scoring totals (on a guard-centric team) and the kind of highlight plays that generate buzz on social media, but I don't think that bothers him in the least. Davis is a true grinder, fighting for every board and making life tough for opponents. Standing at 6-foot-8, Davis is a workhorse with a nice touch of skill to his game and the instincts to make a big time play. He has improved as a shot blocker, and is reliable out to 15 feet on his jumpshot. He earns a spot in this weekend's TOTW thanks to his defensive solidity and impact playmaking as Urban ASAK lifted an NBA division championship trophy.

Lee Dort - Drive Nation-Shelby - 2022

Strengths: Physicality and frame, soft touch around the bucket, rim protection

Analysis: Dort is way ahead of where he feasibly should be in his development. He's a 6-foot-10 bruiser with good footwork and a feathery touch at the rim, in the class of 2022. Let that sink in. Dort can score with his back to the basket and gets to the free throw line with regularity as a dump-down option for driving guards. Dort on a team of average players would be a problem enough in itself, but when you consider the guards assisting him are the likes of Keyonte George, Noah Shelby, and Rylan Griffen it just seems like a no-win scenario for opponents.