Grit Region Finals: 2022 Froward Evaluations
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The last weekend of summer AAU has come and gone and there was no better way to cap off the summer season than with the Grit Region Finals that took place in Indianapolis this past weekend. Team Future 2022 was…
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Continue ReadingThe last weekend of summer AAU has come and gone and there was no better way to cap off the summer season than with the Grit Region Finals that took place in Indianapolis this past weekend. Team Future 2022 was crowned the Grit Region Finals champs for the 2022s and even though they had a good amount of performances for their own prospects, there were still a ton of top notch showings from our other Indiana prospects as well. Today, we take a look some 2022 forward, and a 2021 and 2023, that stood out.
Koston McReynolds – 6’4 SF – Evansville Rietz – IE Blaze Select 2022: McReynolds is a tall, lanky wing that is a natural shooter. Excels pretty well off the catch and works hard off the ball to get an open look. Pick and pop game was strong as well which showed his ability to create his own shot off the ball. First time I had actually seen McReynolds play and can honestly say I thought he was the best pure shooter out of all of the 2022s the entire weekend. Never shied away from the big moments and did everything with confidence. Needs to add some muscle and strength but looking forward to see him during high school ball.
JaQualon Roberts JaQualon Roberts 6'8" | PF Bloomington North | 2023 State IN (2023) – 6’7 PF – Bloomington North – IE Blaze Select 2022: Roberts is an athletic wing with all the potential in the world. Was playing up on the 2022 Blaze team and was a big part as to why they were able to make it to the championship game. Was at his best on the drive which one of them resulted in one of the best poster dunks I had seen all summer. Outside shot was still off but it what not something he used very often. Overall, Roberts had a very good summer and showcased why he is one the top recruits in the state of Indiana for the 2023 class.
Jalen Bullock Jalen Bullock 6'7" | PF Calumet New Tech | 2022 State IN – 6’7 PF – Calumet – Indiana Game 2022 Blue: Bullock is a big forward that has explosiveness to his game. He is a bruiser of a post player and runs the floor so well for his size. Had a few slams here and once he got going towards the rim, it was hard to stop him. Footwork is pretty solid on both ends and I think long term he is going to be an elite rim protector. Solid showing from Bullock here.
Christian Woods – 6’5 SF – Central Christian – Indiana Red Storm 2022: Woods is a bouncy wing that was playing all over in the game I watched. Was a very good scorer 15ft and in and showcased a nice baseline 15fter and floater. Gave his team a ton of second chance opportunities and showed some solid shot blocking ability. Still just a little raw but is athletic enough to compete. He ended up with 20 points in that game and was arguably one of the more underrated players I had watched.
Charles Chanin – 6’4 SF – Pike – Team Future 2022: Chanin is a bigger wing that looked the best I have seen him play these past two years. He is not a super quick forward but he plays physically and within himself. Produced some high level scoring and showcased some very smart decision making. He averaged the most points all weekend for Team Future averaging 16 ppg on 59% shooting. Defensive wise he is versatile enough to guard both the wing and post. It was a very easy decision to put him on my Grit Region First Team. Excellent weekend for Chanin here.
Shilo Jackson (2021, Vincennes University) – 6’9 PF – EG10 2022: Jackson is a tall, mobile 4 that looked absolutely dominant this past weekend. Was one of the best rebounding and second chance opportunist bigs of the entire weekend and had multiple put-back slams. His fundamentals overall were just so sharp here. Jackson had a huge summer which landed him an offer from Vincennes University which he committed to from what I hear. Jackson is a guy that has really taken off and there are no signs of him slowing down.
Beck Willems Beck Willems 6'3" | SF Bethany Christian | 2022 State IN – 6’3 SF – Bethany Christian – Tipping Point 2022: Willems is a bigger small forward that is always hustling on the floor. Offense was not as there as when I saw him the first time as he struggled just a little bit from the outside but was finding other ways to contribute. Defensively, I thought he worked real hard on that end and was making some sharp passes on the offensive end. The best play I did see from him was a nice shot fake that led to a smooth looking baseline jumper. I think overall that is a good amount of upside in Willems. The dude works hard and I believe the outside shooting struggles in the game was just a rare occurrence.
AJ Williams – 6’5 SF – South Bend Riley – Tipping Point 2022: Williams is a taller wing that is very athletic. Explosive player on both ends and crashes the glass hard and aggressive. Has a lot of bounce in his game and solid side-to-side quickness. First time I had seen Williams played and overall thought he looks to have potential to play at that lower level in college. Still raw but looks to be a guy that can be turned into a solid wing at that next level.
Nick Mikash Nick Mikash 6'4" | SF Kankakee Valley | 2022 State IN – 6’4 SF – Kankakee Valley – Indiana Game 2022: Mikash is a small forward that is quick, athletic, and flat out tough. Defensively, he was easily my personal defensive MVP all weekend as he was just so consistent on that end and I legit lost count of how many steals he had. Offensively, he scored a lot his buckets off the fast break and when he would gather momentum on the drive. Overall, he is just a real balance player that along with his toughness, can provide different options for a team at the next level. Should be in for a huge senior season.
Landen Babusiak Landen Babusiak 6'11" | C Bosco Institute/Indiana Connections Academy | 2022 State IN – 6’9 PF – Bosco Institute – Indiana Game 2022: Babusiak is a tall forward that is really skilled. Kind of a traditional power forward that rebounds and finishes around the rim very well. Real mobile big that sees the floor well and has some real solid passing ability. Only got to see him a couple of times as he had a scary leg injury in the second game that had him out the rest of the weekend. Hopefully the injury is not as serious as what it looked and that he will be able to have a great high school season. Either way, Babusiak is talented enough to start getting a lot offers and is just a guy that checks a lot of boxes.
Kaleo Kakalia Kaleo Kakalia 6'6" | PF Mishawaka Marian | 2022 State IN – 6’6 SF – Mishawaka Marian – Indiana Game 2022: Kakalia is a taller wing that was always the most athletic person on the floor. Very high motor that is always working on both ends. On offense, most of his scoring was around the rim and his outside jumper was not quite there when I watched him. Was active on the glass on both ends and if he gets out in the transition he is tough to catch up with. Lot of potential in Kakalia at the next level.