Summer Challenge: Teddy’s Saturday Notebook (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Exciting Guard-Duo on Corey Graham Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From Western New York, Corey Graham Elite (UAA) made its way to the Summer Challenge in Chicago this weekend. It was a pair of guards that really stole the show in their opening matchup. The first is Nick Moore. He's a dynamic floor general with a wide range of abilities. The first thing he does well is create his own shot. He began the game with a pair of midrange jumpers by creating space off the dribble. He also showed excellent long-range ability, knocking down five triples in the contest. Another aspect of his game I like is his vision. He converted a pair of no-look assist to go along with terrific vision in the open floor. Reads defenses well and knows exactly when to get his teammates involved or create shots. Another prospect, [player_tooltip player_id='1379224' first='Jaiden' last='Harrison'], is a lengthy 6'3” guard who made big plays defensively in the second half. He also showed plenty of speed in the open floor to get to the hoop and create points consistently throughout the game. [player_tooltip player_id='1379224' first='Jaiden' last='Harrison'] ended with 13 points while Nick Moore scored 23 as Corey Graham elite broke free in the second half. Winning 72-47 in their opening contest this weekend.  Forward Nicco Digulio also scored 12 points and showed off some nice bounce at the rim. A very strong build allowed him to hit tough inside buckets and get it done defensively too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1522301' first='Alec' last='Schmidts'] is an Impact Player for Big 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Against UAA's Corey Graham Elite, Big 3 2024 SG [player_tooltip player_id='1522301' first='Alec' last='Schmidts'] had a standout performance. He's got an enticing build for someone at his position. He stands 6'4” with an athletic frame, decent upper body strength and strong mobility. He buried four three's in the opening half. Showing off a quick, smooth release in the process. A couple of those three's were contested fadeaway shots in the corner. In the second half, he had a bugger presence in the defense and rebounding categories. An above-average wingspan allowed him to create several turnovers and win the rebound battle inside. He scored 14 points Saturday morning in a tough matchup to CGE.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mac Irvin 16U Dominates Chi Hoops</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16U Mac Irvin Fire played their first game of their Peach Jam warmup against Chi Hoops. The Chi Prep and Rockford native duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1157224' first='Mike' last='Jones'] and Tristan Ford controlled the tempo early. Ford showed off a impressive burst to the rim early. Drawing a pair of fouls and hitting all four free throws. After that, he extended his range and knocked down two catch-and-shoot three's to reach double figures early. He hit his third off a screen from [player_tooltip player_id='1157224' first='Mike' last='Jones'] and he was up to 14 points. Speaking of Jones, he was also a big factor from the start too. He was all over the boards defensively and pushed the ball up the floor at a high rate, also picking up assists. He even showed his athletic abilities with a transition slam and some blocked shots in the beginning of the contest. They were up more than 20 points to begin the second half as others started getting in on the action. Alex Alston used his excelent length to pick-pocket defenders and had a driving slam in transition early on.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1385296' first='Yaris' last='Irby'] also showed plenty of craft with the ball and created plenty of scoring chances for himself. Davion Hannah, forced tough shots defensively and turned that into points on the other end. He hit a contested three, converted an and one, and had a euro-step finish down the lane. [player_tooltip player_id='1157224' first='Mike' last='Jones'] continued to shine. He hit a pull-up jumper and showed tremendous skill with a 180-dunk driving baseline. He also displayed excellent strength on the block for a couple more buckets and converted big rebounds on defense. The Fire dominated for a 78-32 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Greater Purpose 2025 Guards Excite Me</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite a show start against Michigan's “The Process,” crafty guard play from Greater Purpose made this an enticing contest. 5'11” PG [player_tooltip player_id='2105292' first='Ben' last='Schneider'] drew an and-one early and displayed excellent ball handling abilities. Constantly driving around defenders and showing a smooth touch at the rim. Another small guard I loved was [player_tooltip player_id='1295495' first='Nathan' last='Nano']. Like Schneider, he's a terrific ball handler and out dribbled numerous defenders to start the game. He also hit a heavily contested layup and showed blazing speed up the floor. Jesean Frye and [player_tooltip player_id='1598652' first='Anestis' last='Hadjistamoulou'] hit a pair of three's in the opening half too. Frye is a lengthier prospect with the build and potential to be an outstanding shooting guard. While Hadjistamoulou is an excellent shot creator who can score from all three levels and create space from defenders with the ball. He started the second half with a midrange pull-up and an assist to an open teammate to cut the lead in half. Shortly after, he faked out a defender near the block for an easy layup at the rim. An assist to an open [player_tooltip player_id='2105292' first='Ben' last='Schneider'] allowed GPA to regain the lead in a matter of minutes. The game continued to remain tight throughout the second half with &nbsp; Hadjistamoulou hitting another pair of three's. In the final minute, SG Jayden Rodriguez drained a big time triple in the corned to tie the game and force OT. His third triple of the contest. They won 67-64 in OT with Hadjistamoulou scoring the go-ahead bucket.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->