17u New England shoe team standouts: part 1

This week, I'll be looking at some standout players from the shoe circuits, specifically the EYBL (Nike), 3SSB (Adidas), and UAA (Under Armour). All of these players either play on New England AAU teams or play their high school ball in New England.    On a BABC 3SSB squad that has a legitimate argument to be the best shoe team in the country, Egbuonu might be their most important player. The 6-foot-7 forward plays a lot of big man for BABC -- because they don't play a traditional center -- and he does a great job handling bigger players on the inside and forcing them to cover the perimeter when he's on offense. He's averaging a team-high 17.9 points per game on 54.8% shooting and 38.6% from three; pretty great efficiency for AAU basketball. He's a three level scorer who's dangerous taking the ball to the hoop as well as shooting it from the outside, and high D1 teams are starting to take notice. He's one of the best players in the EYBL and is only improving. I'm so high on him.     O'Keefe has had quite the start to his 3SSB season with Garner Road out of North Carolina. The 6-foot-4 guard is a lot more deferential in his role with Newman School during the high school season -- setting up teammates and running the show as the point guard -- but with Garner Road he takes on a lot more of a scoring role. He uses his size and quickness to get to the rim and finish over larger defenders, but he also has a quick release from the three-point line and can shoot it effectively off the dribble. I'll be curious to see whether the junior guard is more aggressive offensively next high school season for Newman.     Mitrovic is only a sophomore but mans the paint for Expressions 17u in the EYBL. The 7-foot power forward is averaging 8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, but his potential is through the roof. He can step out on the perimeter and shoot it well from three (he's shooting 35% on a decent number of attempts), and I only see his efficiency improving given how nice and compact his shot looks. He can also attack closeouts and finish pretty athletically around the rim, even at his size. Defensively, Mitrovic is averaging 1.6 blocks per game and has good positioning and timing on that end. He should be a key player for Hoosac next year and I imagine he'll be getting high D1 looks soon.     Morillo has kept the momentum that he had from his high school season at Newman going and is looking like one of the best players in the EYBL. The City Rocks point-forward has great size (6-foot-7) and length, and he uses both to bully smaller defenders around the basket and finish around them. He can also knock down midrange jumpers and is one of the better passers I've seen at the high school level, always playing at his own pace and using his size to see over the defense. He's averaging 15.4 points, 3.9 assists, and 7.9 rebounds, all of which lead City Rocks. He should be set to have an unbelievable senior season at Newman.     Wilkins' impressive performance for the Mass Rivals in 3SSB this season is probably (in part) what led to him reclassifying to the 2025 class and committing to Duke early. He's averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and despite his 30% three-point shooting percentage, I think his perimeter shot looks a lot better than it used to. If Wilkins is going to take his game as far as he can, it'll be his shot that'll be the X-factor, and he's certainly well on his way to making that happen. He's a 6-foot-8, long, athletic, strong, and skilled wing who can pass, dribble and shoot. What more could an NBA scout be looking for?

This week, I'll be looking at some standout players from the shoe circuits, specifically the EYBL (Nike), 3SSB (Adidas), and UAA (Under Armour). All of these players either play on New England AAU teams or play their high school ball in New England.