Grind Finals – 17U Top Guards Pt. 1

<p>The Prep Hoops Circuit regional finals happened all across the country over the weekend and in this post, we are focused on the Grind Region finals and specifically the 17U division. The 17U division took center stage at the Drive Nation facility in Dallas. After three days of great basketball, we’re breaking down some of the top prospects from that division over the weekend. As you see, this post is all about the guard position and it’s only part one of a three part feature on the top guards throughout the weekend. Stay locked into Prep Hoops for more coverage from the Grind Region Finals. In this post, we break down guards from Colorado, Louisiana and Texas.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921110" first="Archer" last="VanSickle"] - P.L.U.T.O. Prospects</strong></p> <p>One of the best shooters in Colorado is [player_tooltip player_id="921110" first="Archer" last="VanSickle"] and he was at it again this weekend with P.L.U.T.O. Prospects. Over the last several months, VanSickle has been solidifying his claim of being the top shooter from beyond the arc in Colorado and he’s been doing it all over the country. In one of their games we watched from start to finish, VanSickle was about as close to automatic as gets from beyond the arc. He would score almost all of his points specifically from beyond the arc. He was lights out earlier this month at another tournament. This was one of the top 17U teams in the tournament this weekend and they showed it by having different players stepping up in different games. In one of the games we watched, it was VanSickle once again being lights out from beyond the arc. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1453593" first="Josiah" last="Jackson"] - 3P Elite</strong></p> <p>One of the top scoring outputs I got a chance to see in person was on Saturday when 3P Elite rolled to a win on Saturday afternoon. Guard [player_tooltip player_id="1453593" first="Josiah" last="Jackson"] out of Texas got off to a fast start and would score 18 points by halftime as 3P Elite jumped out to a big lead and would not give it up. Jackson added eight more points in the second half and finished with a game-high 26 points in the win and he made it look easy. Jackson would not down a trio of three-pointers in the first half that helped them get a significant lead. Jackson would continue his stellar play in the second half and had a really strong tournament over the weekend. After talking with a few other writers for the site, even in games I didn’t get to see, Jackson was one of the top standouts at the guard position. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1145438" first="Kohen" last="Rowbatham"] - FIFA Elite</strong></p> <p>I was incredibly impressed with FIFA Elite every time I watched them throughout the weekend. Even though they didn’t walk away with the championship, they were one of the best teams at the event. This was a team that spaced the floor incredibly well and knew how to execute in the half court. Leading them throughout the weekend was 2024 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1145438" first="Kohen" last="Rowbatham"] out of Louisiana. He earned his way onto this breakdown as one of the top guards with a perfect blend of playmaking ability and shooting. We mentioned their spacing and Rowbatham was one of the top passers in the tournament but he also wasn’t shy about shooting. He showed plenty of range on his shot and would also drive to the basket and his physical build allowed him to finish despite receiving contact. </p> <p><strong>Tylar Hankamer - Dallas ShowTyme Elite UA</strong></p> <p>One of the first standouts that we watched in person throughout the weekend was Tylar Hankamer of Dallas ShowTyme Elite. After watching him early on Saturday, it’s not surprising that he would go on to help lead his team to the 17U division title over the weekend. One of the games on Saturday that we got to check out was when they won by 50 points. Hankamer would drop 24 points in the win and would knock down four three-pointers. He showed a great skillset throughout the afternoon on Saturday and that clearly continued on Sunday as they would win three games to capture the tournament title. This was a team that was pretty balanced from top to bottom but Hankamer was one of the top standouts on the championship team. </p>