Summer Madness: Unsung Heroes

New readers: Use code "Proia30" for discounted subscription   On every successful team there will be a star or two while there will also be several key pieces that simply star in their role. The players that do the dirty work, play hard, don't complain, are coachable, and are respected by their teammates. We wanted to shine a light on a few such prospects from The Huddle Group's community event, "Summer Madness". Let's dive in!    20p 3r vs Gonzaga   -Jones burst onto the scene in a blowout win for Clinton Grace over WCAC powerhouse Gonzaga with 5 made threes. The shooter is adept at moving to open pockets in the defense off the ball to create clean looks, gets off his shot quickly, can shoot it with range several feet behind the three point arc, and is an extremely confident shooter. Coming off a junior season that he served in more of a bench role, his shooting this season will be crucial to open driving lanes for the bevy of guards that the Hawks have at their disposal. If he can continue to be a pesky defender both on and off the ball, he can play his way into a big role with a Clinton Grace group that seems poised to be a top 10 team in the area next year.     7p 7r 1a 1b vs Jackson Reed   -With the graduation of several key pieces in the frontcourt, Amadi looks primed for a much bigger role with the Lions this season as an athletic W/F tweener. The athletic swing man can help out on the glass, give Carroll some lineup flexibility, and finish his opportunities around the rim. His skillset continues to grow each time that I see him play, if he can continue to play with a high motor he is more than capable of reaching his ceiling.     5p 5r 1a 1b 1s vs Gonzaga, 5p 3r 1a vs Jackson Reed   -Loved the contributions that the Eagles got from the rising senior as Houchins impressed with his activity and unselfish play in both games. A long, bouncy athlete that can play the 3-5 within CG's system, he provides defensive versatility as a willing defender that can slide with guards or bang in the paint with forwards. Love his development as a connector that will catch on the move and make the "one more" extra pass that leads to an open look for one of his teammates.     13p 4r 5a 2s 1b vs Jackson Reed , 13p 6r 5a 2s vs Shabach   -Calling Wilson a star in his role might be a stretch as he is a Top 20 player in the state in his class and is arguably the best player on his team. But I included him in this article as a nod to his buy-in to become more of a creator both on and off the ball for the Cougars. Wilson has always had a knack for generating paint touches and scoring the basketball--particularly when you consider how many trips to the charity stripe that he makes-- but he has really bought into his role as a distributor with 10 combined assists in their two games on Sunday. Wilson showed the full compliment of his abilities on Sunday: scoring off a floater off glass in transition, collecting a steal before finishing a lob dunk at the other end, hit a teammate off a diagonal drive across the paint for a corner 3, and raced back in transition to pin a shot off the glass before getting his team moving back the other way. The dynamic G/W out of Baltimore will have several high major options to choose from when he makes his college decision this fall.     8p 3r 1a vs Jackson Reed, 6p 4r 5a vs Gonzaga   -Really like the steps that Owinje has taken forward in his game as a secondary and primary creator that is beginning to see the floor much better for his team. Owinje thrives in his role as a floor-spacing wing that gets his looks within the flow of the game by moving to space to create open C+S opportunities. Had a beautiful spin move extension lay in traffic off the window followed by collecting his own miss to stick the putback to help lead the CG comeback on a night that their guards really struggled to put the ball in the basket.     8p 1a vs Mt. Carmel, 3p 2a 1r 1 charge drawn vs Carroll   -Abraham continues to be a shooter that is carving out a solid role with the Tigers as a shooter and secondary creator. He atoned for a late turnover by calmly lacing an open 3 with the game on the line on the last possession to <a href="https://x.com/pr0ia/status/1929316282484068602">win</a> the trophy for his squad. With good positional size and an improved understanding for when to take the open shot versus when he needs to put the ball on the floor to create for himself or others, he has begun to put himself on the radar of small college coaches in need of a wing shooter. If he can continue to work on his body and sharpen his handle to get downhill more efficiently, he should be a key piece for the Tigers in his senior year.

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