UAA/UA Rise: Ramsey’s Notebook
In this article:
The second live recruiting period of the spring is officially in the books. With different events taking place all across the country we at Prep Hoops Indiana will be going one-by-one trying to provide the most complete coverage possible. To…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe second live recruiting period of the spring is officially in the books. With different events taking place all across the country we at Prep Hoops Indiana will be going one-by-one trying to provide the most complete coverage possible. To begin, let’s breakdown some of the results from the UAA/UA Rise Circuit which took place out in Kansas City. I was able to watch Grand Park Premier 17u, Grand Park Premier 16u, D1 Indiana 17u, and D1 Indiana 16u in person at HyVee Arena.
Grand Park Premier 17u Falls in OT to Philly Pride 17u
Unfortunately, I probably saw the ugliest game of the weekend for Grand Park Premier 17u. Neither team could find their rhythm from the field in what turned out to be a low scoring rock fight. Even with the game extending to overtime, the score remained in the low-50s with Philly Pride surviving 53-51.
GPP star Joey Hart Joey Hart 6'5" | SG Linton-Stockton | 2023 State #214 Nation IN (Linton-Stockton H.S. 2023) scored a team-leading 13 points, but was just 5-15 from the field in the contest. However, the 6’5” guard bounced back with 31 points in the evening against the Riverside Hawks and then poured in 35 points on 7 three-pointers against Ohio State commit Parker Friedrichsen. Hart appears to have improved his game off of the dribble which will force defenders to respect his driving ability more. This will do nothing but open up his lethal shooting ability even more.
Elsewhere for GPP, Caleb Washington Caleb Washington 6'5" | PF Floyd Central | 2023 State IN (Floyd Central H.S. 2023) was the next most productive Indiana prospect finishing with 6 points and 5 rebounds. The 6’5”-6’6” forward has noticeably grown and got stronger over the last several months. NAIA programs around the state should be following him closely throughout the rest of the spring. Skilled with the ball and a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor.
Grand Park Premier 16u Takes Down Team Curry 16u
Anytime you can take down Steph Curry’s team on his own Under Armour circuit it will turn some heads on the AAU basketball scene. 6’4” guard Jack Benter Jack Benter 6'4" | SG Brownstown Central | 2024 State #121 Nation IN (Brownstown Central H.S. 2024) led the way on Saturday afternoon scoring 21 points while Isaac Andrews Isaac Andrews 6'1" | SG Wapahani | 2024 State IN (Wapahani H.S. 2024) chipped in 13 points as GPP held on to win 58-53.
Turnovers and missed shots almost allowed Team Curry to steal the game down the stretch, but Grand Park Premier’s backcourt provided just enough to survive. Benter looked very comfortable handling the ball against opposing athleticism and length. His overall skill set just continues to grow and grow. Later in the evening his 21-point performance earned him another scholarship offer from Liberty.
The 6’1” Andrews is a dangerous outside shooter that hit a huge three late in the game when GPP really needed to get some points on the board. His ability to stretch the floor helps to take some defensive pressure off Benter when they are in there together. Josiah Gustin Josiah Gustin 6'7" | PF Pendleton Heights | 2024 State IN (Pendleton Heights H.S. 2024) continues to be intriguing this spring as well. The 6’8” forward is mobile, has gotten stronger, and is more confident on the offensive end of the floor.
D1 Indiana 17u Goes Down Against ESF Threat 17u
Despite the loss, the story of this game was the play of Reph Stevenson Reph Stevenson 6'7" | PF Hamilton Southeastern | 2023 State IN (Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2023). While playing against some high-level competition the 6’7” forward showcased why he is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. Stevenson lived above the rim driving it to his right from the elbows and dunking with two-hands, scoring on drop steps in the post, and finishing offensive rebound putbacks. He finished with 16 points and looked like a prospect ready to have his recruitment breakout in the coming months.
In the backcourt, Clay Butler Clay Butler 6'1" | PG Ben Davis | 2023 State IN (Ben Davis H.S. 2023) and Aidan Lambert Aidan Lambert 6'3" | SG Snider | 2022 State IN (Fort Wayne Snider H.S. 2022) each played well finishing with 10 points apiece. Butler has been playing well all spring showing off his quickness in the open floor and sound playmaking ability. He is a point guard that can play without turning it over while also pushing the pace. Lambert, an unsigned senior, showcased his typical explosiveness with a big-time baseline drive and dunk along with an alley-oop in transition. He is one of the best unsigned remaining on the board in Indiana.
Tough Loss for D1 Indiana 16u to AAO Flight 16u
I went back over to HyVee Arena on the way out of Kansas City on Sunday afternoon to catch the D1 Indiana 16u squad. The game started with a bang as freshman Dominique Murphy Jr. (East Chicago Central H.S. 2025) dominated the first quarter by scoring at the rim and pulling down every rebound. He had 6 points and 5 rebounds after one quarter. However, in the second, AAO Flight began to pull away and built a 36-27 halftime lead.
Down the stretch, some continued success in transition by Mark White Mark White 6'3" | SF Ben Davis | 2024 State IN (Ben Davis H.S. 2024), along with interior buckets by Murphy and some playmaking from Dhani Flannigan Dhani Flannigan 5'10" | PG Ben Davis | 2024 State IN (Franklin Central H.S. 2024) brought them back on top in the fourth quarter. Eventually they would have the ball with a chance to win it out of a timeout with 20 seconds left but failed to get a shot up as AAO Flight 16u escaped with a 57-56 victory.
White and Murphy led the with 12 points each in the loss for D1 Indiana 16u. Murphy was arguably the most intriguing prospect in the game while playing up an age division. He is a Class of 2025 prospect that in-state Division I programs should be recruiting right now.