Tony’s Top 17U Players at the Havoc in the Heartland

Illinois teams played very well at the Havoc in the Heartland last weekend. Some of the best talent I saw came from the 17U level as guys played physical and showed great fundamentals. The 9 guys listed below went the extra mile doing the basic things at a high level. Here were my favorite 17U players from the Havoc in the Heartland. Sam Schultz (2020) H.I.T. 17U- Oswego East The very first game I saw on Saturday featured a quality H.I.T. team led by Schultz. The 6’7 forward is one of the toughest inside players I saw during the weekend. Overall Schultz has a great offensive skillset; finishing the basketball in traffic and scoring at a high rate with his size. He has a ton of hustle which impressed me as he got up and down the floor well for a big man. Lance Mosley (2020) H.I.T. 17U- DePaul Prep While his teammate Schultz was the first player I noticed, Mosley was the 2nd player for this H.I.T. team that caught my eye. A true 2 guard, he has a very convincing hesitation move that caught defenders who were sleeping off guard and allowed him to get his points in the paint. Defensively he has great footwork and excelled as an on-ball defender. I think he is an under-the-radar player to watch in Illinois. Daeshawn Amy (2020) Hoopers Basketball Club- Hinsdale South Daeshawn doesn’t look like the type of player that would be a physically imposing guard. Once you see the 5’8 guard play, you can see he’s a tough player to compete against. He’s a physical guard that isn’t afraid to attack off the dribble and is not intimidated with the bigs defending the paint. When attacking, he keeps his head up and looks to make an easier pass before forcing a bad shot. Emaryon Byrd (2021) Peoria Area Elite- Manual Peoria Elite was the 17U champions last weekend and for good reason. Byrd was one of several guys that helped them win this title. He is one of the more athletic players on the roster but struggles playing physical with opponents. Many of his points came from him outjumping his opponents in the paint and having a soft touch around the rim. He could become a more rounded prospect if he can develop a more consistent outside shot. Karl Jones (2019) RWA 17U- Morgan Park One of the few 2019 prospects on the display, it was very difficult to miss Jones when he was on the floor. A true center standing at 6’9, he possesses the necessary skills to excel in the paint on both ends of the floor. Jones has a high IQ and knows how to find gaps in the defense. When he possesses the ball in the paint, he keeps it near his chin and does not allow his shoulders to drop. Defensively he uses his size and length to defend the baseline on help side and take the drive away from opponents. With his size and skill, I think a D2/NAIA could snatch him up during the summer yet. Beau Frericks (2020) RWA 17U- Cary Grove Another great prospect from a very good RWA team, Frericks was my favorite backcourt player to watch from his team. Able to get out in transition and start the fast break, Beau has great court vision and knows where his teammates are in half court and full court settings. His ability to shoot the basketball makes his tough to defend as he has shown he can knock down contested shots, or has the ball-handling to blow by defenders who defend too tight. He can finish with either hands and can finish with traffic in his face. Davis Walker (2020) RWA 17U- Walker Academy Walker has a great handle of the basketball. Seeming unphased by opposing defenses and comfortable with the ball in his hand, he used his ball-handling skill to create separation and has the speed to get in the paint off the dribble drive. Davis is definitely a nice collegiate prospect at the D3 level. Tommy Ferriter (2020) Windy City Magic- Lockport Only standing 6’4, Ferriter impressed me with his ability to defend the post. Able to get in front of taller and stronger opposing big men is no easy feat and yet he made it look easy. Ferriter moves well without the ball and used movement without the ball to spread the floor and force defenders to follow him. Elijah Watson (2020) Y&R-Denard 17U- T.F. South Another solid post defender, Watson brings intensity to the game and makes opponents work to contain him. He used his 6’7 frame to protect the rim and found himself blocking several shots when I watched him play. Not only can he block shots, Elijah rebounds the basketball at a high level and does a nice job of protecting the ball after getting his hands on it.