AAU Wrap-Up Player Analysis: Team Factory UAR 17U

As we get ready for the high school hoops season, it is the right time to look back on the turbulent 2020 summer and see how the local talent fared through the chaos.. Over the next few weeks I will do a deep-dive on a handful of players from each club and discuss their prospects moving forward. Let’s start with Team Factory UAR 17U.   [player_tooltip player_id="958183" first="Livon" last="Ramsey"] - 6’3" SF Ramsey has maybe the highest defensive ceiling of any player in the 2021 class. He is super bouncy and a tenacious rebounder. His player profile here lists him at 6’3", but it sure seems he has outgrown that data point. He can jump and bang with the bigs down low and then switch out onto a perimeter player, frequently maintaining the advantage, at the very least holding his own. There has been growth in his offensive game, specifically his finishing at the rim. I like his creativity on that front, too. He can finish with both hands pretty well and can get creative with his angles and speeds of his finishes, depending on the defensive positioning. He could be a terrifying roll man for opposing teams to defend. And to top it all off, he has shown ability to make the right reads within the team concept. He makes timely skip passes that are on target. That same creativity he shows finishing at the basket, I see in his passing. He understands how to manipulate his body and find direct passing lines. His #38 ranking in Nebraska undervalues him by quite a bit from what I see. [player_tooltip player_id="890484" first="Curtis" last="Ogba"] - 5’6" PG I really appreciate Curtis’ game. At 5’6", the game of basketball will humble you quickly and often. Yet, he has found ways to produce and goes about it intelligently. He knows he will have issues finishing among the trees, so he has developed himself a really nice pull-up jumper. He is very quick getting past his man, then staying low with his hands always around the basketball, he gets into that mid-range pull-up very quickly. It helps eliminate the disadvantage of his height. It is also difficult for him to create shot opportunities in the paint because his height limits his ability to dish out after penetrating. He probably won’t ever be a three level scorer, but he has potential to be a two level scorer if he extends his range a bit. An important next step in Curtis’ game is to work on his rhythm as a pick and roll ball handler. His shiftiness and fast stop-and-go actions are perfect for setting up his man one direction and steering him right back into a screen. It could set him up with some wide-open pull up three pointers if that aforementioned range does extend. [player_tooltip player_id="773431" first="Chucky" last="Hepburn"] - 6’1" PG Chucky’s two-way ability is impressive, and I think it is largely thanks to his tremendous basketball IQ. Let’s start with his defense. It’s hard to choose whether he is better on- or off-ball. He is great at playing center field, mucking up passing lanes and racking up deflections. He is also very stout at the point of attack though, and is very hard to overpower. His size requires an extra 10% effort to get past, and if he stays on that hip he will likely execute a well-timed contest. Above-average reaction ability makes up for any lack of athleticism. His offensive game tells the same story as his defensive game: Chucky knows his advantages on the court and knows how to exploit them. He is one of the better passing point guards in the region and has a great dribble-drive game to add. He is very efficient in his movements on offense. He is great at dictating pace and shielding off his defenders. [player_tooltip player_id="890464" first="Greg" last="Brown"] - 6’3" SF Greg’s physicality paired with his finesse on offense has been a difficult combination for some opponents this summer. He’s an active rebounder, and often takes the ball up the floor himself to initiate the offense. He is a pretty good ball-handler, but can become overconfident in that department, leading to turnovers. His actual handling of the basketball isn’t super refined yet, but his body feints and jabs create that space for him. I don’t see him as ever being advanced on defense mostly due to his lateral quickness but he’s smart enough and physical enough to be a positive on defense. [player_tooltip player_id="890483" first="Ater" last="Louis"] - 6’7" C Louis really popped this summer on the defensive end. He has some of the best footwork in this class among big men. He gains a ton of ground on his jump stops when on offense, and he understands how to use them to get to his spots on the floor. He sucks in entry passes with ease and could be a nice lob threat in the future. His defensive ability is raw but has great potential. He has great timing on his blocks and has enough control to stay down on fakes and not reach or become horizontal when moving his feet. [player_tooltip player_id="890468" first="Frankie" last="Fidler"] - 6’6" PF There are few players in the metro I am more excited to see this fall than [player_tooltip player_id="890468" first="Frankie" last="Fidler"]. His upside is pretty significant and could see a heap of offers pour in with some consistent play for Bellevue West. Frankie has all the tools to be an impact player on both ends of the court. His length jumps off the screen when watching him on film. It shows up big on the glass, where he excels as a rebounder. He combines that length with good bounce and a great ability at high-pointing the basketball. His skills then continue as he grabs the rebound, turns up-court, and leads a fast break successfully. He has very impressive offensive skill for his size. His shooting stroke needs some more consistency before he ever becomes a threatening outside shooter, but he can put a few dribble moves on his defender and get to the basket to finish with ease. He has the tools on defense but is slow to react sometimes to what’s playing out in front of him. He is good about defending the first move from his man, but by the second or third he has lost him. The game will continue to slow down for him, and his skills will shine even brighter in the years to come.