Adidas Invitational: Thursday
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | Thursday was the first full day at the Adidas Invitational and it was jam packed with solid performances from the opening game until the final buzzer. We breakdown some of the best things we saw from Day…
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Continue ReadingINDIANAPOLIS, IN | Thursday was the first full day at the Adidas Invitational and it was jam packed with solid performances from the opening game until the final buzzer. We breakdown some of the best things we saw from Day 2.
Hunter, Duncan Lead Pocket City 2K17
Only playing with 6 guys can really hurt a team but so far, Pocket City 2K17 is 2-1 in pool play. Their second win of the event came on the first game of the day and it was a combined effort from Jaidon Hunter and Brandon Duncan. Duncan went off early to really help keep his team in the game. He had 9 points in the first half and 16 points in the second. His teammate, Jaidon Hunter, had the same kind of split. He only had 2 points in the first but 18 points in the second.
Pocket City came back and outscored Team One by 30 points in the second half. A lot of that scoring outburst came in transition as PCB really got after it defensively and rallied quickly. Hunter was extremely effective on both sides of the ball. The 6’2 guard has some hops and showed a couple solid transition blocks and a pair of dunks as well. He was really good in finishing in transition where his slender frame allows him to sneak through defenders.
Brandon, the youngest of the Duncan kids from Evansville Harrison, was really good from behind the arc. He hit four triples, three in the second half. Brandon has quite a bit of talent as he grows with his motor. His energy builds in the game and you can see him get in that groove where he attacks and looks for his shot. If he can repeat that more often, his stock should grow with it.
Kristensen Looks Solid For Northside Spartans
There aren’t too many guys that can bring the ideal combination of size and skill. Some have it but most only have one. Part of the reason Ian Kristensen is a name to watch is the fact that at 6’5, he can shoot, score, rebound, and handle the ball.
Today, Ian really showed that he can be a prospect worth recruiting. He showcased his shooting early on with a triple, followed by a finish through contact at the rim, and then a mid-range pullup. This all came in the span of a couple minutes. Kristensen has the skillset to be a really talented player. His ability to play all over the floor also brings some added value. He handles the ball well enough that he can play out on guards and wings but he is also big enough, physically, to handle the post players. To this point, he still has some ups and downs but the hope if this game could be a jump start for a big July.
Grassroots Indiana 2017 Blue Has Great Start To Adidas Invitational
When shots are falling early, things get really fun in the month of July. For Grassroots Indiana 2017 Blue, the shots were falling for everyone. While Trevor Lakes is known as the three-point shooter on that team, today he was joined by Matt Jennings and Haden Deaton as they hit a barrage in the second half to bust out an easy win over S3 Elite, 60-32. They also got a big win over Southern Indiana Heat, 79-48.
Haden Deaton is one of the guys that can make this team special. His energy and effort level is something that people feed off of and he showed that in spades Thursday morning. His shot was falling from distance as he knocked down a pair early in the second half. Matt Jennings joined him as he hit a pair as well deep in the corner. Jennings is due for a big month and this could be the spark. He showed a little improved athleticism as he got up for a pair of dunks in the first win of the day.
They finish their Pool play tomorrow with a game at 9:00 AM ET against VCC Nova/Brown.