The annual Generation Next Basketball Association Championships tipped this past weekend and Friday night pool play saw some strong performances at multiple levels. Here’s a look at a few more standouts from opening night in Illinois…
2025 Dequarious Jones – REACH Dream Team 12U
Dequarious Jones did a little bit of everything for REACH Friday night, helping lead them to a win over Yanders Law. Jones did a great job rebounding the ball on the defensive end and was then able to start the break off the dribble and fire deep outlet passes for layups. The biggest player on the floor, Jones also showed off a nice handle and was able to attack the basket off the bounce and make some nice drop off passes.
2025 Darius Acuff – REACH Dream Team 12U
Darius Acuff played well on opening night of GNBA Championships alongside Dequarious Jones for a very talented REACH team. He knocked down 3 threes showing off a nice touch from outside and finished with 15 pts. Acuff has a tight handle and was able to get by his defender to finish or find open teammates when the defense collapsed.
2025 Ian Wischhoff – Wisconsin Premier 12U
Ian Wischhoff impressed on Friday for WI Premier in their win over Quad City. A tough, scrappy guard, Wischhoff played great on ball defense and has a competitive edge which coaches have to love. He also was able to handle the ball and get to the rim and knocked down a smooth three on his way to finishing with 16 pts.
2023 Ethan Kizer – Illinois Irish Elite 14U
Ethan Kizer was all over the court defensively for Illinois Irish 14U – blocking and altering shots and rebounding the basketball. He also showed off his athleticism catching a really impressive lob on a baseline out of bounds play and finishing the dunk over a defender. Kizer is a fluid athlete in the open court at around 6’5 and had one really smooth drive and finish in transition which stood out.
2023 Miles Nation – Wisconsin Phenoms Orange 14U
Miles Nation is an intriguing young prospect who helped WI Phenoms 14U Orange to a nice win over IL Irish on Friday. He has a great motor and ran the floor, competed defensively and was all over the offensive glass. Nation scored 15 points including a three on the wing and a nice dunk on the break after getting a steal.
2023 Maliq Crawford – Cream City Chosen 14U
Maliq Crawford played well for Cream City Chosen as they closed opening night with an overtime win over a solid Yanders Law team. Crawford finished with 19 pts including a clutch three down the stretch to help power his team to the win. He has a good handle and was able to get to the basket and finish or draw fouls.