Hustle Region Classic – 17U Top Forwards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hustle Region Classic featured plenty of competition in the 17U division. There was a solid group of guys at the event who project to either the backcourt or frontcourt at the college level. Here's a look at some of more forward/wings we watched on Saturday and Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1152489' first='Skyler' last='Schmidt'], More Than Hoop 2024 (2023 Central Catholic)</strong> - An eligibility ruling cost Schmidt his senior season back home in Oregon so he's making up for lost time this spring on the AAU Circuit. The 6-foot-8 wing/forward has reshaped his body while retaining the all-around skills that has made him a prospect for quite some time. At the event, he showed good touch on his shot, was able to create and finish off the dribble, and he really hit the boards hard on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1110583' first='Marley' last='Zeller'], More Than Hoop 2024 (2024 Central Catholic)</strong> - Zeller battled some injuries on the second day, but in the time he got on the court he impressed observers with his athleticism and shot-making ability. The 6-foot-5 swingman drained jumpers, made plays off the bounce, and finished strong at the rim. According to his club coach, some Division I programs in the Big Sky have been showing interest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1370666' first='Nolan' last='Keeney'], Players Only 16U (2025 Tualatin)</strong> - A tough matchup due to his solid frame at 6-foot-4 and his overall ball skills, Keeney <em>(pictured)</em> used not only mismatches but also his athleticism to get it done. In a huge win on Sunday, he pretty much did it all from scoring tough buckets inside, pulling down rebounds in traffic, and also finding open teammates with his interior passing. Keeney's future will be in football but he's a heckuva hoops player too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dylan Harms, Team RISE 2024 Elite (2023 Bella Vista)</strong> - Harms impressed us right away with his non-stop motor and aggressiveness on both ends. He looked to make plays both on and off the basketball and while he was relatively quiet offensively in the game we watched him, we later heard from his coach he caught fire with his three-point shot in an early Sunday morning contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1512101' first='Tai-run' last='Williams'], No Fear Elite 2024 (2023 Vanguard College Prep)</strong> - If we had a category for top athletes, Williams would have been right near the top of the list from this past weekend's event. His length and leaping ability led to some nasty slams above the rim but also contributed to a number of big boards and defensive plays as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1268437' first='Kwaje' last='Laila'], ProTech (2024 Franklin)</strong> - As usual Laila was his blue-collar self, using his strength to battle bigger players inside for scores and rebounds. But the rising senior also stepped outside to hit open threes and locked down on the defensive end. Our colleague Bruce Williams described him as a "PJ Tucker" type last year and the description still fits Laila well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1624504' first='Quincy' last='Scott'], Players Only 16U (2025 Grant)</strong> - Scott had an impressive weekend as he succesfully combined his athleticism with a nose for the ball. He finished the tournament as one of the likely leaders in rebounding and his ability to snare the board and immediately take it down the court was a spark in Players Only's transition game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Andrew Dearman, TC Elite 2024 (2023 Hanford)</strong> - Dearman was proficient in getting to spots where he could knock down shots from the perimeter, with his range extending beyond the three-point line. One of the bigger guys on TC Elite, he successfully utilized his solid 6-foot-4 frame to battle on the boards and defensively against opposing big men.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1738603' first='Noah' last='Neal'], Starts With U (2023 Oregon City)</strong> - Neal looked to spot up for three for the most part but was capable of putting the ball on the floor a bit when those opportunities weren't there. Where the 6-foot-6 unsigned senior made the most impact for his team was on the boards, where he showed great hustle on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1612217' first='Kane' last='Wood'], BDH Elite 2024 (2024 Seattle Christian)</strong> - Blessed with strength for his size, Wood was capable of finishing plays strong in the paint but also excelled at spotting up for corner threes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1565732' first='Nico' last='Rafalovich'], ProTech (2024 Jesuit)</strong> - Rafalovich has had an incredible spring so far, but an injured hip limited him to only a few minutes of action in the team's first game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->