Jack’s 17U Southern Standouts (Part 2)
It is always one of the top events of the year for us guys in Virginia, as teams from all over the commonwealth and neighboring states ranging from the Carolinas to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. With the amount of write…
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Continue ReadingIt is always one of the top events of the year for us guys in Virginia, as teams from all over the commonwealth and neighboring states ranging from the Carolinas to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. With the amount of write ups so many of us are doing, I thought I would just give multiple standouts that I saw from each age group. Here’s a look at part two of my 17U standouts, focusing mostly on the DMV area.
Wade Jackson | 6’2” G | District Basketball Club
Jackson was phenomenal as District Basketball Club upset their way to the Final Four by beating Team Loaded VA. The 6’2” guard out of Gonzaga (DC) was pretty unguardable off the bounce, as he was a one man press break and he was able to get by guys off the bounce in isolation situations and get to the rim where he was a crafty and affective finisher in traffic. He showed a solid middle game, he made shots when they counted and he was a big time competitor who didn’t back down. He was fun to watch and should be a guy division one coaches keep an eye out for.
Jared Cross | 6’3” WG | District Basketball Club
Last time I watched Cross was in the state championship game where he helped St. Stephen’s St. Agnes win the VISAA D1 State Championship. In their run at Southern, Cross showed that he could be a very good 3 and d guy at the scholarship level, as he did two of the most important things as far as making shots from deep and taking charges and making plays on the defensive end too. He played his role well and he did important things to help his team win games.
David Early | 6’3” G/F | Team Loaded VA
The WV State player of the year showed his ability to score the basketball and why he’s being recruited by both of the state’s schools so hard. He’s a stocky and strong guard who can score it in the midpost but is also effective catching on the wing where he can shoot or put it on the deck and muscle his way to the basket. He has good finishing ability through contact, he can shoot the midrange and three ball and he has good footwork as a finisher as well.
Elvin Edmonds | 6’2” CG | Team Loaded VA
The 2021 out of Hopewell continues to show promise playing up as he continues to show improvement off the bounce and the ability to score it from anywhere on the floor. He’s a lights out shooter from deep with a quick trigger off the catch, he can handle it in transition and he gets to the line a lot throughout the game where he’s absolutely money from. He could score it a lot more without all the firepower and if he had the ball in his hands more but he’s still effective as a shooter and playmaker as well.
Brayon Freeman | 6’1” PG | Team Loaded VA
Freeman was up and down for parts of the weekend, but his playmaking ability off the bounce will always be something that stands out. He changes pace very well off the bounce and he’s shifty with a tough handle allowing him to beat guys off the bounce and get into the lane where he has good passing ability and he can finish in the midrange too. At times he may try to do a little too much, but he has the ability to impact the game in a number of ways and make others better as well.
Sasha Glushkov | 6’11” C | Team Loaded 434
The Russian big man played some really good basketball when I watched him play against Boo Williams. Glushkov went for 19 points, igniting the win and playing well in the post but also being a mismatch problem that took the big men away from the basket. He showed great touch from deep, hitting four three-pointers on the game, and he did well in the paint as far as rebounding and he threw dunk a big poster dunk against another big man. It was one of the more impressive showings I had seen from him, and he’s taking big strides since coming to Blue Ridge last year.
William Lee | 5’10” PG | Team Loaded 434
Lee is set to take over in the backcourt at Blue Ridge next year and he showed some of the reasons why as he was effective as both a playmaker and a scorer in different spurts throughout the game. He’s dynamic off the bounce with good burst and change of speed, and he’s able to create space off the bounce to be able to get his shots off. He keeps his head up in transition and makes good decisions, and he’s able to score at all three levels as well.
Tyce McNair | 6’0” PG | Team Loaded 434
On a team full of guards that played well, McNair was a guy who stood out and showed that he can play and matchup with some talented players. He has good quickness and end-to-end speed, he rebounds well for a guard and he can make shots and finish around the rim as well. He gets after it on both ends and should be a sleeper out of the Harrisonburg area at East Rockingham.
Terry White | 5’11” G | Team Loaded 434
The Grafton point guard was playing not too far from his home and he played well in their win over Boo Williams. A combo guard who fit perfectly in their multi-guard lineup, White made the right play consistently and he scored within the flow of the offense whether it was hitting threes off kick-outs or attacking the rim in transition and scoring at the basket. He’s a smart player who makes winning plays and understands the game well with the versatility to play both guard positions.