UAA MDW 16U MD/DC Notables
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Under Armour opened with their first event last weekend in Westfield, IN at the Pacers Athletic Center. I had the opportunity to cover the event throughout the three days to see plenty of talented prospects. For this article, I’ll break…
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Continue ReadingUnder Armour opened with their first event last weekend in Westfield, IN at the Pacers Athletic Center. I had the opportunity to cover the event throughout the three days to see plenty of talented prospects. For this article, I’ll break down some of the MD/DC prospects who caught my eye in the 16U bracket.
Team Thrill
Derik Queen
Derik
Queen
6'9" | PF
Montverde Academy | 2024
State
#18
Nation
FL
| 6’8 | 2024
Since the high school season, Queen has built quite the resume and argument for being considered as the top 2024 prospect in the country. His size, skill set and IQ are all simply on another level. If you’ve seen Queen in person, you know that he’s never the quickest or most athletic prospect on the floor, but is more often than not the most skilled and productive. As he helped Thrill to a 4-1 record, the 6-foot-8 rising sophomore torched his matchups in face-up scenarios. Whether it was at the high-post or on the baseline, Queen would use a series of ball fakes or hesitations to get his man off balance. He’d then either rise up for a jumper or find his way to the cup and draw contact for visits to the free-throw line. He was an above average rebounding presence throughout and was super effective in blocking or altering shots in the paint.
Malachi Palmer | 6’5 | 2024
Another rising sophomore on this Thrill squad with a high ceiling is Palmer. He has great size at 6-foot-5 and when he gets in the open floor with the ball it looks as if he’s gliding on roller-skates with how smooth he moves. His athleticism and length allow him to get to the rim and finish with ease. Palmer routinely got to his spots within the mid-range for pull-ups where he displayed great body control and balance after blowing by his man. His blend of size and athleticism also come in handy as being a versatile defender where he spent guarding multiple positions throughout the weekend.
Mike Williams Mike Williams 6'3" | CG Bishop Walsh | 2023 State #141 Nation MD | 6’3 | 2023
Williams is really showing an understanding of how to impact games at both ends as the AAU season progresses. For his high school last season, he was counted on as the primary playmaker and controlled the ball for much of the game, but it looks as if he’s at his best when he can play off others especially as a catch-and-shoot threat from three. In spot-up scenarios, he gets his shot off quick enough to make defenders pay for any slip up on closeouts and the rotation he gets on the ball following his release is textbook. Williams is known for his athleticism and that came to light in the open floor where he quickly rises to the rim to finish dunks or layups after sprinting the lanes and making himself available. Where Williams really has caught my eye is on the defensive end. He’s taking much pride in his individual defense and pressuring the ball effectively without fouling enough to force his matchup into turnovers.
DJ Dormu | 5’9 | 2023
Dormu is another player on this Thrill team who has steadily increased his stock because of his steady facilitating, defensive prowess and overall leadership on the floor. He plays extremely hard and doesn’t hesitate to get on the floor if the situation calls for it. Offensively he was effective specifically from the left wing last weekend where he buried over 10 three’s throughout the five games, a few of them coming well beyond the arc. Defensively he hounded the ball-handler and uses his quickness combined with his low center of gravity to pinpoint opportunities to poke the ball free and collect steals.
Mikey Allen Mikey Allen 6'0" | CG Fort Hill | 2023 MD | 6’2 | 2023
Allen isn’t a name that I’ve written about this spring, but it’s impossible not to mention him after the weekend that he had. In an era where the majority of kids need the perfect situations to succeed or be happy, Allen puts his pride aside and does what this team needs most, which is being a floor spacer offensively and an energizer bunny defensively. When Allen is hitting shots it makes this team that much harder to compete with and he did so at a high clip in Indianapolis. It was the kind of weekend that should’ve instilled plenty of confidence in the rising junior and make him an important piece for this Thrill team come the month of July.