Wootten 150: Five on Five Champions

Super 6: Wootten 150 5on5 Tournament Champions. (LT-RT: Hardy, Hjelmstad, Pauldo, Swords, Jackson, Ayo)

5 on 5 Winners: Wootten 150 Camp

Written by Alexa Wootten

September 27-28 | Las Vegas, NV

Michael Holloway’s (Southwest Dekalb HS) Five on Five team came out with the win in a nail-biter final seconds against Riki Murakami’s (Centennial High School) team in the Wootten 150 tournament. Both teams traded blows throughout the 20-minute game-play, but it was Holloway’s group that came up with the win.

“At this type of event, you let the players play, right? So as long as you do what I ask you to do on defense, I'll let you do what you need to do on offense,” Holloway said in a postgame interview. 

The Wootten 150 brought together 72 of the best high school players from across the country. Holloway and the other coaches were tasked, over the span of two days, to bring a group of these players together to prepare and compete in a 5on5 tournament as a major element of the camp. 

Holloway asked two things of his team going into this weekend: He wanted constant movement on offense and strong fundamental defense.

“The goal was to get all of the players to buy in,” Holloway said. “And once they [were] able to buy in, I think the talent was going to work itself out.”

Holloway’s team was comprised of Fope Ayo (2026), Crystal Hardy (2025), Avery Hjelmstad (2025 Utah commit), Savvy Swords (2026), Mia Pauldo (2025 Tennessee commit), Jordyn Jackson (2026), and Ivanna Wilson Manyacka (2027 who sat out as a precaution after the first session of camp).

It was not an easy win by any means. The opposing Murakami’s team featured Kaelyn Caroll (2025), who at 6-3 was a weapon on the perimeter knocking down shot after shot, and equally impressive - she was just as efficient going after the boards and finishing at the rim.

But Holloway’s six were able to minimize their opponent’s opportunities and maximize their own. With only one true post player on the team, they focused on a five-out game—constant passes, cuts, and rotations off the drives. This team made fast decisions, constantly working off one another, especially in transition. They used the pass to their advantage, leading to easy layups or open threes.

“Everybody's the best player on their team, but they sacrifice their skills to help each other. And you know, for us to win and that's why we came out and won because we figured out how to play together. “

The true ringleader of the team and MVP of the game was Tennessee commit, Mia Pauldo. Pauldo is a true point guard, who not only sees the floor but makes the right decisions—whether that’s making the play herself or setting up her teammate.

“The job for me this weekend was really to get my teammates involved,” Pauldo said. “I make my players better. So I just want to make sure they are able to get their talents out there while I'm getting my talents out there as well. “

“Mia - the first thing that stood out to me was she came up to me and she immediately was a sponge,” Holloway said. “So she was connected to me, asking about the offensive sets, the defense.” 

In the final minutes, with only a basket difference, it was Pauldo who took control, and helped her team find the win.

“It was just simple basketball, you know, move, cut, get the open shots. And, you know, we're all talented, and that's why we're here. So we just put our strengths to use. And that's why we won.”