Grassroots: Team Scouting (Gateway 17U)
The Gateway Basketball Club 17U team enjoyed a tremendous season on the grassroots circuit in 2016. In the month of July alone, Gateway finished with a 14-2 record, which included the championship of the Adidas Three Stripes Invitational in St.…
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Continue ReadingThe Gateway Basketball Club 17U team enjoyed a tremendous season on the grassroots circuit in 2016. In the month of July alone, Gateway finished with a 14-2 record, which included the championship of the Adidas Three Stripes Invitational in St. Louis. They also won the Adidas All-American Invitational in April. They also did an excellent job on the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Series, as they qualified for the Finale in South Carolina. Gateway is full of NCAA Division I prospects, with five that have already given commitments. Here is a look at them.
Levi Stockard 6’8″ Vashon: The talented power forward was a dominant force throughout the grassroots season. The more physical play of the summer season was more to his liking than high school ball as Stockard could cut loose and not worry about foul trouble as much. He was strong around the basket with both hands, plus he rebounded and blocked shots with great effectiveness. He earned a number of Division I offers.
Mamandou Diarra 6’9″ St. Louis Christian: A long and athletic power forward, Diarra impacted games with his overall length and versatility along the front line. He enjoyed an excellent tournament in helping lead Gateway to the championship at the Three Stripes, but he really exploded at the final tournament in Las Vegas as his recruiting mushroomed. He ended up giving a commitment to Lorenzo Romar and Washington.
Daniel Farris 5’11” Vashon: The ideal point guard who did a nice job facilitating the offense and getting the rock to the big fellas inside and the big wing shooters on the perimeter. He made it all work smoothly while being able to call his number and get buckets when his team needed a boost from the point. He got an early offer from Eastern Illinois and added another one from UMKC.
Wyatt Yess 6’8″ Parkway West: The versatile power forward gave a commitment to Ivy League champion Yale before sitting out the final two weeks of the July evaluation period. Yess is an excellent low post player who is equally effective on the high post with his ability to shoot the perimeter jumper and pass the ball. You can run offense through him.
Ryan Stipanovich 6’8″ DeSmet: The versatile combo forward gave a verbal commitment to Bradley on Tuesday. He is most comfortable on the wing with his ability to handle the ball and shoot 3-pointers at a consistent rate. His excellent size on the wing can cause match up problems, plus you can slide him over to the Stretch 4 and draw opposing bigs out on the perimeter.
Ibrahima Sankare 6’7″ St. Louis Christian: The lanky combo forward gave a commitment to Grand Canyon. His length and versatility made him a factor on both ends of the floor. He was a fine all-purpose performer who had the ability to score, rebound, handle the ball and defend multiple positions of the floor. A valuable role player.
Garrett Franken 6’7″ Atlantic (IA): An excellent prospect from Iowa who provided good size and athleticism on the perimeter. He was an offensive force at times with his ability to get buckets in bunches with his perimeter shooting ability.
Javonte Perkins 6’7″ Miller Career Academy: A long and lean wing player who displayed the ability to score. His mid-range jumper was especially tough to defend because of his height and the elevation that he gets on his jumper. It is also pretty to watch because it’s fundamentally sound. He is also a good 3-point shooter who gets out on the break and finishes with dunks and swooping layups.
Connor McArthy 6’0″ Parkway South: A solid point guard who provided valuable backups minutes. Connor is a fine ball handler and an excellent passer who does not turn the ball over. He was also a excellent 3-point shooter who made defenses pay for sagging too far in the paint against Gateway’s talented bigs.
Koray Gilbert 6’3″ Vashon: A late addition to the team in July, the lanky wing provided instant offense from all three levels. He can swoop in for layups and give you a nice stop and pop jumper from the mid range area. He can also shoot the 3-pointer off the catch.