Derryck Thornton Finished As The #1 Point Guard.The 12U AAU Nationals featured the top players in the country from the Class of 2016. Basketball Spotlight spent the entire week at the Boo Williams Center. We decided to break down the top players by position. This list should be taken very lightly because these players are young and will have plenty of time to develop. Finally, we will look at the Top 10 Point Guards.
12U Nationals Top 10 Point Guards
1. Derryck Thornton (Cal. Aces)- Houdini was a joy to watch during my week in Hampton. He has the flair for the dramatic and gets anywhere he wants on the floor. He has a good outside shot though he lets it go from his hip. Once he gets stronger that glitch will be taken care of. The floor general is an exciting player and with hard work should be a big time scholastic performer. He says he likes Kentucky; hopefully Coach Cal will stick around to land this kid.
2. Aaron Augustine (Georgia Stars)- If you love substance look no further than Augustine. This floor general did whatever his team needed. In most of the contest he had to take the scoring load and he still lead them to an Elite 8 finish. His strong shoulders and penetration ability made it hard for defenders to hold him off. I also love his mid range pull up.
3. Vaughn Covington (Team Battle)- It was hard to believe that this was Covington’s second tournament with this group. He ran the squad like a true veteran. His swagger and willingness to play defense caught the attention of many onlookers. He had a great debut on this level.
4. Alani Moore (DC Assault Gorham)- All Moore does is win, win, win and he showed that at this event. While others might have more talent around them “Showtime” still managed reach the round of 8. He has an aggressive style that helps him impact the game several ways.
5. Anthony Cowan (DC Assault Clark)- There’s not many tougher than this kid. Cowan gets to the cup with great quickness and lives at the charity stripe. Don’t be surprised if he rises in the ranks through the years. He also can knock down the open shot.
6. Braxton Beverly (Kentucky Elite Kings)- His team had a serious pool but Beverly brought many defenders to their knees. His mixture of ball handling and craftiness gave them a chance to knock off anyone. I was very impressed with how he handled the quality teams they faced.
7. Asante Gist (KSK)- Gist impressed many in this event. He made the defense pay with cleaver passes and an automatic pull up in the lane. He has a natural feel for the game and plays with a veteran type approach. 
8. Jayce Wolfe (CC 1st)- Wolfe has a motor out of this world. He’s constantly on attack mode off the bounce. It’s nothing fancy with his game but defenses still have a hard time stopping him. 
9. Caleb Tregre (Elite Cavaliers)- Tregre still runs a good show for EC. He distributes the rock well and makes sure the floor is balanced. I like his approach to the game and his willingness to take the big shot.
10. Carson Edwards (Defenders Select)- Many question his size but Edwards is still an effective floor general. He directed his club to the final four while knocking off some of the top teams in the country. On defense he’s one of the best ball hounds in the country.Others To Watch
Roderick Caldwell (Cincinnati Lakers)
Jarvis Johnson (SC Ravens)
Edwin Cancel (PR Elite)
NyRhique Smith (NJ Got Game)
Lucky Cheateum (Memphis War Eagles)
Joshua Sharley (Philly Triple Threat)
Isiah Saenz (Next Level)
Kobe Gantz (Centrall Penn Ballers)
Jeremy Sheppard (Richmond Gold)
