NTBA 17U Championship Recap: Fayetteville Elite vs Team Infinite
The NTBA 17U championship game this weekend consisted of a matchup between Fayetteville Elite & Team Infinite out of Washington, NC. Both teams took different paths to reach the championship game, with Fayetteville Elite coming in as a new #1 seed while Team Infinite had to battle through a tough bracket play game to advance. Listed below are some of the players that stood out and some players that colleges should keep a close eye on.
(Fayetteville Elite) Senior Jeremiah Pope- If there was an MVP award then Pope definitely would have gotten it, he finished the game with 37 points, he’s a special player that LM D1 and High D2 programs should offer ASAP.
(Fayetteville Elite) Sophomore Guard Talton Jones– Jones is a player that is a very gifted passer and it showed throughout this game with his on point passing ability. However he displayed some nice athleticism as well that we hadn’t seen before, he continues to improve and is one that D1s will need to watch.
(Fayetteville Elite) Senior Wing Omari Wilson– Omari didn’t have a huge day scoring the ball but his defense and rebounding was big for Fayetteville Elite, he was constantly working on the glass and providing extra scoring opportunities.
(Team Infinite) Senior Guard Messiah Barnes– Barnes suffered from cramps almost as soon as the game began , he ended up sitting out most of the first half but would return in the 2nd half even though he wasn’t at full strength. While battling through cramps he still managed to make plays by scoring and passing the ball, still unsigned but schools should definitely be on him.
(Team Infinite) Junior Guard Tahj Riddick – Tahj was very impressive throughout this game, he showed the full arsenal of his game by scoring, distributing and finishing very well. From midrange he was automatic and he got to the basket just about whenever he wanted, one to keep a close eye on.
(Team Infinite) Junior Forward Dreylon Brooks– This young man was a rebounding machine! Although he was not the tallest player on the floor by any stretch of the imagination, he made up for his by playing with an extremely high motor.