Grassroots Preview: Squires Richmond 17U

For 29 years, Squires Richmond has been a staple in Virginia AAU basketball, having sent over 500 players to college on athletic scholarships. The first high level grassroots organization in the Richmond area is still going strong to this day, and look to have another crop of prospects for colleges at all levels. In their first tournament of their season, Squires Green knocked off Baltimore Elite and Team Belief of the UAA circuit. Below, we have previewed both of the Squires 17U teams, each of which should compete at a high level this summer. <h2>Squires Green</h2> <strong>Marvin Cannon;</strong> 6'5 F (Steward School) <strong>Jordan Pointer;</strong> 6'7 PF (Steward School) <strong>Aaron Duhart;</strong> 6'0 PG (Trinity Episcopal) <strong>Juquan "JJ" Miles;</strong> 6'7 F (Northampton, NC) <strong>Tajh Small;</strong> 6'5 F (Carlisle) <strong>Jordan Hamlette;</strong> 6'0 G (Heritage) <strong>Keon Lewis;</strong> 5'9 PG (Huguenot) <strong>CJ Williams;</strong> 5'11 PG (Thomas Dale) <strong>Jeremiah Huff;</strong> 6'8 PF (Amelia Academy, 2018) <strong>Rueben "Xavier" Williams;</strong> 6'5 F (Mount Zion, NC) <strong>Zion Jackson;</strong> 6'4 F (Kipp Academy, NC) <strong>Kabir Shabazz;</strong> 6'6 PF (George Wythe) <h2>Players to Watch</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Aaron Duhart:</strong> A great onball defender and creator, Duhart is a traditional lead guard that makes winning plays. He consistently gets into the paint and breaks down defenses, and he is the same level of playmaker on the defensive end. He will be responsible for setting up the talented bigs for the Squires.</li> <li><strong>Marvin Cannon:</strong> Cannon has a chance to boost his stock and earn a couple offers this summer if he's able to showcase his unreal athleticism. He has a great frame, runs the floor and can finish above the best with them, however he needs to develop some go-to moves and improve his perimeter skills. He continues to improve however and could be a sleeper for those who see his potential.</li> <li><strong>Kabir Shabazz:</strong> Still relatively unknown, Shabazz stepped up big for George Wythe with just two returning starters. A bouncy and strong big that rebounds well, Shabazz is able to catch and finish through contact or above the rim, and he's good for at least 6 points on the offensive glass a game.</li> <li><strong>Jordan Hamlette:</strong> A second team All-State selection for the VHSL 4A Classification, Hamlette returns to the Squires with a lot more experience and toughness. A knock down shooter that's capable of creating, he can play and guard both guard positions and continually makes winning plays in different ways.</li> <li><strong>Jeremiah Huff:</strong> Talk about long term upside, Huff is chock full of it. At 6'8" he moves well for his size, has good timing as a shot blocker and has a soft touch from 15 and in. He hit a crazy growth spurt late, so it isn't hard to see the potential for Huff to possibly play on the wing in the future.</li> </ul> <h2>Squires White</h2> <strong>Rahki Person;</strong> 6'0 G (Hermitage) <strong>Ty Evans;</strong> 5'11 G (Steward School) <strong>Kevin Arrington;</strong> 6'4 G (Weldon, NC) <strong>Dajuan Edwards;</strong> 5'10 PG (Amelia Academy) <strong>Wallace Washington;</strong> 5'10 PG (Monacan) <strong>Julian Gee;</strong> 6'5 F (Fuqua) <strong>Maurice Cole;</strong> 5'10 PG (Cosby) <strong>Stylz Salmon;</strong> 5'8 PG (George Wythe) <strong>Keith Shelton;</strong> 6'5 F (Varina) <strong>Nicholas Woolfolk;</strong> 6'1 G (Thomas Jefferson) <strong>Josh Hawkins;</strong> 5'11 G (Northwest, NC) <strong>Alex Peterson;</strong> 6'7 PF (Essex) <h2>Players to Watch</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Julian Gee:</strong> A high motor tweener of a forward, Gee is best when attacking the offensive glass and working from 15 feet and in. He's a very strong player and an above average athlete, so when he's playing hard he's able to be one of the best players on the court.</li> <li><strong>Dajuan Edwards:</strong> An underrated scorer, when Edwards is clicking he can really fill it up, especially from deep. The 5'11 combo guard has deep range and a quick release and is always locked in looking for his next shot. He's a solid creator when he's careful with the basketball, and he can get it done when he's feeling it.</li> <li><strong>Rahki Person:</strong> He's a bit unorthodox and quiet, but Person is capable of hanging double-digits on you without you realizing it. He's a heady guard that always seems to be in the right place, and he takes advantage of his opportunities. He can score it from all three levels and consistently makes plays when his team needs him to.</li> <li><strong>Wallace Washington:</strong> When he's locked in, Washington can go. He leaves it all on the floor for his team and loves having the ball in his hands late in the game, as he showed with a buzzer beater in Monacan's 4A State Semifinal win over GW Danville. He's a big time playmaker, and when under control can take over a basketball game.</li> </ul>