AAU Roster Spotlight: Epic Elite UA Rise 17U

Returning to the Under Armour Rise Circuit for a second year, Epic Elite looks to continue off last season's success and compete as one of the better programs on the Under Armour Rise Circuit. Bringing in a new crop of talent for this year's 17U group mixed in with a few key returners from last year, Epic Elite looks to have an interesting blend of size, length, perimeter shot making, and versatility on both ends of the floor. Let's dive into some prospects that everybody should have their eyes on as Epic Elite gears up for this upcoming spring and summer.    A key returner, [player_tooltip player_id='2421326' first='Khalid' last='Ousmane'] brings an interesting blend of size, versatility, and athleticism to Epic Elite's frontcourt. Possessing good size and elite length, Ousmane brings not only rebounding ability and rim protection on the defensive end but also also defensive versatility— an ability to not only defend in the low post but also an ability to switch out onto guards and guard out on the perimeter. Offensively, Ousmane excels as a vertical lob threat in PnR while also being effective as a finisher out the dunker spot. As the season goes along, look for Ousmane to showcase more of his perimeter offensive skillset— specifically his ability to shoot it from three point range.     Operating as the primary ball handler for Epic Elite's 17U offense, look for Sagna to showcase his improving to be a floor general and set the table for this group's offense. Expected to handle most of the ball handling responsibilities, Sagna will look to provide steady playmaking and effectively get his teammates involved all while also continuing to use his quickness to showcase his ability to generate rim pressure both in transition and in halfcourt sets.     Will Meribe brings an interesting combination of size, athleticism, and versatility to Epic Elite's frontcourt. Using his length and athleticism, Meribe possesses the ability to guard multiple positions on the defensive end and shows flashes of rim protection. Offensively, look for Meribe to be effective not only as a finisher around the rim but also as a roller in PnR scenarios. Meribe possesses good footwork and soft hands and that'll be on full display in Epic Elite's offensive sets this spring and summer.     A marksmen from three point range, Alex Sadek will look to really space the floor for this 17U group and showcase his perimeter shooting ability. An excellent shooter, particularly off the catch, Sadek possesses a fluid and smooth shooting stroke. Look for Sadek to excel primarily off the ball, getting open three point looks within the flow of Epic Elite's offense throughout the course of this spring and summer.     Expected to be a key piece for Epic Elite at the guard/ wing position, Sam Owusu-Adoumi brings a unique combination of shot making and secondary ball handling to this 17U group. The athletic combo guard is an excellent perimeter shooter who is also capable of making shots off the bounce from different spots on the court. Defensively, Owusu-Adoumi brings athleticism and length and looks to be effective pressuring the ball at the POA.     Another guard that excels as a floor spacer, looks for [player_tooltip player_id='2672287' first='Riley' last='Gill'] to bring his perimeter shooting ability— particularly off the catch to Epic Elite's offense. Another returner for this 17U group, Gill possesses a compact release and will look to play within himself and display much of that ability in the flow of Epic Elite's offense throughout this spring and summer. Defensively, Gill is scrappy and a pesky defender— look for him to relentlessly pressure the ball on the perimeter and be a disruptive defender at the POA.     Possessing an ability to be a strong paint presence on the interior, look for [player_tooltip player_id='1472516' first='David' last='Ekhelar'] to provide nice depth to the this 17U group's frontcourt. Ekhelar brings rebounding on the offensive and defensive glass, finishing ability around the basket, all while also showing flashes of being an effective rim protector on the defensive end of the floor.     Expected to be a key contributor to Epic Elite's 17U backcourt and provide necessary depth at the guard and wing position, [player_tooltip player_id='2621316' first='Matthew' last='Kennedy'] is a strong bodied combo guard that brings steady perimeter shooting, particularly off the catch. With a nice and compact release, Kennedy will look to provide additional floor spacing to this 17U group's offense. Look for Kennedy's ability to knock down open shots from three point range to be on full display throughout the course of this spring and summer.

Returning to the Under Armour Rise Circuit for a second year, Epic Elite looks to continue off last season's success and compete as one of the better programs on the Under Armour Rise Circuit. Bringing in a new crop of talent for this year's 17U group mixed in with a few key returners from last year, Epic Elite looks to have an interesting blend of size, length, perimeter shot making, and versatility on both ends of the floor. Let's dive into some prospects that everybody should have their eyes on as Epic Elite gears up for this upcoming spring and summer.