Summer Slam Saturday Standouts: 17U Guards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the top teams from Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wisconsin were in Sioux Falls last weekend for the Summer Slam. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here were some of the top 17U guards from play Saturday:</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="567070" first="Drew" last="Sagedahl"], SW MN Stars</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sagedahl seems to just find a way to make a big impact. On his high school team, he’s a stat-sheet stuffer. He showed he’s capable of putting up numbers on the AAU circuit as well, scoring from all three levels, rebounding at a solid rate for a guard, making plays for his teammates and providing a lot of intangible impact.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774753" first="Colton" last="Roderick"], Comets Elite</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Roderick makes the game look easy at times. He’s 6-foot-5, handles the ball well, gets to the paint effortlessly, makes the game easier for his teammates and has the ability to score in a number of ways. He’s a strong long-range shooter but he’s deadly in the mid-range and can finish over length at a high level. He was a bright spot for Comets Elite throughout the weekend.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774882" first="Belind" last="Alemadi"], ECI Prospects</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alemadi plays with the top ECI team and is the definition of solid with the ball. He’s a steadying presence and controls the tempo, makes the right plays consistently and competes on both ends of the floor. He’s a good drive-and-dish guy and he’s capable of threatening defenders beyond the 3-point line.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774832" first="Grant" last="Beuckens"], WC United</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beuckens brings a toughness to the backcourt and his ability to slash and make plays allowed him to have a lot of good moments throughout Saturday. He’s a solid finisher in the paint with a good mid-range game and does a good job pressuring opposing ballhandlers.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774893" first="Josh" last="Baker"], SW MN Stars</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Baker always seems to stand out for the Stars and he’s added a ton to his game over the last few seasons. He’s a big, athletic guard who can light it up from the 3-point line. He’s improved a ton as a slasher and he’s using his size and strength to bully smaller guards and routinely finishes at the rim. He’s competitive defensively and can guard up or down a lineup, and does a good job rebounding from the wing position.</span></p> <p><strong>Paris Booker, Fury Syverson</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Booker did a great job making plays for Fury Syverson Saturday, routinely putting pressure on the paint and attacking consistently. He’s a good perimeter shooter, but is at his best when he’s getting into gaps and either finishing or drawing defenders and making decisions. </span></p>