Freedom Classic: 17U Top Performers

<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1155898" first="Jaedyn" last="Brown"] - Team Daum</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1155898" first="Jaedyn" last="Brown"] was lighting up teams all weekend with one of the smoothest three-point shots I have ever seen. When left open or given small amounts of space Jaedyn knocked down three-point shots at a high level. With the ball in his hands, he was very good at creating space off the rip through or off the dribble he knocked a plethora of tough shots. On fastbreaks, he leaked out for multiple dunks showing off his athleticism. Jaedyn is a big-time shooter/scorer who put on a show this past weekend.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="969431" first="Kadyn" last="Betts"] - PLUTO Prospects</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="969431" first="Kadyn" last="Betts"] helped lead his team to the 17U championship, showing off his ability to get buckets in various ways. From beyond the three-point arc, Kadyn has a consistent stroke and was able to shoot over any defender thrown at him. In the championship game, Kadyn went off knocking down three after three and hitting multiple daggers in crunch time to put the opposing team away. In the paint, Kadyn dominated using his big frame to box out, grab boards, and drop step threw defenders to finish at the rim. He also on fastbreaks showed off his ability to finish above the rim with flashy dunks on the fastbreak.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="973002" first="Peyton" last="Taylor"] - RoughRiders GIVE</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="973002" first="Peyton" last="Taylor"] is a small guard who was one of the best defenders at the tournament. Peyton is an elite athlete who has great instincts on the defensive end, he jumped passing lanes and used quick hands to get steals throughout the weekend and start fastbreaks. For a guard Peyton is a very good shot-blocker who makes momentum-changing blocks. Offensively, Peyton is a good point guard who can set up teammates with dish-off passes.</p> <p><strong>Davian Bryant - Colorado Miners</strong></p> <p>Davian Bryant more than held his own against some of the best big men prospects in Colorado. Davian is a great athlete standing at 6’7, who was great at finding the right spots on both ends of the floor. At the rim, Davian finished multiple high-energy dunks, even a few on top of defenders. On the defensive end, Davian was the best rim protector of the tournament who has great timing on blocking shots and scared smaller players away from the rim. </p> <p><strong>Joel Speckman - PLUTO Prospects</strong></p> <p>Joel Speckman once again has showed off his ability to be a versatile defender. Joel is a forward who can lock down opposing guards and wings, in the championship game he was tasked with guarding the opponent’s best guard and he did a great job locking him down. At the rim, he is also a solid rim protector who used his length to block shots when playing help defense. Offensively Joel played inside and out, knocking down set shots from the perimeter and taking advantage of match-ups, and finishing with post moves near the rim. </p>