Passion Region Kick Off Day 2: 17U Backcourt Standouts

<p><strong>Passion Region Kick Off Day 2: 17U Backcourt Standouts</strong></p> <p><strong>2023 6-3 SG Remi Dieujuste – Athletes of Influence Woods<br /> </strong>An elite high flyer, Remi Dieujuste put on a show with his breathtaking athleticism. Dieujuste caught alley oops and bodies, any time a defender jumped with him. Remi is a dynamic athlete that elevates with ease. He rebounds exceptionally well and can jump passing lanes with cat-like quickness. On offense he has a smooth approach. He soars to the rim but also has a pretty three-point shot. He nailed three long balls en route to 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in his first game of the day.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-4 W [player_tooltip player_id="1161395" first="Theo" last="Mansell"] – Palm Beach All-Star Flames<br /> </strong>The stat sheet stuffer did it again on Sunday, recording 20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in a narrow 75-73 win. Mansell is explosive in transition. Once he snags a rebound, he looks to immediately race the ball down the floor. The big guard is a blur with how he covers ground. He tries to tear the rim down every trip down and forces officials to blow the whistle. Aside from his offense, Mansell impressed with his defense, showing an ability to defend in the post and protect the rim.</p> <p><strong>2023 5-11 PG [player_tooltip player_id="812625" first="Jermaine" last="Hunter"] – Palm Beach All-Star Flames<br /> </strong>Sometimes the unsung hero of the backcourt, Hunter came up big as a steady playmaker and a pesky defender. He tallied 13 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals in a two-point win over Florida Suns 2024-3. Hunter surveys the floor and has a nice chemistry with his teammates. When he does look for his own offense, Hunter scores the ball with his jumper. He sank a pair of threes and nailed a mid-range in the win.</p> <p><strong>2023 6-1 G Marquis Copney – Supreme Team<br /> </strong>The slender guard came off the bench and provided energy and production. Copney is attack-minded and can play either on or off the ball. He probes defenses looking for cracks and avenues to get downhill. Copney has some sneaky bounce, able to finish above the rim.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-3 SG [player_tooltip player_id="956817" first="Tyrone" last="Smith"] – Ocala Impact<br /> </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="956817" first="Tyrone" last="Smith"] is a big guard with a slick handle in tight spaces. He combats pressure and breaks down the defense as he gets into the lane. Smith finishes at the rim and has a floater in traffic. When teams sagged off him to try and close off driving lanes, Smith was able to make them pay with the three-ball. Tyrone knocked down two threes on his way to finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in a 73-65 win.</p> <p><strong>2023 5-7 PG Elijah Massenburg – NEB Elite<br /> </strong>Though he is undersized, Elijah Massenburg packs a powerful punch. He’s a skilled perimeter scorer that needs limited space to get his shot off. He creates off the bounce and hits pull-ups from the mid-range all the way out to beyond the arc.  He tallied 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals while burying three threes.</p> <p><strong>2023 6-0 PG Braxton Lewis – NEB Elite<br /> </strong>Braxton Lewis is a southpaw playmaker. He is a true pass-first point guard that excels at getting others open shots. He works the pick-and-roll masterfully, hitting the slip man on the money routinely. Lewis compiled 4 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 1 on Sunday.</p>