Run N Slam: Sunday 17 U Standouts

The final day of the Run N Slam gave me the opportunity to see some new teams for the first time this spring and I got some valuable looks at teams filled with small college prospects. In this article I'll break down my 17 U standouts from Sunday.    I got up to watch an 8 AM game Sunday morning and those game usually are good indicators of who wants to play hard and who doesn't. Jones outworked almost everybody on the court for his SMAC team as they got a comfortable win to start the day. Jones scored numerous times at the rim thanks to his motor as he sealed his defender, got putback layups and outran the defense in transition. Also a standout on the gridiron, Jones physicality was obvious when I watched him scrap on the interior. Impressed with Jones production early in the morning on a team that had a nice weekend.     I got to see the other SMAC 17 U group immediately after on the same court at 9 AM as they played a fun back and forth game against [program_tooltip program_id='2076166' first='Grand' last='Park Premier'] White. Hackett had a nice game with a handful of wing 3-pointers with his high release point. On an undersized team, Hackett had to guard opposing bigs and while he gave up some easy layups, I was encouraged by how hard he fought to front the post and box out for his team. Shot-making wing athlete who had a strong season for Triway and is a surefire small college target.     A big scoring weekend from Driscal as his perimeter shot-making ability was extremely impressive. A quick athlete, Driscal's quick first step and slashing ability usually gives him the space needed to hit pull-up jumpers and he was knocking these shots down at an extremely high clip in the game I caught. Athletically, Driscal has a quick second jump which allows him to get his own misses around the rim despite being a smaller guard. One of the best two guards in northeast Ohio, Driscal should have some nice recruiting buzz this summer.     Clem straight up carried his [program_tooltip program_id='2076166' first='Grand' last='Park Premier'] White team as he had a size advantage in the paint and his guards did an excellent job of feeding him in the post. Clem would work to get position and used his wide frame to shield defenders out of the way. Patient once he caught the ball in the paint, Clem displayed nice post moves and was a force inside of five feet of the rim. Clem has seven Division I football offers and when you see the physicality he brings to the hardwood it makes perfect sense why. Talented multi-sport athlete from Logansport, Indiana.     The [program_tooltip program_id='2075761' first='Ohio' last='Buckets'] Black group is usually good for a couple small college gems and Gerken was their most impressive player and prospect on Sunday. A solid open court athlete, Gerken had a chase down block and ran the floor well in transition. Last weekend Gerken threw down a nasty poster dunk in transition, showing off his vertical explosiveness. Also showing the skill to knock down jumpers with his feet set, Gerken impacted the game in a variety of ways for his team. Based on his positional size, athleticism and offensive skill, I'd say Gerken should be a priority recruit for regional small college programs.

The final day of the Run N Slam gave me the opportunity to see some new teams for the first time this spring and I got some valuable looks at teams filled with small college prospects. In this article I'll break down my 17 U standouts from Sunday.