The Finale: Top 17U Posts

<p>Top posts are not necessarily abundant in Kansas, but there were several on display at The Finale in Kansas City Aug. 8-9.</p> <p>Here are some of the top 17U posts from The Finale (in alphabetical order and with club and high school listed):</p> <p><strong>Jorge Jianas, United Basketball 17U, Shawnee Mission West:</strong></p> <p>At 6-foot-5, Jianas is probably not a traditional post. His shooting touch goes beyond the arc, and he can put the ball on the floor. He has good hands and moves well without the ball. He makes some good cuts to get open for entry passes. He can run the floor and shoot a pull-up jumper on the move. On defense he works hard and blocks shots.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889456" first="Antwaun" last="Massey"], Team KC Pip 17U, Olathe East:</strong></p> <p>Massey is a physical freak. He’s 6-foot-7 jumping jack who terrorizes shooters. He is great going to the bucket and his power to throw down is scary. He’s a glider up and down the court, and is quick enough to guard on the perimeter. He gets most of his points on putbacks, drives through the lane, and an occasional catch and shoot. He’s tenacious on the back line of defense.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889466" first="Charles" last="Snyder"] SSA Black 17U, Emporia:</strong></p> <p>The third team 5A returner is a relentless hustler with a lot of versatility. He runs the court trying to make plays, often out-running opposing big men. He is creative on catch-and-shoot opportunities. He plays below the rim, but his length and motor make him tough to stop in the lane.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="885496" first="Omar" last="Stanley"], CarrolGoL1ve 17U, Link Year Prep:</strong></p> <p>A man-child. Stanley is flat out enormous and enormously talented. He was named second team 6A as a senior at Blue Valley West. Now he’ll add another year of development at the Branson, Missouri school before heading to college. It was sort of unfair what he did to the high school competition at The Finale. He can catch and shoot in the lane, shoot a mid-range jumper, and score on put-backs. He simply can’t be moved on the block. He’s nimble enough to guard quicker players on defense, and he absolutely pulverizes opponents’ shot attempts.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="747099" first="Nikko" last="Taylor"], Team KC Don 17U, Blue Valley North:</strong></p> <p>Taylor is another big-bodied post, but this guy is versatile and has a high basketball IQ. From either the post or the perimeter, he is a great passing big man. He might not look like an explosive athlete, but he’s nimble, gets up and down the floor, and dunks with authority. At 6-foot-6, he sees over the defense to make surprisingly crafty and effective passes. Teammates better be ready, because Taylor can get them the ball in the most opportune positions. He actually does everything exceptionally well, but passing sets him apart.</p>