Grit Region Finals: Saturday 17 U Afternoon Standouts

The Grit Region Finals brings the Prep Hoops Circuit to Indianapolis, in this article we'll break down five afternoon standouts from the 17 U action I caught.    A strong guard, Ruffin wants to get downhill off the dribble and score in the paint. Tough to stop when he lowers his shoulder and gets to the paint, Ruffin scored at the rim off two feet. A rhythm shooter, Ruffin hit a couple shots off the bounce that were contested as well. One of the more productive 2026 guards in the OCC, Ruffin has been a name to track in Central Ohio, playing up at the 17 U level this weekend continues to show his competitiveness and ability to produce against older competition.     In a heartbreaker for [program_tooltip program_id='2396390' first='Quality' last='Sports Academy'], I was impressed with Wakeel as he made some key plays down the stretch in a one-point loss to Midwest Burgett. Wakeel has good touch on floater shots and was efficient from the 5-12 foot range. I also thought Wakeel passed the ball at a high level, making plays for others when he drew help-side defense over to him. With his length, Wakeel has the tools to fight for offensive rebounds and one he grabbed led immediately to an layup for his teammate. Best in the open court, that's where Walnut Ridge will look to live this winter as Wakeel returns alongside a couple other major contributors as the Scots look to get back to the top of the city league south.     The best athlete I've watched this weekend, Terry was flying around on Saturday for Team Mayo. A Missouri football commit, it's really easy to see how his athleticism translates on both the gridiron and hardwood. Able to change speeds and directions in an instant, when Terry got a step on his defender it was an automatic bucket. Combine the speed and quickness with shot making off the dribble from Terry and he was tough to stop offensively. While his team was rolling into the quarterfinals, Terry dropped the dime of the day with a nasty behind the back bounce pass for an easy layup that got the crowd going crazy. Sit back and grab your popcorn when you watch Terry on the hardwood or gridiron because he can put on a show.     I thought Stewart was productive for Team Mayo and showed me versatility in his game. He started off attacking off the dribble and sitting in the dunker spot for layups, getting his first four or five buckets near the paint. Then in the second half when he settled in, Stewart started knocking down jumpers off the catch and bounce. Continuing to get comfortable as the game went on Stewart was tough to stop as a scorer and showed some intriguing flashes as a wing forward who can play either the 3 or the 4. His body and size gives him the ability to defend either position if he stays locked in on that end of the floor as well. A name to know from eastern Kentucky in the class of 2025.     The [program_tooltip program_id='2077028' first='North' last='Oakland Wolfpack'] dominated today with a balanced scoring effort from their team. I could've picked a handful of players but I went with their most physically imposing player which is Price-Parks. Immediately standing out due to his size, Price-Parks grabbed a lot of rebounds on both ends for his team. Showing off a little playmaking and perimeter skill, Price-Parks also made some sweet passes and showed off a high IQ for the game. With such dominant performances today, I hope to see [program_tooltip program_id='2077028' first='North' last='Oakland Wolfpack'] challenged against a team closer to their talent level as bracket play wraps up on Sunday.

The Grit Region Finals brings the Prep Hoops Circuit to Indianapolis, in this article we'll break down five afternoon standouts from the 17 U action I caught.