GymRats Albany: Elite Local Prospects

New readers: Use code Proia30     I drove up to Albany, NY for a high-level GymRats Live event that featured teams from the Northeast that compete on different shoe circuits for a weekend of survive-and-advance basketball. It was great seeing individual and team matchups amongst regional rivals that we normally don't get to see throughout the summer battle it out as each team fought to walk away with a trophy. First, we'll cover the local talent that stood out this weekend. Let's dive in!    30p 3a 2r vs NY Lightning   -Davis' ability to break his man down with or without a ball screen really stood out as he showcased a pretty vicious change of direction and creativity on drives to the rim. Davis scored at will on designed curls from the wing to the paint to knock down floaters, draw foul contact around the rim, or drop off to one of his bigs. Davis scored on a face cut euro step AND1 bucket, floated touch shots off the backboard on either side of the paint, had a Nash baseline drive into a smooth turn-around jumper, hit a killer sidestep three off the bounce, and put a ton of pressure on the rim in transition. His competitive fire shown through at both ends of the floor throughout the championship game as his ability to switch onto different opponents throughout possessions led to stops which led to transition buckets to retake the lead and close out the game. Expect his national stock to continue to rise as a player that seems capable of a push into the top 30 at the national level.     14p 8a 2r 2s vs NY Lightning   -Loved the progression with Hill's maturity throughout games, as he is channeling his passion into providing aggressive 2-way value as a point guard capable of playing on or off the ball. Hill really ratcheted up the defensive ball pressure midway through the 3Q to turn a double-digit deficit into a 12-point win by bottling up and turning over opposing guards along the sideline. Hill also impressed at the offensive end of the floor, showing the full versatility in his skillset by seeking out contact on drives and drawing fouls, knocking down floaters after getting into the teeth of the defense, pushing the pace and making timely reads in transition, knocking down perimeter jumpers behind screens, and throwing runout passes over the top to maximize his teammates' advantage in transition for layups and jumpers at the other end. Eight assists to only two turnovers showed the improvement of his decision-making in tight gaps, as Hill struck the balance between throwing timely passes and avoiding risky passes into traffic.     10p 2a 1r 3s vs NY Lightning   -The third point guard in Thrill's lineup does an excellent job of making a positive impact at key moments in games for his team. Green picks his spots to attack closeouts from the wing and habitually throws unselfish hockey assists that lead to wide open looks as a guard that continually keeps the ball flowing. Green hit a baseline pull-up in the midst of Thrill's comeback surge, knocked down two second half threes to stave off NYL runs, and stripped away two shot attempts for steals to close out key possessions late in the game. His instincts to know when to double the post or trap an opponent and when he needs to stay home gives Thrill a cerebral point guard prospect that also isn't afraid to muscle up with forwards on switches to push them off of their spot in the low post.     14p 5a 2r 1s vs Mass Rivals 1b   -The fluidity and ease of Moore's scoring in the halfcourt gives Thrill 16u a steady scoring guard option that consistently scores in double figures without dominating the ball. Moore's vision as a passer in the halfcourt continues to improve as he's throwing hook passes to shooters and seeing pocket passes off a live dribble in the paint much more consistently to get his teammates going in the halfcourt which in turn makes him much more difficult to guard. Moore got all the way to the rim to score in transition then scored again after he stole an inbound to give his team 4 points in less than 10 seconds. From 18' and in, he can get to his spots without a ball screen to score over different types of defenders and has improved his pivot to get into turn-around jumpers much easier in traffic once he's picked up his dribble. If he can harness his quickness and positioning instincts to consistently serve as a pitbull POA defender, he will raise both his long-term ceiling and floor as a prospect that can fill up the stat sheet and win coaches games.     12p 5r 1a 1s 1b vs Mass Rivals   -Anything that his team needs in a particular game, Woodard can provide as an explosive wing prospect that is just as likely to throw down a put-back dunk as he is to operate in the side PnR. Woodard took a defensive rebound C2C to throw down an emphatic 1-handed dunk, rejected a screen to slice to the rim and hit a floater off the window, caught a rocket of a chest pass in traffic in the paint and floated a touch shot before the defense could react, and sprinted ahead to throw down a 1-handed dunk in transition to put a bow on a nice close-out win for his team. Love his versatility at the defensive end as a wing that can trail shooters effectively, shade ball-handlers in the middle of the floor, and come up with rebounds in traffic amongst the trees in the paint.     12p 6r 1b 1s vs BABC   -Thrill had the misfortune of drawing a really good BABC group that beat them by 5 in a route to the tournament championship game. But Tema continued to prove his value as a W/F tweener that consistently impacts the game with his motor. Tema blocked a shot at the rim and took the ball C2C before finishing at the opposite end with the inside hand, hit a one-dribble pull jumper on the baseline that splashed nothing but net, served as an effective cutter and roll option in the halfcourt that hit layups with his strong hand, and was active on the glass as an offensive rebounder that fought through double teams to extend possessions for his group. His blend of size, energy, and willingness to do the dirty work of setting screens/hedging ball screens/running down guards in transition is proving to be invaluable for a Thrill team that is slowly coming together.     11p 3a 2r 1s vs BABC   -Williams hit his last four shots down the home stretch of a narrow loss to BABC to cut a double digit lead down to a 2-possession game. Williams hit a trio of 3s from opposite wings because of his movement off the ball to find open pockets in the defense when his matchup got lost in help responsibilities in the key. His footwork, pace, and consistent release gives Thrill a consistent shooter that can space the floor but also attack closeouts and provide some secondary play-making from the perimeter. Really intrigued to see how his role develops over the course of the season with a Thrill 15u group that has some firepower in its backcourt.

New readers: Use code Proia30