Midwest Live: 17U Saturday Standouts

<p>There were a few incredible performances in the 17U division on Saturday, and plenty of others worth writing about. Here are the four players who caught my eye at Midwest Live today:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1235597" first="Caden" last="Peterson"] | OSA National Burt</strong></p> <p>Of all the games I watched today, Peterson’s performance was only bested by one player who I will talk about below. He showcased excellent playmaking skills on the day. He read the floor masterfully, never wasting a moment to throw it ahead in transition when the defense was a step slow getting back. If there was no advantage to gain, he did not force it, and did great work in the half court. There were a few side pick and rolls that he initiated beautifully, passing it to his big in stride with a runway to score. His length showed up big time with a blocked 3-point shot, a transition slam, and several deflections.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1150368" first="Kamari" last="Moore"] | Team Factory Gold</strong></p> <p>Moore shot the ball extremely well today, and in big moments. Late in Team Factory Gold’s game against Missouri Elite, he banked in a three from the left wing which tied the game and ultimately sent it to overtime. Then, in a sudden death period, Moore manuevered to the right wing this time, and hit another stepback three to end the game and secure victory. https://twitter.com/JacobPadilla_/status/1413910704806109185?s=20</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1235575" first="Brady" last="Christiansen"] | Lincoln Supreme National 1</strong></p> <p>The best showing I saw today was from the Lincoln Pius X forward. With a baseline full of college coaches watching, Christiansen dropped 22 points on 9/9 from the field (3/3 3FG). The scoring was extremely impressive, but he also showed off his fantastic passing skills while also putting in effort on the glass and on defense. You can have the 6’6" forward handle the ball and initiate offense. The Christiansen-[player_tooltip player_id="1023539" first="Jack" last="Hastreiter"] pick and roll is a deadly action, with Christiansen handling it. I would not be surprised if Brady picks up a few more offers at the end of the weekend.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1152113" first="Jacob" last="Martin"] | Sal Elite (pictured)</strong></p> <p>The 2023 Omaha South guard played up with the 17U team this weekend, and he was the best player on the floor for Sal Elite on Saturday. His shot was falling from distance, and did damage as an off-ball option. With the ball in his hands, he found some gaps to attack, and finished a few very tough buckets that required some body contortion and high-level touch. When he is engaged, his man-to-man defense is very solid. Ball-handlers looked to attack Martin but had difficulty getting past him. He was physical, using leverage to prevent being overpowered, and kept his hands high and active.</p>