Puma Pro16/NxtPro Notebook: 17u Eye Catchers

We had the chance to hit the road up north to Richmond, Virginia at the Henrico Sports and Events Center for the first July session of the Puma Pro16/NxtPro circuit and it was great to get a closer look at both the 1 of 1 and DB Elite programs as they were our area of focus for the weekend. Let's take a look at the guys from 17u that stood out for those teams this weekend!    Williams might be the biggest riser across the whole HoopState after his string of elite performances up in Virginia this past weekend. We were able to check in on two of his games in person including a signature performance that led to a signature win for 1 of 1 as they faced Cooz Elite and consensus 5 star PG Reese Alston. Williams proved he can get his game off vs any team in the country as he guided 1 of 1 with his ability to get the rim and make plays for himself or others. This was coming off of a very strong performance the night before where it was much of the same with more jumpers mixed in. After the game he got offers from Youngstown State and UNC Asheville, that should only be the start of what was ultimately a life changing weekend for Williams who is starting to get the recruitment he so very well deserves.     With [player_tooltip player_id='3553023' first='Dillon' last='Mason'] out with an injury, 1 of 1 definitely needed other wings to help step up to fill his void and that is exactly what [player_tooltip player_id='2473838' first='Nixon' last='Wright'] was able to do. There's something about a big time athlete that plays super hard all the time with a naturally low maintenance approach to the game. In that win vs Cooz Elite, Wright was a presence on the glass, providing a ton of resistance defensively, and found a way to get timely baskets at the rim, often off of put backs. He excelled in his role for this group with his ability to provide supplemental production and be a true presence at both ends of the floor. The coaches noticed and I fully expect his recruitment to pick up over the course of this month.     This DB Elite program continues to establish themself as a winner and one with legit next level prospects littered amongst their roster at every age group. The guy leading the charge for the 17u bunch is [player_tooltip player_id='3500829' first='Brody' last='Watkins'] and his ability to both control a game and swing a game with his shot making is incredibly valuable to what they do. Watkins has steadily developed both his skillset and his physical tools to compete at a high level with consistency. Between some injuries and guys moving on, there were some missing pieces on this DB Elite 17u team and Watkins was tasked to take on more of a scoring responsibility than normal and he did it to a high level. He continues to establish himself as a 0 doubt next level prospect and someone that should see a little bump in the next rankings update.     Dobyns is starting to truly turn his potential into consistent production vs high level competition with his high level outside touch on full display in Richmond. Dobyns comes off the bench for this 1 of 1 team and provides an immediate spark with his ability to make shots at his size. He's starting to slowly add strength to his frame which only helps his ability to help out defensively and on the glass. Having outside touch like Dobyns is unique, add in his 6'9" frame with long arms and you have a really unique prospect that will undoubtedly get some more attention as these performances continue to stack up. The move to Winston-Salem Christian will undoubtedly have a positive impact on his development and he should be a guy that gets real consideration for a bump in the rankings.     Roach is a guy we saw last season at Southeast Raleigh as a 2028 prospect but recently announced his intention to transfer to St. Christopher's and reclassify to 2029. Roach is playing up on 17u with DB Elite and his shot making has been instrumental for this group's success. Before going down with an injury, Roach poured in a strong 25 point performance in the opening game of the session with his confidence in his touch on full display. It'll be interesting to track his development from here as he has an incredible foundation to work with and there's no doubt he's a vital piece to this group.     Marshall is another key piece on this 1 of 1 team that doesn't need to have a super high usage rate to have a massive impact on a game. His ability to guard multiple positions, initiate offense at his size, and contribute on the glass give this team such a reliable option on the wing and a guy they can rely on to execute at a high level at both ends of the floor. Like [player_tooltip player_id='2473838' first='Nixon' last='Wright'], Marshall's presence was even more important than normal with the absence of [player_tooltip player_id='3553023' first='Dillon' last='Mason'] as he did a great job helping fill that void. I think this weekend showed that Marshall can blend being a feature guy while doing glue guy things throughout the course of a game and he will certainly reap the rewards of his success both individually and collectively with this 1 of 1 group.

We had the chance to hit the road up north to Richmond, Virginia at the Henrico Sports and Events Center for the first July session of the Puma Pro16/NxtPro circuit and it was great to get a closer look at both the 1 of 1 and DB Elite programs as they were our area of focus for the weekend. Let's take a look at the guys from 17u that stood out for those teams this weekend!