RYZE Battle for Georgia: 17u Standouts

<p>RYZE Hoops hosted the Battle for Georgia this weekend, bringing together the top programs in Georgia for one tournament to ultimately crown Georgia’s best team at each level. Needless to say, some of the state’s top talent was in the building. These are a couple of guys that stood out to me with their performances in the 17u division.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/IMG_3694-rotated-crop-1980x1301-1656884255.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1501162 alignnone" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/IMG_3694-rotated-crop-1980x1301-1656884255-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></strong></p> <p><strong>2023 6’9 F Sean Cusano - Atlanta Timberwolves</strong></p> <p>Sean Cusano is the perfect stretch 4. Cusano is a knockdown shooter from 3 and uses his high release to get his shot off over smaller defenders. He paired nicely with Domas Kauzonas in the front court and was able to space the floor well for the Atlanta Timberwolves. He’s not afraid to fight inside for loose balls and has shown that he can play inside or out. Cusano will be able to impact the game at the D1 level and should see several offers headed his way soon. </p> <p><strong>2023 6’3 G [player_tooltip player_id="957136" first="Saulamon" last="Evans"] - Game Elite</strong></p> <p>Evans is a 6’3 two-way guard that knows how to score the ball and does so at a high volume. He’s an excellent 3-point shooter and hit several throughout the weekend, both off the dribble and the catch. Whenever he’s got the ball in his hands, Evans is a threat to score the ball or create instant offense. Evans also has impressive size and strength for the position. [player_tooltip player_id="957136" first="Saulamon" last="Evans"] could certainly be the spark plug scoring threat that a lot of college programs are looking for.</p> <p><strong>2023 6’6 F Nate Speaks - Wood Elite</strong></p> <p>Nate Speaks is a player that I’ve become a big fan of over the summer. Speaks does all the dirty work for Wood Elite, providing lots of grit and toughness inside. He doesn’t shy away from contact and is physical down low against opposing bigs, regardless of their size or stature. He contests shots well, deflecting several shot attempts throughout the weekend. Speaks is also aggressive on the boards and fights hard for loose rebounds. While Speaks may not get the D1 looks that some of his teammates will, he could definitely be a high-impact forward at the D2 or D3 level.</p> <p><strong>2023 6’0 G [player_tooltip player_id="1020693" first="Ashton" last="Pennamon"] - Atlanta Xpress</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1020693" first="Ashton" last="Pennamon"] is a talented guard prospect that really impressed over the weekend playing for the Atlanta Xpress. Pennamon plays in the backcourt alongside 5-star [player_tooltip player_id="820274" first="Stephon" last="Castle"] for both Newton and the Xpress so he’s often limited in his role. Yet, I think Pennamon can be a great ball-dominant guard as well. He’s got a quick handle and changes pace extremely well. When left open, Pennamon consistently knocks down the 3 ball. He navigates well in the pick &amp; roll game and doesn’t try to force too much. [player_tooltip player_id="1020693" first="Ashton" last="Pennamon"] is certainly a player to keep an eye on over the next year.</p> <p><strong>2023 6’1 G [player_tooltip player_id="1223225" first="Jeremiah" last="Holloway"] - TSF</strong></p> <p>This weekend, [player_tooltip player_id="1223225" first="Jeremiah" last="Holloway"] proved to be a volume scorer that can get his points in a variety of ways. He exploded for 28 points in statement win against the talented Atlanta Celtics and ended the weekend averaging over 17 PPG. He heats up quick and can create his own looks from all 3 levels. Holloway is twitchy as a ball-handler and plays well in space. After starting July with a bang, Holloway should garner lots of attention throughout the next month.</p>