Day 3 of the 2019 Generation Next Basketball Association Championships saw the culmination of another strong spring with teams from Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan taking home top honors. Here’s a quick look at a handful that stood out on the final day of action…
8TH GRADE
Darrin Ames - 2023 (Mac Irvin Fire) - There were not many players that were able to keep up with Darrin Ames of Mac Irvin Fire on Sunday at the GNBA Championships. Ames is a key player on the Mac Irvin Team who showed his scoring ability from inside and outside the three point line. He is a very up tempo guard who continues to push the pace on offense and then turns around and puts pressure on the ball. Darrin Ames played extremely well on Sunday and was a huge reason that Mac Irvin was able to hoist the GNBA championship trophy. Ames scored 24 points in the semifinal game against Ray Allen Select and added 16 points in the Championship against WI Phenoms Blue.
Milan Momcilovic - 2023 (WI Phenoms Blue) - Milan Momcilovic had a great spring playing for the WI Phenoms Blue team. Momcilovic has great height and length which makes him an interesting prospect. The WI Phenoms have had the great luxury of having a player like Momcilovic who can finish inside but also can stretch the floor with range. Momcilovic has great fundamentals and technique in everything he does and is always looking to help his team in any way he could. In the semi-final game he was able to pour in 20 points including 3 three pointers in a victory of WI Phenoms Orange. In the championship WI Phenoms fell short of defeating Mac Irvin Fire where Momcilovic scored in double digits again.
Mac Wrecke- 2023 (Ray Allen Select) - Ray Allen Select has relied on Mac Wrecke to do a little bit of everything. Wrecke is a talented player who uses his height and length to cause mismatch problems for opponents. Wrecke is a great rebounder and can score in many different ways. When Wrecke is able to get the ball inside the paint and has a one on one matchup he is very successful. There is not many players that can stop him when he gets going. Wrecke continued his dominant play and did everything he could to get his team to the championship game but Mac Irvin Fire proved to be too much for Ray Allen Select, in this game Mac Wrecke scored 28 points.
7TH GRADE
Tameron Ferguson - 2024 (Team Getshook) - Team Getshook has a very deep team in which many different players could stand out for breakout performances. On Sunday a clear standout was Tameron Ferguson. He was a stable and reliable player all day long on Sunday. Ferguson handled the ball and controlled the game, he played pressure defense that rattled his opponents and he found ways to score the ball. Ferguson is a quick, intelligent guard who does whatever it takes for his team to win. In the championship game against Team Takeover Ferguson score 14 points.
Kon Knueppel - 2024 (Closed Gyms) - Over the course of the GNBA season Kon Knueppel has been one of the most consistent and top players in the league. This did not change on Sunday as Knueppel continued his strong play. Knueppel has an extremely high basketball IQ and plays basketball the right way. He rarely forces shots or turns the ball over but rather knocks down open looks, finishes around the rim and is a willing passer. Knueppel can score inside and out and can be extremely dangerous when he gets going. In the semi-final loss against Team Getshook Knueppel scored 13 points.
Nas Beaman - 2024 (Team Takeover) - Nas Beaman is undoubtedly a special talent who has a bright future in basketball. This top prospect is on another level in terms of his athleticism and skills. Beaman can get to the rim at will and finishes shots with a high level of difficulty. When Beaman locks in and exhibits maximum effort there is not much opponents can do to stop him. Team Takeover plays off of Beaman and he does a great job of scoring the basketball when it is needed. Beaman had 20+ points in both the semi-final and Championship games.
6TH GRADE
Darius Acuff - 2025 (REACH Legends) - The Reach Legends have a tremendous team with a lot of tremendous players. Each player is able to score, play defense, rebound, pass, etc. The Reach Legends 12U team have dominated all GNBA season beating most teams by 20 or 30 points each game. On championship Sunday continued their dominant run. A standout performer for REACH was Darius Acuff. Acuff is a special young talent who is able to control the game with his ball handling and decision making. It all starts on defense for Acuff who causes opponents into tight spots which usually leads to turnovers and transition baskets. Acuff is a great ball handler and passer who is unselfish. Another strength in Acuff’s game is his ability to score in a variety of ways, including from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Acuff scored 22 points in the semifinals and 12 points in a championship victory for the Reach Legends
Edwon Daling - 2025 (Mac Irvin Fire) - Edwon Daling of Mac Irvin Fire gave everything he had to get his team to the Championship game but fell just a few points short. Daling exploded on Sunday in Waukegan with a scoring burst. He was relentless in attacking the hoop and finishing around the rim and then complimented his inside scoring by connecting on multiple three pointers. Using his athletic abilities and quickness Daling showed he was capable of scoring many points in a hurry, netting 30 points in a loss to the WI Premier.
Clevon Easton Jr. - 2025 (WI Premier) - The WI Premier played with a chip on their shoulder all day on Sunday. They believed they could beat anyone that stood in their way and this mentality can be connected with Clevon Easton Jr. It was Easton who led a comeback on both ends of the floor in the semifinal game and it was also Easton who gave the WI Premier an early lead in the championship game. Easton has great height and is able to get up and down the floor well to create mismatches for opponents. Easton’s ability to handle the ball and attack the rim is hard to check with his height and length. On defense Easton rebounds the ball well and changes many shots. Easton scored 14 points in the semi-final game and finished the GNBA season in a championship loss in which he contributed 8 points.