Prep Hoops Grit Region Finals – Ramsey’s Friday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a busy spring bouncing around the Midwest the Prep Hoops Circuit Grit Region Finals tipped off on Friday night in Barrington, Illinois. With just a few games and only two courts going on Friday night we had plenty of coverage between Scotty Burgess, Steve Parham, and myself at Canlan Sports in Barrington. We did our best to not overlap too much, but our coverage will likely be a bit redundant this evening. However, let's still empty out our notebook from the action we took in on night one of the Prep Hoops Circuit Grit Region Finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG3 Basketball Picks Up Hard Fought Win</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We were treated to a very competitive game between two quality 17u teams right out of the gate on Friday night. BIG3 Basketball had a clear advantage in terms of size and strength, but Outwork Illinois continued to connect on three-point shots which kept them in the game until the final buzzer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2830691' first='Josiah' last='Stokes'] (Morton West H.S. 2028) hit five three-point shots himself for Outwork Illinois. The 5'11" guard hit two very early on and continued to showcase his smooth footwork, feathery release, and deep range throughout the game. He was able to use his shooting threat from deep to attack a couple of closeouts and finish floaters as well. We loved Stokes immediately, but then became even bigger fans we realized he was just a freshman playing up at the 17u level. He has a very bright future ahead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6'7" big man [player_tooltip player_id='2875743' first='Marc' last='Gamble'] (Timothy Christian 2026) and 6'4" forward [player_tooltip player_id='2404186' first='Matt' last='Welch'] (Glenbard North H.S. 2026) were the primary difference-makers for BIG3. Both front court prospects showed the ability to step out and stretch the floor, but ultimately it was their size that gave the opponent problems. Those two, along with the outside shooting ability of [player_tooltip player_id='2217942' first='Aidan' last='Renicker'] (Benet H.S. 2026) led BIG3 Basketball to a 58-50 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gamble scored a game-high 20 points while Welch added 15 points in the Friday evening victory. Renicker chipped in 10 points to round out the double-figure scoring. Meanwhile, [player_tooltip player_id='2830691' first='Josiah' last='Stokes'] finished with 19 points and five three-point shots in the loss for Illinois Outwork. The Class of 2028 prospect is definitely one to remember.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Academy Blue Rolls to Victory</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was a lot to like about this Academy Blue team from Michigan. They featured several long, athletic wings that really bothered [program_tooltip program_id='2524117' first='219' last='Elite'], but it was 6'5" big man Bryce Poe (Ypsilanti Lincoln H.S. 2026) who was the biggest difference-maker inside. His size, strength, and soft touch at the rim was too much for anyone on the opposing side to handle. Forced turnovers led to transition buckets, offensive rebound putbacks were finished consistently, and athletic downhill drives to the basket came easily. The Academy Blue went on to cruise to a 78-57 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Backcourt duo Zerry Rue (Plymouth H.S. 2026) and Bradyn Harrington (Woodhaven H.S. 2026) caught our attention first from The Academy Blue. The pair of 6'2" wings fit that long and athletic build that we described early. Both lived in the passing lanes and had a lot of success slicing their way to the rim off of the bounce. They showed off some real explosiveness when elevating to finish. Then, 6'4" left-handed wing Braylon Johnson (Lincoln H.S. 2025) displayed his physicality off of the bounce with a couple of tough finishes to end the first half. The unsigned senior knocked in a pretty floater and had a big time spin move back to his left that he finished at the front of the rim. All of the while, Poe was getting it done in the paint as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For [program_tooltip program_id='2524117' first='219' last='Elite'], the clear standout was 6'3" guard [player_tooltip player_id='2409122' first='Gavin' last='Whitaker']. His positional size allowed him to handle the length and athleticism of the opposing guards and he found some success using his strength to his advantage when getting downhill. However, it was his shot-making ability from the perimeter that really stood out. Whitaker connected on four three-point shots showcasing the ability to make them in very tight windows. His fourth three-point shot was a quick side step deep in the left corner that turned into a four-point play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Poe led The Academy Blue with 18 points in the win while Rue an Harrington finished 15 points and 12 points respectively. Johnson rounded out those in double-figures with 11 points. Despite the loss, Whitaker's 23 points were a game-high for [program_tooltip program_id='2524117' first='219' last='Elite'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->