Before the celebration of Independence Day there were a number of players practicing perfection. Coach Hopla is widely regarded as a shooting guru within the basketball community. Coach Hopla has coached in the NBA and hasn’t lost his touch making 490+ shots out of 500 on a daily basis. Below are the award winners from the week as well as some of Coach Kim Waiter’s outstanding performers:
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ACC
Free Throw- Matt Downs
Hot Shot- Brian Kennedy
Early Bird- Trevor Garland
Mr.Hustle- Nick Genco
MVP- Matt Downs
MIP- Chris Revello
All Star MVP- Matt Downs
SEC
Free Throw- Zion Harmon
Hot Shot-Liam Kennedy
Early Bird- Daniel Vital
Mr.Hustle-Mike Revello
MVP- Bobby Hastie
MIP- Matt Christmas
All Star MVP- Zion Harmon
Big East
Free Throw- Joe Sabitino
Hot Shot- Gonzalo Alcaldo
Early Bird- Dillion Rice
Mr.Hustle- Noah Rindock
MVP- Connor Gaffney
MIP- Will Tate
All Star MVP- Chase Audige
NBA
Free Throw- Tadhg Hickey
Hot Shot-Cian Hickey
Early Bird- Anthony Wallace
Mr.Hustle- Andres Casanova
MVP- Shane Fowler
MIP- Paulo Martinez
All Star MVP- Will Hierro
Coach Waiter’s Outstanding Performers
Anthony Wallace- Anthony is a strong, athletic wing who can finish at the rim with both hands and is a strong perimeter defender.
Connor Gaffney- Connor has a nice size to him nearing 6 ft. He is a wirey, strong forward who is relentless when attacking the offensive and defensive rebounds. He has the ability to finish strong to the basket, and showed his range while knocking down some big treys and the 12 foot jump shot consistently with confidence!
Robbie Calarusso- Robbie is an excellent shooter who also has the ability to get his shot off the dribble. Time and time again he showed his Basketball IQ while making the right decision at the right time. He does a great job of getting his teammates involved, and his unselfish nature allowed the offense to flow very nicely throughout the week.
Orlando Ashford: Orlando has great size and athleticism for a big man at his age. He also displays great leadership qualities on the court, and is very coach able. He’s that big man that asks questions and works hard to develop his post moves.
Justin Strauss: A lefty point guard who showed a great ability to knock down the outside shot & take his man off the dribble. Offensively, he’s a dual-threat scorer who also likes to drop the ball off to his teammates via his penetration. His tremendous energy is also contagious as he’s that player that outworks his opponent for EVERY jump ball!
Will Tate: Will was the most improved player of the week! He has a great shooting range and has the ability to penetrate the gaps and kick to his open teammates. He also has the ability to knock down the midrange jumper as well.
Robert Young: Robert is a smaller guard who does a great job of imposing his will on the game. He doesn’t have to have a play ran for him or have the ball in his hand to know that he is on the court. He is a great communicator, and really took the defensive challenge of pressuring the ball and always guarding the opponent’s best offensive threat.
Jordan Heck: Jordan’s game is starting to mature as a young player. Long time Hoop Group Skills Camp participant, its awesome to see a hard working player’s game change before your eyes. He does a great job of letting the game come to him, and showed great poise while running the offensive against pressure defenses. He plays for his teammates & makes the player’s around him better!
Alfonso Howlett- Alfonso attended the Dave Hopla Shooting Camp traveling all the way from Italy. Alfonso is very coach-able, and listens to directions well (even with the language barrier, Alfonso does speak Basketball. He is a very fundamentally sound player who can score with his back to the basket and is very aggressive in pursuing the offensive and defensive boards. He’s 6 ’5, 250 pounds and is very light on his feet.
Tadhg Hickey: Hickey is one of two twins that attended the Dave Hopla Shooting Camp traveling all the way from Ireland. Hickey is 6’1 and shot the ball very well this week at camp. He doesn’t take bad shots, and his coach was completely fine with his missed attempts because they were good shots in the flow of the offense. He also moves very well without the ball, and is a pest to defend. Tadhg also led his team with blocks with his deceptive athleticism.
Tommy Montefour: Tommy is a heady guard that did an excellent job controlling the pace and tempo of the game. Has good decision making skills for his age. Must improve foot speed to defend quicker guards.
Aaron Czolada: Do it all swingman that contributed in all facets of the game. Very versatile player capable of playing and defending multiple positions. Must improve ballhandling.
Sonny Ray Dominguez is a quick, strong guard that thrives in running the team offense. He shows a great deal of poise when he steps on the court, and doesn’t get flustered. He attacks the game wit his head up, and that allows him to always find the open teammate whether it be in transition or in the half court set. Sonny listens well, and is very coach able.
Mike Crowley: Mike is a strong, decent sized wing player that fits multiple roles within an offense. He can face up and score the ball well, but also likes to be physical and put his back to the basket as well. He showcased his ability to knock down the open jump shot consistently, and showed his coach that he
Zion Harmon: the elite level 4th grader not only played up in the 8th grade SEC but represented his team in the league All Star game, winning all star MVP and Free Throw champion
Ben Montalbano: showed everyone he had a motor on both ends of the floor as he moved up a division and dominated all forwards with his speed, Strength, and Skill. Ben had A great all Star game as well leading his team to victory.
Carlton Coleman was a guard who posed as duel threat offensively with the ability to hit the mid-range jumper consistently, and slashing to the cup. He also has a toughness about him that stands and the dynamic of his team.
Bobbie Hastie was a tough point guard who played extremely hard on both ends of the floor. He has a way of being around the ball which allows him to get many quick second chance points & extra possessions for his team! He also can finish with either hand and makes tough baskets!
