Battle of Baltimore: Team Melo vs Team Thrill 16U
Over the weekend the city of Baltimore was fortunate enough to witness a matchup that has been asked for for some time now as Team Thrill and Team Melo came together for an afternoon of games between the 15s, 16s…
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Continue ReadingOver the weekend the city of Baltimore was fortunate enough to witness a matchup that has been asked for for some time now as Team Thrill and Team Melo came together for an afternoon of games between the 15s, 16s and 17s. We’ll break down different players from the said matchups throughout the week in a slate of articles and move to the 16U matchup.
For the 15U standouts, click here!
Jadyn Harris Jadyn Harris 6'6" | PF Bishop O'Connell | 2024 State #239 Nation VA | Team Thrill
It was good seeing Harris back live in action after a productive month of April. The 6-foot-6 rising junior is starting to fill out his frame and improve his perimeter skill set, making him a true mismatch. He scored 14 points in the win and did a good job of playing to his pace. When defensive pressure attempting to speed him up in any scenario, Harris never took the bait and instead operated in an efficient manner. He was hitting pull up jumpers off the bounce, finishing at the rim and bullying his way to the paint when in the mid-post for over the shoulder hooks when he could overwhelm his given matchup.
Acaden Lewis Acaden Lewis 6'2" | PG Sidwell Friends | 2025 State #149 Nation MD | Team Melo
Lewis is taking strides every time that I watch him this spring. The 6-foot-1 southpaw lead guard is extremely shifty when in isolation situations and has good burst off his back foot to take advantage of driving lanes. When he gets an edge on his defender, he can shoot high-arcing floaters and convert at an efficient rate. Lewis also was effective in drawing contact, visiting the free-throw line and really being the only consistent scoring threat against a suffocating Thrill team defense. He also converted on a couple of three’s in ball-screens when his defender decided to go under the screen. Lewis led all scorers with 21 points.
Luke Bamgboye Luke Bamgboye 6'10" | C AZ Compass Prep | 2024 State #110 Nation AZ | Team Thrill
Bamgboye was an absolute beast when it came to protecting the rim and setting an early tone for his team. The 6-foot-9 forward blocked seven shots in the first quarter alone while also closing down the defensive glass to limit Melo to one-shot possessions. He runs the floor with purpose and presents himself as a lob threat anytime he’s around the rim. Bamgboye comes equipped with soft hands and quick pop that helps him throw down two-handed dunks in pick-and-roll situations or as he’s hanging around the dunker’s spot playing off of other’s penetration. Bamgboye contributed with 10 points and neared a triple-double with rebounds and blocks included.
Drew McKenna Drew McKenna 6'7" | PF Glenelg Country | 2024 #61 Nation MD | Team Melo
McKenna had some good moments in this game, but Thrill’s defense was concentrated on making him feel uncomfortable any chance they could. Harris wasn’t giving him any space to operate off the bounce and if McKenna was lucky enough to get by him, he’d have to worry about Bamgboye rotating weakside for blocks. He did a nice job converting on a few shots off the bounce after creating space from Harris and battling inside for boards. He also created contact on his drives to cause fouls, but playing through contact is still an area of his game that will need improvement over the course of the summer.
Tyler Boston Tyler Boston 5'10" | PG Bullis | 2024 State #291 Nation MD | Team Thrill
It’s always a joy watching Boston be the floor general of his team because of his understanding as a point guard. He operates with change-of-pace dribbles, patience and a high IQ both as a shot-taker and a distributor. On multiple occasions, Boston was the one who made the extra pass to the open man when he had an opportunity to get a shot for himself. He has the instincts and know-how of getting a great shot instead of settling for a good one. Boston also utilized shot fakes on his defenders closing out and proceeded to take 1-to-2 dribbles before burying a smooth 15-footer.