Exciting 17u Prospects from Big Shots Virginia Horizon Tip-Off
The 17u Division did not skip a beat in terms of excitement at the Big Shots Ralph Sampson Virginia Horizon Tip-Off that took place March 25th and 26th in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Over the weekend, I got my eyes on some…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 17u Division did not skip a beat in terms of excitement at the Big Shots Ralph Sampson Virginia Horizon Tip-Off that took place March 25th and 26th in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Over the weekend, I got my eyes on some extremely talented individuals. They loaded every game with highlight plays and a high level of effort from every squad. Let’s dive in and analyze the electric performances of these individuals.
Anthony Montiel
Anthony Montiel
Anthony Montiel looked like a top dog for Hill City Crash throughout the weekend. The 6-foot-3 guard plays an extremely effective game. He opened up their match up against the Local Legends with a catch & shoot three-pointer with good form to show that he’s a threat early. He demonstrated his trust in himself with the ball in pressure situations, making excellent decisions on the court and looking for the best shot opportunity. He can be patient and play at his own pace against full court presses as he keeps a tight handle on the ball and rarely gets sped up.
Ibrahim Gati
Ibrahim Gati
Ibrahim Gati lead the nation in blocks in high school with 11 blocks per game and if you thinking that’s the only bright spot to his game then you’ll be corrected when he puts up an easy 15 efficient points to go along with his pile of blocked shots. At 6-foot-9, Gati plays with an extremely high motor. He can get out in transition to finish fastbreak opportunities and can recover or rotate quickly in the half court for defensive stops. Gati’s offensive game stretches out to the mid range area where he can hit face-up jumpers, turnaround jumpers, or take slower defenders off the dribble to create shots for himself at the rim. On a couple of different occasions, we saw Gati display his high motor on defense by blocking multiple shots in single defensive possessions. His presence was felt anywhere inside the three-point line this past weekend.
Elias Carter
Elias Carter
Carter got things done on both ends this past weekend in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The versatile guard played much bigger than his 6-foot-3 height may suggest. He was able to hold his own in the paint against bigger attacking players. On the perimeter, he guarded the ball with discipline as he keeps his stance wide and his hands active. He was able to contain speedy-guards by moving his feet, not biting on fakes and keeping his arms up and wide. On the offensive end, Carter displayed an extremely efficient play-style and toolbox, as he was able to score on all three-levels and made some eye-opening dimes.
Kyir Pendleton
Kyir Pendleton
Pendleton, at 6-foot-6 was able to get things done on both ends of the court this past weekend. He has good positional size that he pairs with his jump-out-the-gym athleticism to play above the rim and dominate the paint. On the offensive end, Pendleton has some playmaking tools as well as the ability to get downhill and score for himself with or without the ball. On several occasions, Pendleton was able to get down hill for rim-rattling dunks or strong finishes at the rim by catching the ball on the move. He was very effective diving to the rim and cutting into open space when operating off-ball. On the defensive end, Pendleton was a key difference maker with his fearlessness and ability to recover or get back on defense promptly. His defensive awareness and ability to rotate to stop a drive was on display when he rotated over to draw the charge call on the out-of-control ball handler.
Tremayne Hawkins
Tremayne Hawkins
Hawkins played with high IQ on the offensive end all throughout the weekend. The 6-foot-4 wing was a dominant force in transition and someone who you need to give a ton of attention to in fastbreak situations. Hawkins did a great job of getting out in transition and finishing at the rim, no matter what the defense threw at him. He was able to finish with acrobatic layups to avoid the defenses contests as well as draw fouls at the rim to get to the free throw line for two easy points. On the defensive end, he did a good job of forcing misses without fouling, as well as stunting at ball handlers on drives to force loose balls and turnovers.