The Match Up: JL3 vs Team Griffin
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Nike’s final regular season stop for the EYBL kicked off Saturday morning in Memphis. The 8 AM slot was filled with an overtime thriller between the 17U programs for JL3 and Team Griffin. A score at the rim as the…
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Continue ReadingNike’s final regular season stop for the EYBL kicked off Saturday morning in Memphis. The 8 AM slot was filled with an overtime thriller between the 17U programs for JL3 and Team Griffin. A score at the rim as the buzzer sounded in the fourth quarter by Dylan Warlick Dylan Warlick 6'6" | SF Edmond North | 2024 State #226 Nation OK of Team Griffin forced overtime. But JL3 would prevail in the extra period. Here’s a breakdown of the top performers from the closely contested game.
The floor general for JL3 was lethal in the mid-range during their Saturday morning victory. He did a lot of his damage in pick and roll situations, often partnering with Jacobesen. But even in iso situations, he has a tight handle and wiggle that allows him to put defenders on their heels, which created enough space for him to thrive in the mid-range. While some of the size did impact his finishing at the rim, he did break out a nice floater and made gritty plays around the rim. This extended to the defensive end, as when he was mismatched on a post up late, he fought through the opponent and stole the entry pass.
About the only knock on him today, was the two free throws he missed. He went 6-8 from the line, but both misses came in the final minute with a 1 point lead. Still, a 25 point and 13 rebound complete performance and victory is a great start to the weekend for Simmons
There likely could be a montage of photos of “how did Dylan Warlick Dylan Warlick 6’6″ | SF Edmond North | 2024 State #226 Nation OK score that?” this spring. After a 17 point, 8 rebound and 5 assist performance, the Edmond North Husky now has finishes over a 7 footer in that photo montage. He continued to battle through contact for putbacks and physical finishes. While even promisingly hitting from distance on a catch and shoot look. Warlick’s ability to find way to produce around the rim is prolific, but trusting his three point shot more is crucial for his development as a next level prospect.
Highlights
A true 7 footer, the upside is obvious. Jacobsen proved exceptionally nimble as a roll man for a player as his height. He also was mobile when crashing the glass, especially on the offensive end. He recorded half of his 10 rebounds on the offensive glass. While at times his skinny frame struggled with physicality, he seemed to grow with and improve as a battler throughout the game.
Highlights
After missing much of the spring with an injury, Ford is back and providing much needed help on the glass. He has a great combination of strength and jumping ability when it comes to making contested rebounds and finishing with authority on the offensive end. Ford even had an end to end take when he corralled a defensive board and was presented a lane to push it.
The sharpshooter from south Texas shot it well in the first half, first he was connecting from catch and shoot opportunities. But later on he showed that he could punish defenders who went under/didn’t stay attached on ball screens. Dotson’s shooting cooled off in the second half, but he still shot 40% from the field on the day, and looks to be heating up for a JL3 squad that is likely headed to the Peach Jam in July.
Highlights
The big man in the middle from Union always brings an extra element to a smaller Griffin squad. It usually only comes in spurts, as the speed at this level can lead to issues but with his huge frame, long arms, and soft touch he is automatic around the rim. An example came today when he checked in to end the third and got a crucial score in the close contest. There’s usually a few times throughout a weekend that scoring spurts for “Big E” with Griffin can change games, which is impressive consider this is the highest level of grassroots basketball.