Spring Kickoff: Bryce’s Sunday Morning Favorites
Below is pair of in-depth evaluations of players from the Sunday morning session of the Spring Kickoff whom I thought displayed the most exceptional play of the athletes I was able to watch in person:
Ethan Forrester 2020 The Force 17U guard
- All-around
- Mr. Everything
- High iQ
- Defender
- High motor
Ethan Forrester was one of the best all-around players I’ve seen this weekend. As a beautiful weekend in Denver winds down, it was easy like Sunday morning for the junior wing. From an athletic perspective, Forrester has all of the necessary measurements. At 6-foot-5 with long, strong arms, Forester is powerful and explosive. In terms of his legs, he is equally as fast as he is controlled with his lateral movement. His body control and familiarity with handling the ball in motion were uncanny. In terms of his skillset, Forrester proved to me that he can do just about everything pretty well. Offensively, he can score independently from his own dribble and is a fantastic finisher at the rim thanks to his long frame. On the perimeter, he handles the ball really wall and makes great passes. He also can run the point and make down-court passes when available. In the paint, he has the ability to post up and score the basketball from the low post. Defensively, he is a fantastic on-ball player who uses his arms to terminate penetration on the perimeter, but can also defend the paint. He gets blocks and steals and is consistently hungry to get the ball back so he can go to work again.
Josue Grullion 2021 Team KC Black 16U guard
- Floor general
- Spot-up shooter
- Explosive athlete
- Finisher
Josue Grullion showcased versatile, all-around guard skills as the 6-foot-6-inch Grandview Christian star showed that he can play the on-ball or off-ball offensive role in the backcourt. He came out firing in his matchup with Colorado Miners as he shot the bell well from outside early out of the catch and drove to the rack to finish the bucket. He is a really good finisher and has finesses at the rim. That craft, mixed with his height and ability to elevate made him almost unstoppable when he decided to go get his own bucket. As a floor general, Grullion could make plays for others in the half-court thanks to his quick feet and vision. In the full-court, he displayed the ability to make down-floor plays with great passing in motion. I also believe his taller frame benefitted him in this action, as his height allowed him to scan the floor more diligently and quickly than many other players at this position.
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