A-Town Showdown: 17U Top Performers (Part 2)

<p>Here are the top performers I witnessed in person from the 17U division at A-Town Showdown this past weekend held at LakePoint Sports.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-3 G [player_tooltip player_id="869645" first="Luka" last="Avaliani"] – HYPE 2021 – Walton</strong></p> <p>A big guard with prototypical European smoothness, the proud Georgian looked good in a close loss to SPSA Runs. Avaliani serves as both a playmaker and a scorer. He plays at a nice pace and has a soft touch from the perimeter. His ability to finish at the rim is what stood out most in his 13-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist output.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-4 G [player_tooltip player_id="806764" first="Kyle" last="Duncan"] – HYPE 2021 – Centennial</strong></p> <p>Duncan continues to get better and better. Another long-armed big guard, [player_tooltip player_id="806764" first="Kyle" last="Duncan"] has the uncanny ability to play nearly every position in the high school game. He’s got good court vision at point guard and loves to crash the glass to help rebound. He had 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Duncan’s versatility and upside gives him great value at the next level.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/IMG_7031.jpg?1595265661803"><img class="wp-image-1019288 size-thumbnail alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/IMG_7031-150x150.jpg?1595265661803" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="150" height="150" /></a>2021 5-11 CG [player_tooltip player_id="869611" first="Shamar" last="Norman"] – Savannah Select – Windsor Forest</strong></p> <p>Highly touted program from Florida, SOH Elite didn’t have the game plan on [player_tooltip player_id="869611" first="Shamar" last="Norman"]. Known in Georgia and especially in Savannah for his prolific scoring and outside shooting, Norman put SOH on notice as Savannah Select nearly took down the powerhouse before falling 70-67. Norman torched the nets with 26 points – drilling four threes. If he isn’t already, Norman will need to be on schools’ radars that are looking for instant offense on the perimeter. Windsor Forest should be playing deep into February once again thanks to Norman and company.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-6 F [player_tooltip player_id="1011331" first="Deandre" last="Smart"] – Savannah Select – New Hampstead</strong></p> <p>The workhorse did his thing on the low block again. Battling some imposing size inside, [player_tooltip player_id="1011331" first="Deandre" last="Smart"] had no trouble outmuscling opponents for rebounds and tough buckets. He used a sweeping hook shot that started at his waist to negate any shot blockers and scored over top of them. He pounded away for 12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. His consistent play throughout the summer needs to earn the attention of some schools.</p> <p><strong>2020 6-2 G Dontavian Leach – Savannah Select – New Hampstead</strong></p> <p>The unsigned senior came out on a mission and attacked SOH the full 46 minutes. Leach played like he knew what was on the line. He played hard and made sure to impact the game as much as possible. He’s a solid athlete that can score in a variety of ways. He took his man down to the block, he had strong drives finished with finger rolls and he hit from the mid-range. Leach takes pride in his rebounding and did a great job on the glass. He finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block. He’s worth a peak for programs still in need of a piece.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/EdPrWmnXsAIS3IN.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1018389 size-thumbnail alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/EdPrWmnXsAIS3IN-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>2021 6-3 G [player_tooltip player_id="1011329" first="Jaeden" last="Marshall"] – Atlanta Celtics South – Richmond Hill</strong></p> <p>Following a 34-point outburst on opening night, [player_tooltip player_id="1011329" first="Jaeden" last="Marshall"] proved to the circuit it wasn’t a fluke as he followed up with a solid 16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks in a come from behind overtime win over Rod Howard Select. Marshall used his trademark toughness to score around the rim. He got into the paint with hard drives and showcased a soft floater. He even sank a three-pointer off the dribble. D-II schools will want to see him in person.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-6 PF [player_tooltip player_id="1011330" first="JaHeim" last="Robinson"] – Atlanta Celtics South – Johnson-Savannah</strong></p> <p>Wow. [player_tooltip player_id="1011330" first="JaHeim" last="Robinson"]’s stock is soaring after the A-Town Showdown. At 6-foot-6, 263 pounds, big men aren’t supposed to move and handle the ball the way he does. He went viral with a ridiculous behind the back move to split a double team, capped off with a windmill dunk. Robinson took over down the stretch and played point guard for Celtics South. He hung 21 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. With a few more strong weekends, I think it’s time that all colleges should at least know who [player_tooltip player_id="1011330" first="JaHeim" last="Robinson"] is.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-3 W [player_tooltip player_id="1020674" first="Jordan" last="James"] – SEBA FCI Warriors – Kennesaw Mountain</strong></p> <p>The big body wing scored inside and out, averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds on the week as the SEBA FCI Warriors captured the Passion Bracket Championship. James’ value is in his toughness and motor. He’s a high level competitor capable of impacting games. He’s a streaky three-point shooter that can stretch out defenses but also showed throughout the weekend that he could put his head down and get to the basket.</p>