Grit Memorial Classic: Mike’s Saturday 17 U Forward Standouts
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The Grit Memorial Classic brought wall to wall action on Saturday with standouts starting early in the morning and continuing late into the night. In this article some 17 U forwards who stood out will get the spotlight on their…
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Continue ReadingThe Grit Memorial Classic brought wall to wall action on Saturday with standouts starting early in the morning and continuing late into the night. In this article some 17 U forwards who stood out will get the spotlight on their performances on Saturday.
In what might’ve been my favorite game to watch of the day, Tommy Morgan Tommy Morgan 6’5″ | SF Brunswick | 2024 State OH was getting active for Midwest Basketball Club Cleveland in their overtime win over Corey Graham Elite. Morgan was knocking down shots from the perimeter and the wing forward was moving without the basketball to get open on cuts or beyond the arc. Another small detail that goes a long way in Morgan’s game is his defensive communication, calling out screens and switches for his guards. Midwest Basketball Club Cleveland had a perfect weekend in Columbus and Morgan was a big reason why.
While Cercone’s squad fell short in overtime, it wasn’t because of a lack of effort from Corey Graham Eltie. Their ball pressure and defensive activity got them back in the game and Cercone was being physical at both ends. Cercone grabbed a couple huge offensive rebounds and was productive all weekend for Corey Graham Elite. He also had a couple nice takes to the bucket off the bounce where he used the jump stop to get defenders off him to finish at the basket. A glue guy who is productive whenever he steps on the court, Cercone was one of my favorite players I watched all weekend.
A new name for me, Calloway-White was productive for Nova-Boyd in the first game of the day. An athletic forward who knocked down some perimeter shots, his shooting form was pure and Calloway-White let it fly with confidence. I also thought Calloway-White had a good body and a frame that can fill out under a college strength program. Reynoldsburg projects to be one of the top teams in central Ohio this upcoming season and Calloway-White could be a crucial piece to their puzzle.
Kuiper was making it rain from the outside as the wing forward has a quick release and knocked down open shots his teammates created for him. I caught both GGBC games on Saturday and Kuiper was active in both. The ball movement of GGBC allowed shooters like Kuiper to get open looks and knock them down with confidence. On the defensive end of the court, Kuiper had good length to close out on shooters and get in passing lanes.
Highlights
Austin Brookenthal
Austin Brookenthal
Brookenthal was active early, scoring 12 of his teams first 14 points against a Midwest Basketball Club squad. The unsigned senior was playing hard and scoring around the rim, earning an offer from Defiance after the game. Ohio Primetime used the dribble drive game to set Brookenthal up at the rim and he converted the looks created for him.
The last game of the night I watched featured Hudson’s Team Xcel squad that had an impressive weekend. Hudson was on a different level athletically from the competition with numerous blocks on the defensive end. With his size, he’s a force around the rim offensively and stepped out to knock down a few jumpers. His aggressiveness on the offensive end also earned him a couple early trips to the free throw line where he was able to build the lead for his team. A prospect to watch for scholarship programs, there’s a lot of long-term upside on Hudson. The duo on the interior he formed with Ethan Payne Ethan Payne 6’5″ | C Northridge | 2024 OH was tough to stop all weekend for Team Xcel.