Derby City Duel: Saturday’s 17u Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Hoops Circuit made it's annual appearance in Kentucky this weekend with a stop in Louisville for the Derby City Duel. I was able to catch several 17u games on Saturday. Here's a look at some of the top performers from Saturday's 17u games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Indiana Elite Gold Crossroads has a lot of talent</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The IE Gold team went 4-0 for the weekend with 3 blowout wins on Saturday. When I watched them on Saturday afternoon, they dismantled a quality Tennessee United team. [player_tooltip player_id='2830727' first='Mason' last='Chanley'] shot the lights out when I watched. He scored 20 on 6 threes and 2 free throws and I'm not sure any of his shots even touched the rim. [player_tooltip player_id='2873152' first='Greyson' last='Grubbs'] added 15 for IE Gold and made timely threes as well. [player_tooltip player_id='2267053' first='Vontrell' last='James'] was electric with the ball in his hands and scored the ball well when he decided to. Otherwise, he was primarily a facilitator. The whole team was fun to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Brody McLaughlin has a lot of potential</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps the most intriguing prospect on the IE Crossroads roster was 6'5" wing Brody McLaughlin. He stood out with his ability to make shots from the perimeter but he also showcased good footwork and a solid handle when attacking the paint. A good athlete who finished off a couple of dunks, McLaughlin has the look of a scholarship level player in college.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Shamari Sands is an Old School Big</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sands stands about 6'8" and has a big frame that allows him to bully defenders around the rim. He showed he can be an active rebounder and was the focus of the Ohio Aces Elite defense during their Saturday afternoon game. Sands did not show much outside of the block or paint but he didn't have to. The Aces team didn't have an answer for him on that end of the floor. I think Shamari could be a D1 post in the right system.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Ohio Aces Elite has a deep roster</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you just watched warmups, you would have likely been surprised that the Aces beat the [program_tooltip program_id='2076547' first='Queen' last='City Prophets']. The Aces just played super hard from the second the opening tip went into the air until the final buzzer. [player_tooltip player_id='3556155' first='Dalan' last='Vaughn Jr'] had a big game, scoring 25 points (10-11 from the FT line) and [player_tooltip player_id='3581531' first='Bryan' last='Johnson'] added 15 points and made timely plays on defense that caused several QCP turnovers. The prospect who caught my eye was Miking Lynch. Lynch only scored 6 points in the game but he gobbled up tons of rebounds against much taller players and played with a relentless motor. With his length and athleticism, Miking looks like a sleeper prospect in Ohio's rising Senior class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->