Team Thrill's strong finish

As the AAU season comes to a close, the respective circuits hosted their final event over the course of the week. It was an outstanding weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill'], as all three age groups (15s, 16s and 17s) all advanced to the UAA Finals game. The 16s and 17s prevailed while the 15s battled against a good Canada Elite squad and came up just short. Nevertheless, it was a clear representation that the UAA Circuit runs through Baltimore. For this article, we'll highlight who stood out in the title games.   17s   It was a low scoring game as Thrill escaped with a 51-49 overtime victory over West Coast Elite-NorCal. Leading the way was 2024 five-star forward [player_tooltip player_id='1089573' first='Derik' last='Queen'], who used his elite footwork operating in the paint and mid-post to find his way to the basket for scores. All week long he was operating in this fashion where he'd get his man on an island and use an array of half-spins, pump-fakes or up-and-unders to create advantage and angles for himself in a high-level manner. 14 of his 18 points in the title game came in the second half and overtime periods.   2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id='957059' first='Austin' last='Abrams'] had a productive week and helped chip in with nine points. The 6-foot-3 guard is known as a sharpshooter, but showed progress on the defensive end containing tough assignments such as 2023 Elmarko Jackson on their journey to the championship.   2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id='957020' first='Mike' last='Williams'] had a quiet game to his standards finishing with just six points, but was exceptional throughout the week to lift his team to this point. The 6-foot-3 lead guard is improving with his balance of knowing when to look for his own scoring opportunities and how to effectively set up others.   2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id='954641' first='Rihards' last='Vavers'] is another three-point marksman on this Thrill squad. He finished this game with 10 points, six of which came from deep as he acted as a valuable floor spacer to help others such as Williams, 2023 Eli Rice and 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1362693' first='DJ' last='Dormu'] take advantage of driving lanes and limited help when he was on that particular side of the floor.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Harris-Jadyn-Head-Shot.png"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Harris-Jadyn-Head-Shot-300x225.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1424501"/></a></figure>   16s   The 16s took down a talented Middlesex Magic group 58-52 to take home the crown in yesterday's finals. They were led by the efforts of 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1259625' first='Jadyn' last='Harris'], 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1259624' first='Chance' last='Mallory'] and 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1367577' first='Luke' last='Bamgboye'].   Harris was tremendous both as a scorer and rebounding presence. The 6-foot-6 wing/forward has made steady improvement with his perimeter game and his confidence working off the dribble. While his offensive skill set is blossoming, he hasn't allowed that to impact his effort on closing down the glass or guarding multiple positions effectively on the defensive end.   Mallory is known for his outside shooting skill, but it was his ability to get into the paint, draw contact and convert at the free-throw line that proved so valuable against Middlesex. He scored 10 of his 14 points from the charity stripe. His 14 points came in the second half and were critical in his team ultimately getting a win.   Bamgboye has put more folks on notice over the summer, but he still isn't getting the credit that I believe he deserves for impacting the game as much as he does on both ends. The 6-foot-9 forward comes with a dependable motor that is evident during his rim-runs in transition, elite instincts and timing as a shot blocker all while proving himself as a consistent lob threat on the offensive end. The ceiling for Bamgboye is high and now that word is out, I expect him to be high on power five radars this coming high school season.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Tyler-Jackson.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Tyler-Jackson-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1434015"/></a></figure>   15s   The 15s suffered a tough loss in the final game against Canada Elite, but were impressive throughout the week especially in a tight-knit battle against [program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier'] in the Final 4 game. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1370503' first='Tyler' last='Jackson'] has established himself as a legititmate three-level scorer with 22 points, 18 of which came in the second half. Jackson has the skill to take whatever the defense is giving him. He's a capable shooter off the catch, can create space for himself in the mid-range while pulling up on the stop of a dime or make his way to the basket while embracing contact and finishing strongly.   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1371863' first='Omarr' last='Smith'] is one of the best shooters that folks on a national level have yet to know and he proved why once again in the matchup against Premier as he canned four triples on his way to 16 points. He doesn't need much time and space to get his shot off. Smith has good footwork coming off pin-downs or fade screens and has the confidence and ability to hit 2-to-3 in a row. He's a guy the defense always needs to be aware of and like Vavers for the 17s, provides valued floor-spacing.   2025 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1370502' first='Jeff' last='Exinor'] is a jack of all trades and stuffs the stat sheet thanks to his physical traits, competitive mindset and overall skill set. Exinor contributed with 10 points in the win over Premier and was at his best working inside where he uses his football mentality to bully opponents and finish lay-ups. He's a swiss army knife on the defensive end given his ability to bang with strong bigs down low while also having the elusiveness to keep up with quick, shifty guards outside.

As the AAU season comes to a close, the respective circuits hosted their final event over the course of the week. It was an outstanding weekend for Team Thrill , as all three age groups (15s, 16s and 17s) all advanced to the UAA Finals game. The 16s and 17s prevailed while the 15s battled against a good Canada Elite squad and came up just short. Nevertheless, it was a clear representation that the UAA Circuit runs through Baltimore. For this article, we'll highlight who stood out in the title games.