MADE Hoops East Warmup: Ari's Saturday 17U Frontcourt Standouts

MADE Hoops continued its Northeast spring event season with its East Warmup event kicking off Friday night at Spooky Nook in PA, featuring hundreds of teams from the MADE circuits, the EYBL, and beyond. See below for a handful of frontcourt prospects who caught the eye on Saturday with their play in the 17U division.    Among the top unsigned senior forwards in the country, Vlajic suited back up with 6th Boro Hoops on the grassroots circuit to give coaches and scouts one last look at all he brings to the table. A skilled Serbian forward who's been in the U.S. less than a year, Vlajic plays with an IQ and versatility that's customary of the European game. He erupted on Saturday with his perimeter jumper, showcasing a dynamic stroke from the frontcourt with versatility across all sorts of actions. Vlajic mixed it up by getting into the post against mismatches while also showcasing his ball skills and passing ability in specific situations. There's justifiable questions about his defensive fit at the next level, but it's no wonder why mid majors have been flocking Vlajic's way since his decommitment from Fordham.     Making his spring AAU debut on the 17U level after shining last summer with Melo's 16s, the uber-talented Foster led a dominant showing with his diverse two-way skillset. With his motor running hot, Foster was flying around on the backline as part of a stifling team defensive effort before getting out in transition to showcase his fluidity and athleticism as both a ballhandler and finisher. What puts Foster over the top as a prospect is his range and versatility as a shooter, which he displayed on a variety of jumpers out to 3 with a number of them coming off the dribble. When he's locked into doing the little things like he was on Saturday, there's few prospects in the country who can match Foster's impact on a game.     Continuing to get comfortable playing up on the 17U level, Awaka has been a consistent standout this spring with his steady play on the interior and Saturday was no exception. With high-level size and an increasingly bruising frame, he shows an unwavering willingness to stick to where his bread is buttered with the court awareness and microskills to flourish consistently as a finisher off his guards. Having previously been featured as a focal point in the post, it's been impressive how Awaka has adapted his skillset to a different role. A formidable rim deterrent given his size and length, he also showed promising flashes on Saturday when switched onto guards on the perimeter in late-clock situations. With everything he brings to the table in a consistently productive package, look for Awaka to continue emerging as a nationally relevant high-major prospect over the course of the summer.     With his Team Final team making its much-awaited debut for the spring, Reevey looked comfortable while shining in his role manning the middle. As is usually the case in AAU, Final plays through its guards, but Reevey shows a consistent ability to thrive as an emphatic above-rim finisher playing off his teammates' penetration. With flashes of standstill shooting potential, he also showed the ability to make decisions from the elbows in the handoff game or hitting cutters, a nice added wrinkle to his offensive arsenal. Reevey was his usual self defensively as force around the rim with his length and mobility. Expect him to catch the eyes of coaches up to the high-major levels as Final looks to embark on a Peach Jam run.     While it came in a narrow defeat to New Heights, Walker seized the opportunity with Durant missing some missing pieces in the frontcourt to showcase himself as a prospect with long-term high-major potential. In a game full of high-level prospects, he stands out amongst the rest with a top-end combination of size, length, and mobility as he patrols the paint and extends out to the perimeter on both ends. Walker has room to grow with his feel and technique, but makes a steady impact with his motor and physical tools while tossing in flashes of offensive skill. With his best basketball still ahead of him, coaches up to the high-major level could see value in Walker as a worthy long-term investment given the value of experienced bigs on the open market.

MADE Hoops continued its Northeast spring event season with its East Warmup event kicking off Friday night at Spooky Nook in PA, featuring hundreds of teams from the MADE circuits, the EYBL, and beyond. See below for a handful of frontcourt prospects who caught the eye on Saturday with their play in the 17U division.