Puma: Sunday Top Performers

I attended the Puma live period in Richmond Virginia and in this article I'll break down the top performers I saw on Sunday.    [program_tooltip program_id='2076136' first='Clarksville' last='Crossovers'] got an impressive win over a PRO16 team as they looked like the hungrier and more aggressive group. Garnett was impressive as a fast point guard who has lightning quick end to end speed and used this to get behind the defense off steals and defensive rebounds. The lead guard was one of a handful of lefties on the squad and Garnett knocked down some deep pull-up jumpers as the threat of his quick driving game opened up space for him to fire away from downtown. I liked the wiggle Garnett showed with the ball in his hands, able to change directions on the fly and get the defense scrambling. Impressive overall performance from this [program_tooltip program_id='2076136' first='Clarksville' last='Crossovers'] squad who had a handful of major contributors.     One of my favorite prospects from the weekend, Rojas Joy is originally a 2026 prospect from the DMV but is doing a post grad year with Andrew's Osborne Academy in the Elite Prep League. Rojas Joy did an excellent job this weekend of finding ways to score around the rim using crafty layups and floaters. Playing off two feet most of the time in the paint, this allowed Rojas Joy to take contact and use his frame to shield off shot blockers. An impressive passer out of the pick and roll, Rojas Joy both found the roll man and hit skip passes to teammates spotting up across the court for open 3-point looks. A complete performance from Rojas Joy this weekend, he should be on low to mid major radars across the midwest going into the final live period.     Another productive weekend for Siakam as he put up big scoring, rebounding and defensive numbers for Kentucky Basketball Club 16 U. Siakam is a tough driver to stop when he's going to the rim thanks to his fluid athleticism and strength, lots of times defenders hand check him on his drives and foul him on the floor if he gets even half a step on the defender. I liked some of the sets Kentucky Basketball Club ran to clear out a side for Siakam to attack with side screens allowing him to isolate on the left side of the court, and an improvement with his left-handed finishing would make him even tougher to stop. Siakam also crashed the glass hard this weekend, averaging seven rebounds per game. If Siakam can continue to shoot the ball from the perimeter like he did this weekend with a couple of time and space 3-pointers when he was left open at a high percentage, he should add to his offer list that includes WKU, EIU and James Madison right now.     Chapman Basketball Academy got a nice win to wrap up their weekend as Julien impressed me as a wing guard who shot the ball well from the outside with a high release point and the ability to hit shots both off the catch and off quick dribble moves. Julien also had a couple of assists in transition where he made the simple advance pass to a teammate further ahead on the court off a steal or rebound. Making those unselfish plays might go unnoticed by some, but it's the difference between an easy look in transition and a tough grind it out halfcourt set. Julien just announced a commitment to St Thomas University and that's a program that has won consistently and gives him an opportunity to see the floor early as well.     Brunson completely flipped the game on Sunday as his team was down about ten points late in the first half and Brunson's activity quickly erased that deficit and helped 1 of 1 get a key win to wrap up their weekend. Brunson is an explosive athlete who is a dangerous lob threat in transition due to his quick leaping ability. I also was impressed with Brunson's ability to cut along the baseline, taking advantage of the defense napping off the ball against him. One of the top prospects in North Carolina's loaded 2028 class, Brunson has certainly established himself as a top prospect on the PRO16 league.     Colorado Collective 16 U got a nice victory in a west coast showdown to wrap up their weekend and Kalimba stood out as an efficient scoring two guard for his team. Kalimba had a sweet jump stop in transition that took him from the right side to the left side of the rim for an and-1 finish. Kalimba then knocked down a transition 3-pointer after his big man set a smart pin down screen in transition to give Kalimba the space to fire away from downtown. Kalimba also had a rhythm mid-range pull-up as Colorado Collective was pulling away. Impressive offensive performance by Colorado Collective 16 U as they scored 91 points to wrap up their weekend with a win.

I attended the Puma live period in Richmond Virginia and in this article I'll break down the top performers I saw on Sunday.