Durant/KLow/Thrill 17s Scrimmage: Wings/Bigs Notebook

On Saturday we were in attendance for another loaded three-team scrimmage featuring <a href="https://prephoops.com/program/team-durant-2/">[program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant']</a> , K-Low Elite and <a href="https://prephoops.com/program/team-thrill/">[program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill']</a> . We'll break down the various prospects that stood out to us during our time in the gym.   Noteworthy that all programs were missing some pieces. For the 17s, Thrill was without the services of Darrell Davis, Braydon Young and [player_tooltip player_id='2454548' first='Tayron' last='Malonga']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tayron-malonga/"></a><a></a> . Durant was without Jamaal McKnight Jr. KLow was without Silas Graham<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/silas-graham/"></a><a></a> .    The plays that Woodard can make above the rim are the type you only see at the P5 levels and above. The 6-foot-8 forward threw down over a handful of dunks in the fashion of put-backs, lobs or doing the job himself in transition, each of which ended in thunderous fashion. He was the most athletic prospect in the gym on Saturday and made it known at both ends. Every now and again, he can knock down a triple when he has time to set his feet, but his ability to get to the rim in straight-line fashion from the three-point line is typically how he attacks. He served as a weak side shot eraser, pulled down some boards at their peak above the rim and flashed the high-major ability that he typically does. He'll be the highlight reel for this Durant 17s group.     Loved the activity from Mancho from the jump on Saturday morning. Particularly in the first scrimmage for Thrill against KLow, Mancho was dominant for stretches in his typical, low maintenance manner as a punishing screen setter, active diver to the rim and establishing deep position on post touches. Mancho does such a nice job of commanding and anchoring the paint defensively with a wide base to take up more space and eliminate passing windows. He hedged aggressively and kept the opposing guard from turning the corner after communicating with his teammate on the coverage. Most importantly, Mancho looked spry on movements offensively and got off the ground quickly to finish dunks with authority.     The intrigue is clear with Savior, who has become a trending name in recent months, and the 6-foot-7 hybrid forward's play backed high upside conversations. He has the makeup of a toolsy wing that can provide versatility on both ends of the floor his outing on Saturday will only keep those thoughts buzzing. He converted on a couple of catch-and-shoot opportunities from three following timely lifts or quick rotations into windows to make himself available to the probing guards. His length was displayed in transition finishing high around the tin and although he isn't the most overwhelming athlete when it comes to vertical pop at this point, he makes up for it with how he uses his wingspan. All in all, there's a ton to work with Savior, who will likely be on the radars of prep programs as dangerous reclass option.     Good bounce back performance from the weekend prior as Simley learns his role and niche with this Thrill 17s group. What he can bring to impact the rotation immediately is positional size, length and shooting ability when keeping things simple. It seemed like whenever Simley allowed the game to come to him, good things happened. If he ran the lane wide and spaced out the floor preparing for zip passes in shot-ready position, he laced three's with regularity. In the half court setting when his guards were slashing and kicking, Simley got to the rim in straight-line fashion and used his plus wingspan to finish the play. Simplicity is the key for Simley to shine bright not only on the UAA Circuit, but also for post-grad/college programs to envision him translating to the level that they need.     Carpenter put together some nice moments early on Saturday and it all had to do with his aggression attacking the rim. Coming off a junior season where he played a key role for a tough Clinton Grace team, Carpenter will look to translate his skills on the EYBL stage with Durant 17s where his size, versatility and ability to make scoring opportunities by playing off others will come in handy. His athleticism in the open floor or on straight-line drives with a clear path for takeoff demanded the crowd's attention before he made a play on the rim. He rebounded at a steady rate as well. Carpenter's calling card for this team will be providing defensive versatility, impacting the glass and remaining efficient with his opportunities on offense. I think following that formula will make it pretty difficult to take him off the court in crunch time.

On Saturday we were in attendance for another loaded three-team scrimmage featuring Team Durant , K-Low Elite and Team Thrill . We'll break down the various prospects that stood out to us during our time in the gym.