Chris Poloniato, Adham Eleeda Earn MVP at Tri-City Top 40
KITCHENER, ON–Consistency has been the deciding trait for MVP selections, and at the Adidas Tri-City Top 40 Camp, Adham Eleeda and Chris Poloniato walked away with the hardware by making it undeniable due to their production. These 2017 guards put on a show this past weekend are already being inquired about by CIS and NCAA coaches.
Eleeda has stamped a spot as one of the top pure shooters in the 2017 class. Of course there is a tonne of room for growth, but his foundation is set; he is a bonafide bucket getter, now it’s a matter of building on his skill set and taking a step forward by adding speed and explosiveness.
In the final game of the weekend we got to see Eleeda and Chris Poloniato defend each other while both carrying their team’s offense. The one on one battle was getting intense until Poloniato came down with a sprained ankle after landing on someone’s foot off of a rebound. He was sidelined for about five minutes and although he was hobbling came back to finish the game.
His genuine toughness was something greatly appreciated; you can teach the skill but you cannot teach the will.
Whether in drill work or games, he demanded the most out of himself and his teammates.
St. Mary’s point guard, David Nguyen took matters into his own hands after Poloniato sat out. Nguyen finished the game with 6-8 from the three point line. It was a solid outing for him, stepping up on the final day.
Once realizing it was their final opportunity to make an impression, many from this top 40 crop, took their game up a notch on the final day. We were pleased to see an upgrade, but at the same time left us asking, why wait until the final day to get it together?
The camp MVPs and All-Stars brought it every single possession.
Resurrection point guard Ali Rashid made it very difficult to choose an MVP because of a stellar performance throughout three days.
He was very attentive and took criticism well, coming back in following games to show immediate improvement in the areas like controlling the tempo and being a leader on the team.
The packages that Ali Rashid and Chris Poloniato brought to camp were fundementally sound and technically advanced. Both point guards showed that they had a high IQ and were able to play both ends of the floor at a high level. It’s debatable, but I thought it was pretty clear that they were the best two defenders at camp, on top of having a strong offensive skill set.
This recap would not be complete without mentioning camp All-Star Jake Chaput. He was efficient on all three days and brought a competitive edge that would rub off onto his teammates. Chaput is easily considered as one of the top three point guards at camp. He’s elevated his game multiple levels since seeing him last year.
Chaput addressed weaknesses that were discussed, most evident was his improved physical strength.
Ten student-athletes from the Adidas Tri-City Top 40 Camp will be entered into North Pole Hoops National Rankings as they continue to build on their resumes.
It was a weekend of learning for us as scouts and for the campers as prospects. Campers were able to extract information from the skill development sessions, one-on one scouting reviews and this weekend’s coaching staff; current professional player Imad Qahwash, Waterloo Wolverines Head Coach Chad McPherson, skill instructor Nick Yule, Colgate University Athlete of the Year Murphy Burnatowski and former CIS sniper Srdjan Pejicic.
#EarnYourStipes was the theme for this weekend…everyone below received the memo.
Adidas Tri-City Top 40 MVPs
Adham Aleeda | 2017 | 6’1 | SG | St. Mary’s
Chris Poloniato | 2017 | 6’0 | PG | Bishop MacDonnel
Adidas Tri-City Top 40 All-Stars
Ali Rashid | 2017 | 5’9 | PG | Resurrection
Jake Chaput | 2017 | 5’9 | PG | Bishop MacDonnel
Kido Okeleke | 2017 | 6’3 | SG | Loyola Catholic
Kyle Tuohy | 2017 | 6’3 | SF | Orangeville
Jake Rush | 2017 | 6’0 | SG | Resurrection
