Hustle Region Memorial Classic: Bruce’s Saturday Night Notebook

<p>Spring is here and that can only mean one thing. It’s Circuit Season! The Prephoops Circuit is upon us. I will be covering and providing exposure for the Hustle Region Circuit. The Hustle Region Circuit consists of AAU Programs from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. The circuit features 10 stops including the Hustle Region Final in Irvine July 15th – 17th. Stop 7 brings us to the Pacific Northwest and Portland Oregon, where almost 30 teams are competing. Let’s take a look at some of the standout performers from Saturday night. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="857353" first="Malik" last="Ross"] <em>6’0 PG Smokey Elite 2023 (#8PHO 2022) </em> - Ross was terrific on both sides of the ball. The PG did a good job defending opposing ballhandlers, harassing their every dribble. On the offensive side, he was nearly unstoppable going to the bucket. The PG was able to attack downhill and get to the rim at will. He showed why he’s one of the top guards in the state. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1432264" first="Jamar" last="Mitchell"] <em>6’4 SF Noco 2023</em> <em>(#68PHCO 2023) (featured image)</em> - At this point, I think It’s best to just describe Mitchell as a player. The faceup forward was efficient, knocking down free throw line shots against the zone and finishing around the rim both in transition and in catch and finish situations. </p> <p><strong>Paul Hobson</strong> <em>6’2 SG Idaho Premiere 2024</em> - Hobson just kept showing more and more to his game. When I first saw him, he was a guy knocking down threes all over the court. As the day progressed, he showed that not only can he make shots in catch and shoot situations, but also when using the bounce. Hobson hit shots off P&amp;R action, punishing opponents when they went under screens, and played with an overall edge and toughness, that helped propel his team to a couple of victories on the day. </p> <p><strong>Tai Run Williams</strong> <em>6’5 SF No Fear Elite 2023</em> - I thought today was TRW’s breakout day. The forward has a terrific frame and has always competed with a high motor. Today you could call his motor elite as he seemed to be playing on an escalator while everyone else was taking the stairs. He skied for rebounds hustled down loose balls and caused havoc on the defensive end of the floor. His ability to quickly turn defense into offense often was punctuated with a high-flying dunk. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="861088" first="Graham" last="Eikenberry"] <em>6’10 C BDH Elite 2023</em> <em>(#18PHO 2023)</em> - Eikenberry played like one of the top centers on the West coast today. The big man played with effort and diligently ran the floor. He gets credit not just for his willingness to rebound, but also for protecting the rim, and finishing plays around the basket. Eikenberry had one of his best days on the circuit today. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1110590" first="Kayin" last="Turner"] <em>6’4 SG Progress Elite 2024 (#17PHO 2024)</em> - I’ll be the first to admit, I thought Turner was a little underwhelming when I saw him in Washington a few weeks ago. This weekend, he showed why so many scouts are high on him. He displayed a smooth game, showing the skill to slash and finish at the bucket as well as hit open shots. He has good size and length, and when combined with the motor he played with today, he looks like a big-time wing prospect. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1232163" first="Jared" last="Sucher"]</strong> <em>6’5 SG Team Fly 2023 -</em> Sucher tried to catch an errant lob, clanging his shot attempt off the rim in the process. I bring that up because that was the only shot I remember him missing all day. The wing put the snip in sniper, burning up the nets with his three-point shooting. His ability to change the scoreboard in catch and shoot situations could best be described as elite, as he made himself into a player that coaches should start having on their radar. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1217797" first="Parker" last="Gerrits"] <em>6’1 CG Roots Academy 2023 (#2PHW 2023)</em> - Gerrits did what top players do. He showed off his skill set and helped his team get a win after stumbling to a defeat in early morning action. He’s always been a terrific shooter, today it was his ability to help his team with his playmaking and leadership. Gerrits was vocal on the defensive side of the ball and offensively, he dropped more than a couple of dimes to teammates. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bruceprephoops/?hl=en">For Exclusive Content With Top Prospects</a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2ITPEPu_6No" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>