An April with BMaze UAA 17u

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='1642603' first='Owen' last='Lentz']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perennial AAU power program BMaze hosted their annual event to open April in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Of course, they dominated, but it enabled PrepHoopsTN a chance to see a few 2026's and a lot of 2025's in the orange and navy uniforms.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">BMaze 17u Roster</span><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2281187' first='Jaiden' last='Pugh'] (Cane Ridge)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1642603' first='Owen' last='Lentz'] (Knoxville Webb)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1659513' first='Christopher' last='Washington Jr.'] (Providence Christian Academy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team was loaded with 2025's and they will be omitted from this article only because they will all be committed or signed by the end of May. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Guard<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2281187' first='Jaiden' last='Pugh'] </strong>is a great athlete from Antioch, Tennessee. He lives just outside of Nashville and bounded around the floor for Cane Ridge High's Ravens. The Class of 2026 unit for Cane Ridge is very strong and Pugh is the best prospect of the bunch. At #27, Pugh is ranked at his highest to date.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Former @PrepHoopsTN Combine Defensive MVP <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1642603' first='Owen' last='Lentz']</strong> helped Knox Webb win the State Tournament last month. Lentz will be a college point guard, most likely at a high-academic DII university. Elite defense. Incredible basketball I.Q. Hard worker. Perfect teammate. Low ego. Confident. Grinder. Shooter. Can pass and lead, if needed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His only shortcoming is his size. Owen is a toned 6-foot-0. In a brutal matchup in late December, Lentz and his Knox Webb Spartans struggled with the size and strength of Calvary Christian (FL). Lentz finished that loss with seen points, three rebounds, and three assists. He made 2-7 3's as the Spartans chased the game late. Owen can be everything a coach wants with the exception of standing 6-foot-4. That is his limiting factor and the only reason he will not begin his college career as a D1 point guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both Chowan (D2) and Lees-McCrae (S2) have offered Owen. Lentz' older brother,<strong> Luke Lentz</strong> played college basketball for University of Alabama-Huntsville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last summer [player_tooltip player_id='1642603' first='Owen' last='Lentz'] averaged 13.7 ppg and finished as the fifth most efficient scorer (1.04 PPP) in the entire Under Armour Association! TSWA named Owen All-State this spring. BCAT named Owen All-State too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1659513' first='Christopher' last='Washington Jr.']</strong> also won a State Championship. Washington Jr. transferred from Florida before the season and paired with [player_tooltip player_id='2292618' first='Preston' last='Wade'] in the most domineering frontcourt in recent memory. Washington Jr. just leapfrogged two players to earn the #1 ranking Tuesday. He is an elite leaper with tremendous upside. The outside shot remains his biggest weakness, but plenty of HM programs are ok with it and offered already.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I got Jacksonville University, Bethune, Stetson, Texas A&amp;M, Auburn, Missouri, West Virginia, WKU, Michigan, Illinois, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Cal, Maryland, Tennessee, Cincinnati, USF, Clemson, Louisville," shared Chris Washington Jr. via phone in the final week of April.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It would be an upset if Washington Jr. does not win Mr. Basketball next March.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->