Prep Hoops National Notebook: This Week’s Must See 17U games

The biggest week of the spring/summer season is here.  The nation’s best teams go head to head on the nation’s biggest platforms at 17u.  What games should you get an eye on?  Prep Hoops National Notebook guides your open period viewing schedule. 

#1 D1 Minnesota vs #5 Compton Magic – Thursday at 2:15 in Birmingham at Adidas Gauntlet. 

The game of the week might be the first of the weekend.  D1 Minnesota and Compton Magic are top five teams in the nation once again, and once again they are scheduled to meet the second week of July.  D1 Minnesota is the only undefeated shoe circuit team in the nation led by five star talents Dawson Garcia and Kendall Brown along with top 50 level big Ben Carlson.  Evan Mobley is the number one ranked 2020 in the nation but D1 has Garcia, Carlson, and top 150 big Steven Crowl to battle him inside.  Top 75 level big lead guard (6-foot-6) Dalen Terry has been a match-up nightmare for many Magic opponents. Jaylen Clark versus Kerwin Walton is a wing match-up of high major players.  

#4 NE6 vs #11 Team Thad – Thursday at 7pm in Atlanta at UAA Finals. 

NE6 is one of three teams in the UAA with a 10-2 mark and they are doing it with a balanced unit led by intelligent guards.  Six-foot Corey McKeithan and 6-foot-5 Cairo McCrory lead the way scoring a combined 31 a night.  Ne6 will need every one of those points and more when they face the 6-foot-2 guard pair of top 100 level Matthew Murrell and high major offered Jordan Rawls.  If you like guard play get to Birmingham or find this game online. 

#8 MoKan vs #9 Team Woodz – Friday at 9pm in North Augusta at the Peach Jam. 

A pool play match-up of MoKan and Team Woodz is the EYBL being aware of how to balance out their four pools.  And how to draw a big crowd.  Five star big man N’Faly Dante gets the test of 6-foot-10 top 200 senior center Jaylin Williams on the inside.  Williams averaged 12 and 10 in the 13 regular season EYBL games so he will give Dante a fight.  Love the match-up of Chris Moore (Woodz Elite) versus Luke Kasbuke on the wing, both are scoring threats coaches have to game plan for (and near 100 talents).  The ex-factor could be 2021 lead guard Kennedy Chandler who is scoring 14 a game and hitting nearly half his shots at 6-foot-1 playing up in the EYBL. 

#2 Texas Titans vs #16 Alabama Fusion – Friday at noon in North Augusta at the Peach Jam.

The one loss Titans have earned their way near the top of the standings nationally and in the EYBL.  The Fusion are a 9-4 on the year and led by a backcourt of breakout lead guard Mark Spears and top 250 6-foot-5 senior Colby Jones.  Jones can swing between several spots rebounding at nine a game and scoring 15 from all over the court. The Fusion will need all of that and more when they face Cade Cunningham and Greg Brown, two of the top three or four players in the nation.  Do the kids from Alabama have what it takes up front to deal with Brown and Jakobe Coles?  The Titans have top 150 names Mike Miles and Rondel Walker to counter the Fusion backcourt. 

#6 Mac Irvin Fire vs #14 Vegas Elite – Thursday at 6pm in North Augusta at the Peach Jam. 

The individual match-ups of this game rank with the best from Thursday.  Inside 5-star Michael Foster will mix elbows with 6-foot-7 top 40 Gonzaga commit Julian Strawther for a double-double while on the opposite block top 100 bigs Maddy Sissoko and Seryee Lewis work as off ball active producers.  Vegas Elite has a five star guard pair in Jaden Hardy and Josh Christopher but that’s just motivation for fellow five star guard/wing Adam Miller and top 100 level 2021 wing Brandon Weston.  Ex-factors?  That could be shooter Noah Taitz, or Marcus Watson Jr, a lead guard that averaged nearly ten assists a game.  The talent is everywhere as well be the college coaching crowd. 

#12 Garner Road vs #24 Atlanta Celtics – Thursday at 11:45 in Birmingham at Adidas Gauntlet. 

Justin Thomas and Kaleb Scott headline what Garner Road takes the floor with at the Gauntlet in one of the first games of the open period.  There will be no time for warming up against a weaker opponent though as the opponent is the Atlanta Celtics, another Adidas respected and ranked program. Five star guard Deivon Smith leads the Celtics as a top 40 level player. 

WeR1 vs Wisconsin Playground – Thursday at 1pm in Atlanta at UAA Finals. 

Our wild card game, two squads that are not ranked but are both 8-4 in UAA play.  Both have fell out of the top 25 for a reason but motivation will be there for these squads to play the team basketball they are capable of.  A UAA title is up for grabs and both teams have the talent for it, they just have to put the right performance together.  Playground has Wisconsin committed Johnny Davis and Jordan Davis plus Gabe Madsen and Mason Madsen, two of the hottest names in the Midwest at the moment. Nahshon Hyland signed with VCU so Jhamir Brickus and Rodriguez Gayle Jr will be leading the way.