573 Hoops 15u Outlook

<p>After posting a dominant 5-1 record this past weekend, the 573 Hoops squad with 15u has a notable group of rangy guards capable taking on multiple positions while playing with energy on both ends.</p> <p>Richard Oyewole - Southern Boone</p> <p>Standing at least 6’4, Oyewole has a lengthy frame allowing him to be a versatile defender while being a consistent rebounding threat. When defending the interior, he is fundamentally sound by going straight up and using both arms to fully deter opponents. Given his strong frame, he keeps his arms properly positioned regardless of a hard hit mid-air. When attacking the glass for rebounds, Oyewole was instrumental in tipping the ball away or grabbing it with both hands to secure the possession. He is especially dependable scoring around the rim with his right hand, continuing to bolster his left handed confidence will be invaluable for his offensive development. At his size, Oyewole was capable guarding anyone thrown at him, either containing the isolation or sending the opponent to the side where help was waiting.</p> <p>Ra’Saun Nichols -  Hickman</p> <p>Another lengthy prospect from 573, Nichols was a dominant on-ball defender who was instrumental playmaking in the fast break. One part of Nichols’ passing that is clearly advanced has been his ability to hit corner shooters with a one handed skip pass on target. It was always a priority pushing the pace, where he was instrumental creating outlet passes on the break. On the other end, Nichols maximized his length to pressure ballhandlers towards the sideline away from middle. His low stance and textbook defensive positioning created multiple turnovers a game, allowing for a jumpstarted effort on the fast break. Nichols flashed tough makes around the rim, where he was more than capable double clutching in the air and finishing around opponents.</p> <p>Josue Muhirwa - Rock Bridge</p> <p>Standing at roughly 6’ tall, Muhirwa’s long strides allowed him to create scoring opportunities inside the arc time and time again. On one possession in particular, he euro stepped into a floater over defense, simply a tough shot for anyone regardless of class. Based on his elite touch around the rim, I’d have to imagine the jump shot touch is not too far away.</p> <p>Dreighton Cayce - Hickman</p> <p>Cayce does a lot with a few dribbles, continuously looking to find cutting teammates and open driving lanes. One thing that not many athletes do at his age are attacking off the catch without waiting too long. This simple playstyle allowed Cayce to create five to six scoring opportunities for his teammates per game.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1436753" first="Langston" last="Thomas"] - Hickman (pictured above)</p> <p>Thomas proved to have the highest motor for this group especially on the glass or attacking the rim. What stood out with Thomas was his consistent ability to get to the rack, effectively drawing contact on most possessions. The next step for him will be understanding half court pace a bit more so that he maintains control once pressure approaches. Ultimately, he brought an invaluable layer of high energy that pushed the rest of his teammates to perform with that same energy. On multiple occassions, Thomas looked to playmake once the defense collapsed, proving he has dependable vision when given the lane.</p>