Thursday Under Armour Wing / Forward Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final July live period began on Thursday and action in Chicago was intense as teams battled it out in front of college coaches from all levels. In this article I'll break down my wing + forward standouts I saw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2122438"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6879c9db06c17"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of the top wings in Kentucky, Gay plays up an age group and still dominates for his [program_tooltip program_id='2135129' first='Griffin' last='Elite'] squad. Leasing the charge in a victory, Gay was scoring in the paint at ease with finishes using either hand. With the strength, burst and coordination to handle the ball and score at the rim, Gay is a tough player once he gets a head of steam. I also liked that Gay had a couple of kickout assists to shooters, making the defense pay for helping down on his drive. If Gay starts consistently knocking down 3-point shots he will be almost unstoppable at the high school level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2194530"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6879c9db06c83"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Stars basketball 16 U played a thrilling contest with Team Thrill and Bridges was a key reason why they hung around in the game for so long. An active forward who impacted the game in a variety of ways, Bridges set screens, got putback layups, knocked down an open jumper and rebounded the basketball. All those ways to impact the game made him an easy choice as a player to spotlight from what was my favorite game of the day on Thursday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2472368"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6879c9db06cd3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A high motor forward, Blue simply played harder than most of the players he shared the court with on Thursday. Using his size, length and athleticism to rebound, Blue had a couple putback layups and also created extra possessions with his hustle. Going to the line a few times, Blue wasn't afraid of contact in the paint. A layup just under four minutes to go helped put [program_tooltip program_id='2076967' first='B' last='Maze Elite'] in the lead and they would hold on to it for a nice victory to open their weekend here in Chicago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2205710"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6879c9db06d1f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I really liked Kerrigan for KC Run GMC because of his advanced feel for the game. Knowing how to move without the basketball, make simple dribble drive attacks, finish with either hand with patience, it's no surprise Kerrigan was one of the most efficient scorers on the UAA 16 U circuit all season long. Love seeing throwback style players win with their high feel for the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2459361"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6879c9db06d68"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">An extremely talented prospect with a lot of long term upside, Straughter flashed some impressive shot-making ability with excellent size and a strong frame on the wing. Going on a heater from the perimeter early in the game allowed Straughter to remain engaged and impact the game in other ways as well. Still showing plenty of room for growth, I wouldn't be surprised if Straughter opts to go to a JUCO or post grad school to continue his development before playing at a NCAA program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->