Manheim Underclass Standouts

New readers: Use code Proia30     I drove out to Manheim, Pennsylvania to cover Made Hoops' East Mania event featuring some of the top talent from the Northeast competing in a warmup spring AAU event. I got to see teams from across the major shoe circuits compete alongside some of the top independent circuits, including MH's MHC or MCC circuit teams. In this article we will break down some of the top 15u prospects that I saw, with several players standing out in different roles for their teams. Let's dive in!    -Caught bits of the 1H and all of the 2H of [program_tooltip program_id='2528398' first='TTO' last='Showcase']'s win over AllBall to close out a productive weekend. Moody stood out as a productive guard prospect that can really shoot it from beyond the arc (5/7 from 3) but is also filling out the rest of his game. Moody hit a reverse layup off of an offensive rebound, hit contested shots by getting into his form quickly both off of the catch and off the bounce, and was active in passing lanes at the defensive end of the floor. His most impressive stretch came when he hit a 3 to take the lead, used a reverse pivot to hit a cutter with a beautiful bounce pass in the secondary break, and hit a floater off of two feet in the key. As he grows more confident over the course of the offseason, I want to see him react quickly to 50/50 balls in the halfcourt and become the aggressor at both ends of the floor to take advantage of his natural talent. But there is a lot to like here as he is successfully parlaying a productive freshman season on Brunswick's varsity group into a key role for a good TTO National team.     -Really liked the assertive nature of his game as the southpaw floor general did a great job of attacking the paint to help set the tone for a very good 15u Durant group. Straughters is a decisive processor on the wing that gets downhill or uses high ball screens to hit rollers with pocket passes or shooters with hook passes to serve as an effective floor general both in the halfcourt and in transition. Liked the balance on his jumper when hitting his defender with a jab to throw them off balance before raising up to let one go from the midrange or 3 point line. His moxie to drive in amongst the trees and finish through contact around the rim speaks to his long-term upside as a pretty fearless combo guard that should generate consistent trips to the free throw line as well as easy looks for his teammates.     -Continue to come away impressed with the balance in Pitts' performances as a key piece for this Thrill group. Pitts used a screen to knock down a top of the key 3 off the bounce, sprinted ahead to be a passing target for easy runout layups, was an effective outlet passer after snagging defensive rebounds, hit a teammate under the rim with a live dribble dime from the opposite half of the court, hit shots off of pindowns or staggers, and was an unselfish passer that was always looking to skip passes to the opposite side of the court. I expect his game to continue to expand as he continuously hits growth spurts that should really raise his ceiling as a versatile wing prospect that plays a winning brand of basketball.     -It's been interesting to watch this Thrill group compete early on in the season as they have several promising young guards on the roster. But I don't think any of them can pass the ball as well as Johnson. Loved the way that he pushed the pace in transition while playing under control, using his matchup's momentum against them in transition to draw off-balance fouls around the rim, find teammates with a flurry of different passes, or score it himself. Johnson threaded the needle with a push pass that hit a teammate perfectly in stride despite traffic in the key for the easy layup, split the double and hit a teammate with a beautiful pocket pass for the bucket under the rim, and understands which players need bounce passes and which prospects need chest passes with more zip. Loved the ball pressure that he applied as the head of the snake for Thrill's full court defensive schemes or run n jump traps in the halfcourt, taking advantage of his size and speed to rip basketballs away from unwitting bigs on the block or from guards in a vacuum.     -The last but not least of standout Thrill performers in a win over Team Spartans, Branch continues to prove capable of filling a role as a pick n pop wing prospect that also has the skill to put the ball on the floor when needed. Branch hit a baseline jumper off the catch, knocked down a contested short jumper after he snagged the offensive rebound in the pain, splashed an open 3 from the top of the key in the secondary break, and had a well-timed cut from the corner to the rim that led to an and1 finish at the rim. You can tell that he's still getting his legs under him as a prospect that continues to grow, but the flashes really stand out as a wing that has a chance to make a name for himself at the national level.     -Still a raw prospect but has an intriguing combination of size and skill with a motor that runs pretty hot at both ends of the floor. DeStefano moves to space well off the ball, sets hard screens, and is a capable passer from the high post as an unselfish teammate that reads the floor well. DeStefano did a pretty good job of crashing the glass and finished most of his opportunities around the rim as a PnR threat that hit teammates with one-more passes on the movement when he didn't have the best finishing angle. Intriguing prospect to track in the local freshman class

New readers: Use code Proia30