Grit Region Kick-Off ~ 15U Top Two-Way Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops Grit Region Kick-Off was a loaded event with teams from Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Grit Region Kick-Off was hosted at MidAmerica Sports Center in Louisville, Kentucky. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">15U Top Two-Way Guard Performances</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyreke Ruffin | 6'0'' | Quality Sports Academy 2026 | Groveport Madison (Ohio) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ruffin is a hard-nosed guard that played with pace and purpose throughout the weekend. Not the fastest guy on the court but did a great job shifting gears. His anticipation on defense was the most impressive attribute. He was moving all over the court getting deflections in the paint, along the perimeter and in the press. We also appreciated how he crashed inside for rebounds. Guards that commit to rebounding, especially on the defensive end, are highly coveted!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1874794' first='Phillip' last='Grimes III']</strong> | 5'10” | Lexington Eagles 2026 | Scott County (Kentucky)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensively, Grimes can flat fill it up. He can catch and shoot from the perimeter. He can bring it inside and drop a soft-touch floater. We also saw him nail the step-back mid-game jump shot showing the evolution of his game. Defensively, he caught our attention with his read-and-react in the passing lanes. Live ball turnovers are plentiful in the spring/summer. It is a great way to get your offensive going and a skill that will translate in the fall/winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yon Kinzer | 5'11” | THE MOVEMENT - PLATINUM | Smyrna (Tennessee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kinzer immediately stands out because of his agility and bounce on the defensive end. He is an athletic, wirey guard that gave ball handlers fits all weekend. Although more raw and unpolished as a true scorer, he opened the floor for his teammates by driving the paint and finding open shooters.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>James Bradley Jr | 5'10” | UpNext 2026 | Hopkinsville (Kentucky)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bradley is another player that plays at his pace. He won't outrun you but he can slide past you by using hesitations and shakes to create space. You can tell he plays in the 2nd region by his grimy defense. Bradley guards the ball with physicality and isn't afraid to gamble on your crossover. UpNext has a team full of defenders - Bradley was definitely the stand-out.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Diego Dixon | 5'9” | DNA Basketball INDY 2026 | Pike High School (Indiana)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DNA Indy is a group that brought a lot of talent to Louisville. When they play together as a unit, they are locking you up on defense and splashing 3s. Dixon was one of the primary contributors on both ends. Although their rotation is still a work in progress, we liked what we saw from Dixon during his time on the court.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Albert Gooden | 6'0'' | Team F.E.E.D. Sports Inc. 2026 | Lawrence Central (Indiana)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/2023/04/grit-region-kick-off-15u-all-tourney-team/">See All-Tourney Team </a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roosevelt Franklin | 5'8” | All In Sports Academy 2026 | Indiana Math And Science Academy (Indiana)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/2023/04/grit-region-kick-off-15u-all-tourney-team/">See All-Tourney Team</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Make sure you are following @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN"><strong>PrepHoopsTN</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsMO"><strong>PrepHoopsMO</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsIL"><strong>PrepHoopsIL</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsoh"><strong>PrepHoopsOH</strong></a><strong>, @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsin"><strong>PrepHoopsIN</strong></a><strong> &amp; @</strong><a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsky"><strong>PrepHoopsKY</strong></a><strong> on Twitter for weekly top games and weekend top performers!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->