D&D Mountain Elite played in Kingsport, TN on Saturday and came in 2nd place with a three point 46-43 loss to the Red Rockets. The first two rounds D&D Elite dominated, winning by 25+ both games.
Jake Slone was scoring from every level yesterday, and really opened a lot of eyes by moving to the point guard slot and getting his teammates involved. Slone was the most gifted scorer we seen at the tournament, his game continues to mature.
Pikeville “Big” EB Walters was the biggest paint presence at the tournament, he dominated the defensive end during every game, while taking advantage of his touches on offense. The 6”6 center/power forward does a great job of creating opportunities for himself by crashing the glass, the kid is a very intimidating presence down low.
Jaxon Estridge continued to impress, don’t know their was a better two way player at the event, he made big defensive plays that led to easy offensive buckets for his teammates. Estridge showed off a strong mid-range game, knocked down some three’s and scored in a variety of ways around the rim. Estridge’s Prestonsburg teammates Ethan Ferrell & Cade Nairn both looked good, Ferrell showed the versatility to play multiple positions on the floor, knocking down three’s and getting buckets in transition. Ferrell will be a huge addition to Prestonsburg next season, he makes the a District contender in the 58th. Cade Nairn done what Cade Nairn always does, provided great moments off the bench and helped bring the team together in crucial situations.
Johnson Central sharp shooter Jacob Breeding played his best games of the Summer, you could tell he’s getting more comfortable on the floor after returning from 2 ACL tears. Breeding knocked down a few threes, got a couple buckets inside the paint, but what helped D&D Mountain Elite the most was his ability to force turnovers using his length. Newcomer Braxton Davis from Lawrence County played his first tournament with Team D&D, he took a brake from football activities this weekend to hit the hardwood. Davis provided really good minutes at the point guard position, he fit in perfect on the perimeter, getting stops on defense and buckets on fast brakes.
D&D Mountain Elite was severely handicapped this weekend, missing a couple coaches and a slew of players. D&D Elite Coach Sean Ferrell and former Belfry great Mark “Boobie” Maynard controlled things on the sidelines this weekend. D&D Elite still without PG Peyton Davis and PF Connor Napier due to injury but they was also missing their star PG Matt Hatfield, defensive stopper Sackey Sefa and 7th grader Dakota Dalton. D&D Mountain Elite has plans on playing one more tournament this Summer, they have hopes on hitting a Big Shot tournament during the final weekend of July but them plans could change.
