17U Midwest Grind Standouts
Colorado teams took it to Missouri as well as Wichita to compete in the Hardwood Classic Session 2 as well as the Midwest Grind in Wichita. In the games, players took over. Here are the 17U standouts from both. Isaiah…
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Continue ReadingColorado teams took it to Missouri as well as Wichita to compete in the Hardwood Classic Session 2 as well as the Midwest Grind in Wichita. In the games, players took over. Here are the 17U standouts from both.
Isaiah Thomas – Pluto Prospects
Thomas was all over the floor and making plays on both ends. Pluto implemented a trap that teams had a difficult time trying to break, and he was at the top of it, anchoring the defense. Thomas got his hands in the passing lanes, got out on the break for easy runouts as well as hit open shots when he got them. Thomas is not a player that we have got to see a lot of but fit in seamlessly with that Pluto team as a newly added player. Thomas can score the ball in bunches, and in the Hardwood Classic Session 2 was a reason that Pluto won their bracket.
Cole Bowen Cole Bowen 6'1" | CG Rampart | 2021 State CO – Colorado Mayhem
Bowen is a player that has been having a solid summer as the primary ball-handler and facilitator for Mayhem, and this was another weekend where he proved it. Bowen is a high IQ and shifty guard that makes plays for others. He runs the offense, sets up others, and also can score on his own. Bowen scored with ease in the Midwest Grind as Mayhem were named runners up. In the championship game, he showed that he was not afraid to go after anyone else. He attacked the basket for an and-1, hit a few 3-pointers and also defended well all game. Bowen was one of the consistent scorers of the weekend and showed that he belongs, stock boosting event for him.
Seth Newton Seth Newton 6'5" | SF Canon City | 2021 State CO – Pluto Prospects
Newton is a big guard with an unbelievable feel for the game. For his high school team, he was forced to put up big numbers, and this All-State honorable mention did not disappoint, but it was great to see him in a natural setting where he is free-flowing and going. Newton has a high IQ that is easy to detect. He sees the floor well, and this weekend on a new team for him, he fit in by being one of the team’s best playmakers. He found open teammates, moved without the ball, and also attacked when he got it. In the game against Golden Eagles, he was one of the spark plugs for the team that brought energy as soon as he entered the game and did not look back. He scores from all three levels, has a good feel for the game, and he is a sleeper that others will be finding out about soon.
Jason Simental Jason Simental 6'3" | CG Thunderridge | 2021 State CO – Colorado Hoops Academy
Sometimes a big-time tournament entails that you have to go hundreds of miles to end up playing the championship game against a team around the corner from them. Well, good thing Jason Simental Jason Simental 6'3" | CG Thunderridge | 2021 State CO ’s game traveled with him as he had to be the most valuable player in the championship game and was a big reason that CHA went 4-0 on the weekend. Simental scored in bunches for the entire weekend both inside and out. Simental is an aggressive downhill attacker that played bruiser ball for CHA. He got to his spots, set hard screens, and rolled so that he could get fed, and he made defenses pay. In the championship game, he made a couple of and-1 baskets that got the team going, and he also adds tenacity on the team that feeds off of one another. Simental is typically a score-first guard, but on CHA, he plays well off of the ball. Solid showing from him.
Schafer Reichart Schafer Reichart 6'2" | CG Doherty | 2021 State CO – Pluto Prospects
Reichart is a player, plain and simple. In the Hardwood Classic Session 2, he was one of Pluto’s main players, and his production on both ends of the floor made all of the difference and was a reason that they won their bracket. Reichart has been known for his ability to space the floor with his shooting and also scoring in bunches, but what he did in the tourney showed how expansive his game is. Reichart had open court steals for easy lay-ins, he rebounded well and quickly started the break after securing the board, and he also was a playmaker that found others. Reichart has a polished game and is a two-way player with upside. Reichart is a player to watch that should start getting calls soon.