UAA S1 Scouting Notebook: MD/DC 17s Wings/Bigs

The UA Association had their first session of circuit play this weekend in Kansas City. Over the course of the next few days, I'll break down some of the MD/DC prospects from <a href="https://prephoops.com/program/team-thrill/">[program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill']</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/program/dc-premier-2/">[program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier']</a> as I move on to the wings/bigs at the 17U level.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/04/uaa-s1-scouting-notebook-md-dc-17s-guards/">For the guards, click here.</a>    Brooks was a mismatch nightmare and if you caught him in action this winter, it comes as no surprise. The 6-foot-6 forward uses his burly frame to establish commanding position in the mid-post where he can operate with his back to the basket or in face-ups and pose as a playmaking threat. On countless occasions, he used a couple of dribbles to set up his patented fadeaway jumper over his left shoulder. As his defender adjusted, he used shot fakes to get them in the air before stepping through to the rim for finishes with either hand. He played well out of short rolls and can process quickly as a scorer, but also made some nice skip passes to shooters in the corner spotting up for three's. His best performance came in Premier's lone win of the weekend where he logged a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.     Typical, workmanlike weekend out of Mancho who is the paint presence at both ends for a Thrill group that went 4-0 in S1. The bruising 6-foot-9 native of Cameroon was as efficient as they come on his looks around the cup. Whether his opportunities came off setting punishing ball screens followed by a hard roll to the rim, sitting in the dunker's spot as guards established paint touches for dump-offs or with quick dives to the rim as the ball was driven baseline, Mancho was automatic with his tight window catches and below the rim hooks.     Barrett was steady all weekend as he looks to generate some buzz after finishing his last year of high school ball. The potential post-grad route is still in play, but Barrett has garnered some Division I recruitment over the last few months and he's looking to answer questions with production this spring. After a slow start in game one, he rebounded nicely finishing the final three contests much stronger fashion as his best game came in a loss to B-Maze Elite where he tallied a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. As the weekend progressed, so did Barrett's ability to get to his spots off the bounce. Playing mainly on the perimeter, he attacked off the catch with more confidence on Saturday and Sunday with good pace and lift on his mid-range jumpers. He was a consistent presence on the glass and got his fingertips on a few attempts in the paint throughout the three-day span.     Simley is another 2026 prospect who is venturing to 2027 in hopes of sparking some Division I recruitment and his size, versatility and shot making will be the foundation that will catch interest. Playing efficiently as a decision-maker with his shot selection will be a wrinkle that both I and college coaches monitor with a keen eye this summer. Over the weekend when he saw his spot open up for jumpers in rhythm off 1-to-2 dribbles or in catch-and-shoots where he could step into the catch, the release was confident and fluid with good results. He has the tools to be a dynamite defender when dialed in and can be a major presence in the rebounding department when the motor is running high.     In my AAU team preview of this Premier team, I added the sentiment about Rucker being a guy who can impact a game far beyond the box score. He did just that over the four-game showing and is a guy who I think will demand his share of minutes, especially in winning time. Whether it was making good reads as a cutter as actions played out, keeping the ball alive with tip-outs or using his active hands defensively to both shooters and cause deflections, you felt Rucker's contributions in a positive way. When he wasn't scoring around the rim in transition, Rucker was spotting up in the corners where his improved range was on display.

The UA Association had their first session of circuit play this weekend in Kansas City. Over the course of the next few days, I'll break down some of the MD/DC prospects from Team Thrill and DC Premier as I move on to the wings/bigs at the 17U level.