Summer Slam Saturday Standouts: 17U Forwards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the top teams from Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wisconsin were in Sioux Falls last weekend for the Summer Slam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here were some of the top 17U Forwards from play Saturday:</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774860" first="Zach" last="Wenthe"], Fury Syverson</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wenthe had a lot of good moments Saturday for Fury, making a lot of plays mainly with a hot motor. He’s long and mobile, and does a great job fighting for position on the glass. He did a great job rim-running and getting in position for easy drop offs and on defense, he was excellent at altering shots and battling for post position.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774768" first="Colt" last="Landers"], MN Lightning Herber</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Landers is an athletic, faceup forward who can defend bigger or smaller guys and score efficiently inside and out. He’s got a smooth jumper out beyond the 3-point line and can elevate and shoot over smaller defenders off the dribble. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1071109" first="Ty" last="Tuckner"], SE MN Lightning</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tuckner does a really nice job establishing low post position and making a quick move to score. He’s got good footwork inside and a soft touch. Tuckner is a physical kid who competes hard on both ends of the floor, and has the mobility to switch onto smaller guys when necessary. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774749" first="Logan" last="Purcell"], Comets Elite</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It surprises no one who watches Purcell that he’s a Division I football recruit. He’s uber physical, and he’s a space-eater in the paint. He rebounds everything in his area, sets solid screens and does a great job sealing opposing bigs on the block. He’s got good hands and uses his size to shield defenders to finish inside. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774941" first="Riley" last="Ashburn"], SW MN Stars</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ashburn had a really good day Saturday for the Stars, using his athleticism to cause matchup problems for the opposition. He’s a solid rebounder and has the handles and speed to push the tempo without outleting to a guard. He’s a tough guy to guard because he’s big enough to body up or shoot over smaller guys, but he’s much too quick and skilled for bigger guys. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1071192" first="Luke" last="Budzyn"], Fury Syverson</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Budzyn had some excellent moments Saturday for Fury Syverson, showcasing a solid perimeter jumper and scoring chops in complementary fashion. He’s long and rangy, and does a good job moving off the ball to create easy catch and score opportunities, and his competitiveness on the defensive end of the floor was a big plus. </span></p>