Run N’ Slam: 17U Standouts

<p>It doesn't get much better than the Run N' Slam. </p> <p>Held at a basketball museum known as Spiece Fieldhouse — and surrounding venues throughout Fort Wayne — nearly every circuit team in the region puts aside their shoe-sponsorship differences to compete against each other during a quiet period weekend. Oh! And the top non-shoe teams get a chance to beat those guys, too. </p> <p>Closest thing to grassroots utopia, really. </p> <p>Player performances also tend to be a bit more memorable at the Run N Slam. Walking into Spiece this weekend, for example, I reflexively remembered Giovanni Santiago's magic from a year ago and Jelani Simmons' barrage of transition dunks against Indy Heat in 2017.</p> <p>Going forward, Sunday's semifinal performance by Jay Rodgers will be added to the collection. Along with a few others...</p> <h6><strong>Garvin Clarke (2020) | 6-0 PG | All Ohio Red / Euclid</strong></h6> <p>An All Ohio Red new addition, Clarke consistently impressed as a defender and facilitator. Very quick laterally with great hands. Kept quick guards in front of him, even when he picked up full-court. Consistently makes the right pass. Tremendous feel in the pick-and-roll, often finding an open shooter once a third defender committed to the rolling screener.</p> <h6><strong>Dominique Cole (2020) | 6-6 C | All Ohio Gold / Toledo Central Catholic</strong></h6> <p>Cole played mad — at least it seemed that way — when we caught him on Saturday. And, boy oh boy, was it awesome to see.</p> <p>He's a skilled center who makes good passes out of the high-post and has a thoughtful style of play. On Saturday, though, he was just flat-out <em>playing</em>. He used his body to box out like a beast, grab rebounds, and finish inside. Finding that happy medium of skill and aggression on a consistent basis would be huge for Cole. </p> <h6><strong>Tyler Eberhart (2020) | 6-6 PF | Mid Ohio Pumas (Sullivan) / Kenton Ridge</strong></h6> <p>Eberhart's body development is what really stood out. He's noticeably trimmer than last season, which allows him to be more effective as a help-side defender. Although he didn't defend the perimeter much on Friday, he develop the ability to guard low-usage wings. Shows mobility when running the floor, too. Talented passer. Rather elite D-II prospect. </p> <h6><strong>Joey Holifield (2020) | 6-2 PG | All Ohio Gold / Cardinal Stritch</strong></h6> <p>Holifield's hands and defensive instincts cause turnovers. Offensively, he's a herky-jerky attacker who cleverly changes speeds to get to the rim. Showed poise in a close game late. </p> <h6><strong>Marlon Landingham (2020) | 6-2 G | OBC / Rhodes</strong></h6> <p>Landingham is a skilled combo guard with good size who consistently got to the rim. He plays physical defense and showed the ability to guard up a position. Capable shooter but he likes to slash.</p> <h6><strong>Chris Mayfield (2020) | 6-4 PF | Nova (Alleyne) / Bradley</strong></h6> <p>Mayfield attacked close-outs and made plays all weekend. Really intelligent player who showcases vision and passing ability in the lane. He also has developed a nice floater that he uses when a tall shot-blocker awaits him at the basket. Versatile defender. One heck of a rebounder who keeps taller guys away from the rim with his power. Capable of pushing the secondary break off the glass. </p> <h6><strong>Dominiq Penn (2020) | 6-0 PG | All Ohio Red / Coffman</strong></h6> <p>This was one of the best weekends we'd seen out of Penn in some time. He got wherever he wanted to on the court with his side-to-side handle and changes of speed. His pull-up jumper is very effective. Good use of the jump stop in the lane. Finds space to score it in creative ways but also finished in traffic. </p> <p>Penn received a Northern Kentucky offer on Friday afternoon.</p> <h6><strong>JaJuan "Jay" Rodgers (2019) | 6-3 G | Nova (Alleyne) / Pickerington Central</strong></h6> <p>Maybe you looked down at tournament results and saw that Nova beat All Ohio Red in the 17U Platinum semifinals and thought, "Hey, how'd that happen?"</p> <p>Look no further than Jay Rodgers, who scored 30 of Nova's 77 points in an overtime thriller. Both sides played well, but only one had Jay Rodgers. </p> <p>The score-minded combo guard nailed triples coming off a screen and hit countless contested floaters. Good size for a guard, which paid-off as he dealt with contact in the lane. Skilled ball-handler who can effectively change speed and direction. Memorable performance from the unsigned senior. </p> <h6><strong>Jamir Simpson (2020) | 6-5 F | All Ohio Cleveland / Lima Senior</strong></h6> <p>Simpson is an effortless scorer around the basket who gets to the rim every time. His combination of athleticism, a thick build, and scoring touch results in a lot of point in the paint. Simpson also showed passing ability, whether it was dropping down late passes to the block or finding open shooters. Flashed speed and ball-handling ability in the open floor. Rebounds well when he chooses to be involved in the play. Simpson is truly one of the most talented forwards in 2020.</p> <h6><strong>Sam Towns (2019) | 6-7 PF | Nova (Alleyne) / Pickerington Central</strong></h6> <p>Truly a breakout weekend for Towns. He's always had the tools and skill. At Spiece this weekend, though, his confidence, shot-making, and aggressiveness all came together. </p> <p>Towns drilled catch-and-shoot jumpers from distance. Even more impressively, though, was his mid-range — got his body into defenders before rising for pull-ups, which seemed like an automatic shot. Finished lobs.</p> <p>On defense, Towns uses his length to contest shots on the perimeter and seems very capable of checking 2s and 3s. Pretty light on his feet and his length really bothers guards and wings. </p> <h6><strong>Grant Whisman (2020) | 6-7 PF | Mid Ohio Pumas (Sullivan) / Middletown Madison</strong></h6> <p>The Pumas' opponent on Friday night mistakenly came out in a 2-3 zone look. Little did they know that Whisman was going to score (seemingly) every single time he caught it around the elbow. He converted tough shots off one-dribble, even if the defense was draped all over him. Very skilled D-I stretch-4 prospect who also made a few outside jumpers. Efficient scorer. </p> <h6><strong>Ketaan Wyatt (2020) | 6-3 PG | Nova (Alleyne) / Rogers</strong></h6> <p>We liked Wyatt's adjustment to more of a combo guard role this weekend, as he was asked to play off the ball more than he does for Rogers. He has added a bit of size to his frame. Made good decisions consistently. Keeps a wide stance when defending the ball, which maximizes his length. </p>