Team Griffin 17U EYBL Orlando Evaluations

For people active in the Grassroots scene, Nike’s EYBL circuit is held high esteem. The numbers don’t lie as the collection of talent from all over the nation often makes up many of the players playing in Power 5 Conferences and eventually a heavy amount of NBA draft picks. The size and athleticism are very much what differentiates the EYBL from other circuits. Oklahoma being a smaller population state is simply at a disadvantage when it comes to that front. Oklahoma prospects have made up for those weaknesses by being skilled and playing with a chip on the shoulder. A big example of that was when Trae Young playing with MOKAN Elite won the 2016 17U Nike Peach Jam. Team Griffin’s 2019 16U squad that won the 16U Peach Jam was another example of that. They were anchored by two outstanding Class of 2021 guards Trey Alexander and Bijan Cortes. But used size and athleticism from Texas thanks to Damion Collins (Kentucky) and KJ Adams (Kansas) to fill out a squad to compete on the national level. This year’s Griffin 17U actually has the benefit of this being a bigger class in Oklahoma with size and athletes. But they still fill out of the roster with one of the top 2024s in the country, Tre Johnson (TX) along with additional talent from Colorado and Texas. This article will focus on how the 6 Oklahomans on the 17U roster adjusted to the national competition. [player_tooltip player_id="1068563" first="Trent" last="Pierce"], 6’9 Class of 2023 Forward, Union During the four game session it was the worst of times for the Union Redhawk, then it was the best of times. On Friday night and Saturday morning, Pierce struggled adjusting to the speed and strength of the opposition. But whatever he had for lunch on Saturday turned his weekend around. In the final two games he was locked in and one of the best players on the floor in games filled with future high major players. In victories against Vegas Elite & Nightrydas (FL), the big man went 8-11 from three pointers combined with 19 and 20 points respectively. The victory over Vegas Elite was a double digit comeback in the fourth quarter where Pierce made big plays throughout. He even hit all 3 free throws with less than a second on the clock to complete the comeback and give his team a one point win. The shooting touch Pierce has displayed since being a lanky 6 foot 5 freshman has always been intriguing, and his potential has only increased since he grew to 6’9 while maintaining his perimeter player skillset. He now has the Power 5 offers to match, but to go from a name on the recruiting board for these programs to THE name on the board, he must be more consistent. The lows can not drop to as low as they did to start the tournament. There needs to be a higher floor baseline of how he impacts the game even when his shot isn’t falling. Once that is accomplished, Pierce has the potential to become a top 50 national recruit. [player_tooltip player_id="1367213" first="David" last="Castillo"], 6’2 Guard, Bartlesville The sophomore from Bartlesville plays up as the primary ball handler for Griffin’s 17U team. An ankle injury in the second half of their third game cut his weekend short. Castillo is regarded nationally as an elite prospect because of his advanced skillset, as he has a skilled and smooth offensive game. By Oklahoma standards, he’s an athletic and strong guard. But going against older players and fellow high major prospects, he’s an average athlete compared to that level. The combination of those athletic guards and the 24 second shot clock led to some early issues with turnovers and running the offense. Castillo adjusted in the second game with a stat line of 19 points (5-9 shooting) and most importantly no turnovers in a 26 point victory for his team. This opportunity on the EYBL circuit this spring and summer is great not only for the competition level but also for him to play more of a PG role who gets his teammates involved. The ball stuck a little too much in his hands throughout his games, and that will be the biggest improvement to watch from for Castillo as hopes to add more prestigious schools to his deep list of college offers.   [player_tooltip player_id="1068566" first="CJ" last="Smith"], 6’5 Wing, Heritage Hall One of the better aspects of grassroots basketball is that the nature of the deep teams can introduce players to new roles that will make them more appealing to college coaches. For Heritage Hall, Smith is one of the primary scorers. For Griffin, he’s an energy guy off the bench. The spot he is carving out on this talented team is similar to a role he will likely play as an underclassmen for D1 programs. Smith gets on the glass well for his size. Plays tough defense by moving his feet and using his length to bother defenders. Knocks down open shots from the three and mid range. His energy and toughness was vital in the comeback against an athletic Vegas Elite squad. By embracing his role as he did this weekend, his opportunities to play at the next level will increase this spring and summer. [player_tooltip player_id="1068562" first="Brandon" last="Garrison"], 6’9 Forward, Del City The Del City big man continued his high level shot blocking and rebounding but also shined offensively. He has a developing hook shot, can always finish strongly through contact and even hit a "pick and pop" 3 pointer. Most importantly though, Garrison’s passing ability opens up so much for Team Griffin. In the halfcourt his ability to accurately find open shooters along the perimeter or cutters to the rim keeps their offense flowing. He also shines as an outlet passer who helps his team transition quickly from defense to offense with easy transition points. Garrison’s top game over the weekend was the closer on Sunday morning. He recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. While recording two blocks and perhaps the most impressive stat was the 5 assists he was credited with. Also this weekend he picked up an offer from the new coaching staff at LSU. [player_tooltip player_id="981287" first="Terry" last="McMorris"], 6’6 Forward, Del City There will always be a place on any roster for a player that is not only athletic, who also gets the most out of his athleticism thanks to an outstanding motor. That’s exactly what the energetic forward from Del City does. He’s the type of athlete that with his size and quickness can switch out onto guards and make life tough for guards. While also using his bounce to make life tough around the rim as a rim protector. McMorris broke into double figures with 13 points in an early Saturday morning win, thanks to that energy. He got out in transition for slams, put-backs and his energy was crucial in his team rebounding from a loss the night before. [player_tooltip player_id="1360350" first="Connor" last="Dow"], 6’6 Wing, Broken Arrow It was a quiet weekend for the Tiger sharpshooter. He had some open looks but they didn’t always fall. He’ll look to bounce back next weekend in Indiana. In an earlier tournament in Arkansas, Team Griffin did play a pair of fellow EYBL foes. In those games, Dow shined as a "3 and D" option for them. He hit multiple three pointers each game as a catch and shot option. But he also hustled his tail off defensively. There were a couple times where his willingness to get back on defense led to transition stops for his team. Similar to Smith, his scoring opportunities might be lower on a roster like this. But there will come a game this spring and summer where he hits five to six triples and his phone will be ringing off the hook from mid major programs.