Friday Night Fantastic #PHTheLastDance

It is finally here! The Last Dance is well underway and Friday night was full of fantastic hoops. I took in games at the fabulous M14 Hoops Training Academy. I was there for the 17U action and saw many impressive players. Look below for the top performers from Friday evening.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/Lastdance-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/Lastdance-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1522008"/></a></figure>   FRIDAY NIGHT FANTASTIC   Wyatt Hawks |6’8 PF| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone   12 points and 9 rebounds. He was a force to be reckoned with in the paint. He was blocking shots, setting hard screens, rebounding, and scoring around the hoops. Hawks dominated in the first half. He posted and sealed hard around the basket. Wyatt was active on the glass he refused to be blocked out. He was very good in the screen-n-roll game. Hawks showed a soft finishing touch from a variety of angles. The BIG from White Bear Lake is hands down a next-level talent.   Raoul Vaidya |6’0 PG| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone   17 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. This stock riser had another high-quality game. Raoul can do it all and I loved how he always found his teammates when they had a hot hand. When things got stagnant, he created and scored. Vaidya had a masterful finish where he double-clutched and scored with impressive hangtime. He also showed nifty footwork in the paint. As usual, he produced at the rim with sweet finger rolls and he cashed in from the perimeter with his jumper. Vaidya moves his feet well on defense and I like how he got over the top of ball screens. Raoul’s step-back jumper is something to write home about and the way he manipulates the defense is awe-inspiring.   Aiden Johnson |6’6 F| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone   8 points and 14 rebounds. He was an absolute monster on the boards, especially on the offensive end. Johnson first stuck out because of his hustle, diving on the floor, and fighting for the ball. He was all-effort all the time. I loved how he moved his opponent underneath the hoop in hopes of grabbing an O-board. He ended up with 8 O-rebounds! When he was further out from the basket, Aiden was flying all over the place. With all those offensive rebounds, Aiden scored with putbacks. He can finish with both hands and Johnson is a tough character around the cup.   Cole Armitage |6’1 G| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone   17 points and 4/5 from beyond the arc. In the second half, it felt like Armitage was shooting his team to victory. He got hot and the Titans found him. Cole spaces the floor, spots up, and knocks it down. Cole normally runs with Northstar Titans Terhaar, but he was running with Stone’s squad tonight and Armitage helped out in a big way. It was an impressive performance from Mr. Armitage!   Kymani Merraro (2024) |5’9 PG| DC United 2023   16 points and 7-8 from the FT-line. He was a year younger compared to everyone else on the floor but you could not tell. Merraro was constantly beating his on-ball defender. He is a dangerous and slippery slasher. He was at the line often and he did not shy away from the BIGs from the Titans. Kymani made many impressive plays that included a 1-handed dime and a lefty finish in traffic. Merraro scored and dished assists when attacking. His squad lost but Kymani was outstanding.   Kyle Olebaygi |6’6 F| Illinois Twolves 2023   The first play I watched him make was a jackhammer SLAM. He took a hard fall in the first half but bounced right back. Kyle and his teammates made a great comeback in the 2nd half. He stands out as an athlete but he made multiple noteworthy passes. He completed crisp cross-court and diagonal passes to Twolves for buckets. I have watched Kyle play in the past and I thought of him as more of an explosive athlete, on Friday he showed off his court vision. He also did work on the glass and scored many buckets at the rim. Kyle is a tough and athletic player.   Kirk Lemons |5’11 G| Kentucky Vision Elite 2023   He first stuck out as a shooter with textbook shooting form. Lemons cashed in multiple triples. He also drove and kicked to teammates for good looks. Kirk showcased a sweet hesitation move, a weave through traffic, and a flawless lefty finger roll. He also threw a beautiful lob pass over the zone that a teammate flushed home for a bucket. Lemons is skilled but he is also a hustler. The Kentucky kid looked very good on Friday night!   Nikola Raic |6’6 PF| Fundamental U 2023   He was a key player in his double OT game. Nikola played hard and he is a tough/rugged player. I would not want to get in his way for a rebound or loose ball. Raic plays hard and aggressively! Nikola scored many buckets at the rim and he has a nose for the ball. When cutting and moving toward the rim, Raic showed great hands and he finished in traffic. I liked the looks of his footwork when stepping through two defenders for a score. His bank shot in overtime showed his soft touch. Raic is a tough and physical forward.   Collin McDonald |6’1 SG| Full Package 2023 Select   He helped his squad pick up a double-OT win! He looks and plays like a shooter but Collin is also an impressive athlete. When I first started watching his game, Collin went up and over an opponent for a rebound. This kid can get up! Later in the game, McDonald showed off a sweet stroke from the 3-point line. He moves well without the ball and shoots it with a nice stroke. Late in the game, Collin drove, drew contact, and got to the line. I like his game, McDonald is a player.   Aidan Chislom |6’5 F| Wisconsin Academy 2023 Slaby/Esters   He looks like a big and strong forward. However, he handles the ball like a guard and passes like a PG. He and Wisconsin Academy picked up a nice win on Friday. They moved the rock and shared the ball. Aidan is very unselfish. Multiple times he had good looks but passed the shot up and moved the ball for a great look. He also rebounded the ball well. Chislom is the real deal with a great feel for the game.   AC Strok |6’4 SG/SF| Wisconsin Academy 2023 Slaby/Esters   He is a baller, which was easy to see on Friday night. Strok scored many buckets in the paint. He is a productive and fluid slasher. I loved how he got to the rim, jump stopped, and finished with two feet. His reverse finish looked easy but it was a tough shot. AC avoided defenders and finished with his left hand, not to mention the extra spin he had to put on the ball for the bucket. Stok is a skilled and strong player that college coaches want to take a serious look at.

It is finally here! The Last Dance is well underway and Friday night was full of fantastic hoops. I took in games at the fabulous M14 Hoops Training Academy. I was there for the 17U action and saw many impressive players. Look below for the top performers from Friday evening.