Jayhawk Jam: 17U All Stars First Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a tough task to pick an all-star team from the 17Us at the Jayhawk Jam at Lawrence this weekend. Some really good players got left off the first and second teams we selected at the close of the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In order to accommodate as many good players as possible, we eliminated 2023s from consideration. They will be recognized in a separate article. Same with 2025s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the 2024 17U First Team All Stars from the Jayhawk Jam (be sure to check out the Second Team in a separate article!):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G – <strong>Barron Duda</strong>, 6-foot-2 guard, Webb City High School, Missouri 66ers:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Duda is a battler. He played with intensity and grit in some tough games. He is a physical guard who handles the ball under pressure, using his size and superior strength to protect the ball and get where he wants. He has unlimited range and hit a ton of big shots from deep. He can get in the paint to make plays, and his strength and size is too much for smaller guards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G -<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2390516' first='Noah' last='Johnson']</strong>, 6-foot-3 guard, 2024, Lewis-Palmer High School, 7070 Athletics Elite:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On a really good team, it was tough to pick just one all star. Johnson gets the nod for his versatility from the guard spot. He hit from deep, drove and dished, defended and did just about everything for a balanced team. His length and physicality made him a unique perimeter player at Lawrence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F - <strong>Cole Smidt</strong>, 6-foot-5 forward, 2024, Lee's Summit High School, Taylor Made Athletes:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big man who can shoot, Smidt was big all weekend. Another guy who stood out on a balanced and deep team, Smidt finished with power in the paint, rebounded and defended with great hands and strength. But he really posed problems when he drew defenders out by dropping threes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F - <strong>Romeo Hall</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Wagner High School, Arnold Elite National Rouche (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arguably the best player in the 17U division at Lawrence, Hall was dominant. His smooth style can appear effortless, but he played with a chip on his shoulder in tight games. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the goal, and he has every move in the book in the paint. Hall was dominant as a rim protector, thwarting opponents in the paint all weekend. Hall shoots at a high percentage from the midrange and can handle the ball well for a power forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>C – <strong>Alex Riddick</strong>, 6-foot-7 center, 2024, Grandview High School, Prolific Elite:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From a purely physical standpoint, Riddick stood out in the Jayhawk Jam. He's a long, high rising big who was a nightmare on defense for opponents. He moves well and can help off on drivers when they get to the paint. Offensively, he worked hard to track down misses and got a ton of second-chance points. Riddick effortlessly throws down with two hands from a standing start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->