Midwest Melee 17U All Tournament Teams

With a heavy lean towards the local Windy City prospects. The Midwest Melee produced a deep field from the entire Great Lakes Region. Following are the first and second all tournament teams from 17U division.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">First Team </h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1282464' first='Malachi' last='Johnson'] 6-3 Rockford Guilford (IL) Athletic combo guard led Greater Purpose to an undefeated record on the weekend. Did it in the gauntlet that was Pool A as well. Kicked the weekend off with 18 points in a victory against Team Rose 3SSB. Played well on Sunday. Handing a very good Indiana Game UA Rise squad it's only loss of the weekend. Speed and lateral quickness caused problems on the defensive end of the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='1158231' first='Justin' last='Sims'] 6-7 Chesterton (IN) A new addition to the Indiana Game UA Rise. Doesn't appear to need much time to get comfortable. Elite athleticism helps speed up the acclimation process. Lived at and above the rim all weekend. Smooth yet powerful elevation. Often dunking with ease. When he wasn't putting one down with force. Showed a soft touch around the basket. Covered a lot ground defensively. Had a few highlight reel rejections. Best game was a 19 point outing in a three point Saturday victory against Minnesota's Real Phenom.   [player_tooltip player_id='1295566' first='Devin' last='Tyda'] 6-1 Plainfield South (IL) Combo guard had an excellent weekend for Hoops 4 Health. Really stood out in a Saturday defeat to M14 Hoops Adidas Gold. Scored 23 points in that contest. However it was his Sunday play that pushed it over the top for me. In a nail biter played with composure and confidence. In the clutch stepped into the midrange and calmly sunk the game winner as time expired against Illinois Central Elite. Not the biggest guard but has some bounce. Good ball handler who gets to his spots easily on the perimeter. Showed good elevation and release point on a textbook jump shot.   Gytis Neverauskas 6-5 Downers Grove (IL) I was very impressed with this post's play last weekend in Indianapolis. Dominated a Michigan post player that I think highly of. I was curious to see how he played a little closer to home. Continued his strong play for Lituanica Basketball Academy. Had a really strong showing on Saturday against a good Closee Gyms squad (see below) Old school big who operated well out of the high post. Both in passing and scoring situations. Thick sturdy frame but is deceptively athletic. Isn't going to play above the rim. Made up for it with a quick second jump that allowed him to be a presence on the offensive glass. Good shooter from everywhere. Stretched the floor from beyond the arc. However also showed a soft touch around the rim and the ability to finish with both hands.   Samuel Hans 6-5 Lake County Lutheran (WI) Like Neverauskas also played well last weekend in Indianapolis. Did so again for Closed Gyms in Chicago. Hans is a big time shooter. Pick your new school basketball cliche. “Pick and pop” or “stretch 4”, or even at 6-5 “3 and D”. Whatever you choose he fits the criteria. Despite his size gets his feet set nicely and has a trigger quick efficient release. Honestly didn't shoot it as well this weekend as he did the weekend before. That being said showed off the other aspects of his well rounded game. Saved his best for last. A 30 point outing in a close victory over Michigan based UTS Elite.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Second Team </h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1764717' first='Camden' last='Cerese'] 6-3 Lake Park (IL) Along with [player_tooltip player_id='1282464' first='Malachi' last='Johnson'] led Greater Purpose to a perfect mark on the weekend. Highly competitive and aggressive player who did not back down from anyone. Exemplified in a thrilling Sunday morning contest with All In Athletics Rodell Gold. Hit a game winning three as time expired. Had 19 points in that contest. Like Johnson really got after it on the defensive end of the court. Has a well built and athletic frame that allows him to guard multiple positions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1965004' first='Sam' last='Lappin'] 5-10 Glenbrook South (IL) Small point guard had a big scoring weekend for All In Athletics Rodell Gold. Put up 25 in a close loss to Team Rose. Matched that in a Sunday victory over Florida based Team Chemistry. However in that contest really popped by showing his clutch gene. Hit a huge corner three in the waning seconds to give his team the dramatic come from behind victory. Not very big. That being said. That might have been the only glaring weakness I saw in his game. Did just about everything else well.   Daniel Smythe 6-3 Orchard Lake St Mary's (MI) Detroit area guard had an excellent weekend with Team Rose. One of the better shooters you will see anywhere. Did nothing to dispel that reputation this weekend. Nearly brought his squad back against Greater Purpose to open play. That was their only loss of the weekend. Had 19 points in that contest. Followed that with an excellent afternoon performance in a come from behind victory against All In Athletics Rodell Gold. Hit a deep game tying three that eventually set up the game winner.   Corey Lee 6-1 Oak Lawn (IL) Explosive combo guard had a huge weekend for ET21 Buckeyes. Might have had the performance of the weekend in a come from behind victory against Minnesota's Border Select. Got to basket at will to drop 29 clutch points. Despite only standing 6-1 was a true three level scorer. Good beyond the arc and in the midrange. However really stood out on drives. Attacked the basket with force. Was able to finish through contact and hang in the air off of penetration   [player_tooltip player_id='1157226' first='Josh' last='Pickett'] 6-5 West Aurora (IL) While Symthe was bombing away from three. Pickett owned the mid range and paint for Team Rose. Played a big role in the previously mentioned comeback against All In Athletics Rodell Gold. Had a big bucket late in the clutch. Really seemed to take his intensity up a notch in winning time. Especially on the offensive glass. Excellent elevation and thick athletic frame aided in that regard. Also made him a plus defender.

With a heavy lean towards the local Windy City prospects. The Midwest Melee produced a deep field from the entire Great Lakes Region. Following are the first and second all tournament teams from 17U division.