AAU Wrap-Up Player Analysis: Kingdom Hoops 17U
Over the next week I am taking time to look back on a wild grassroots summer and comment on the development of some key players on each team. In our second installment of Iowa AAU team analysis, we have Kingdom…
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Continue ReadingOver the next week I am taking time to look back on a wild grassroots summer and comment on the development of some key players on each team. In our second installment of Iowa AAU team analysis, we have Kingdom Hoops 17U. If you missed our first post on the topic, you can find that here.
Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA – 6’7″ Wing
Payton’s game has grown very nicely over the past year. This summer he displayed a more refined post game. He punishes mismatches and wastes no time once he has the advantage. He is very quick at getting into his pull up jumper. The threat of it helps him get to the basket more, where he’s finishing at a higher clip. Stanford has entered the picture, joining Iowa, Drake, Minnesota, and Utah as major D1 offers. I suspect many more will be calling if Payton caps off his college career with a standout senior season.
Chase Bartlett Chase Bartlett 6'2" | SG Southeast Polk | 2021 State IA – 6’2″ SG
To sum up my analysis of Chase in a sentence: I want him on my basketball team. He is active and locked in on both ends of the floor on nearly every possession. He utilizes timely cuts to penetrate and has some nice passing ability. He has difficulty finishing among the trees sometimes and the next step for him is to suck the defense in and find the kickout pass instead driving into a block or turnover. He thrives roaming off-ball, and that goes for defense too. He is always scanning the court, and he understands when and when not to help on defense. Chase will be productive for whoever gets his talents in college.
Reid Grant Reid Grant 6'1" | PG Johnston | 2021 State IA – 6’1″ PG
Reid was a steadying force for Kingdom Hoops this summer. He is strong with the ball and handles defensive pressure rather easily. His go-to move in the lane is the spin, which he can use either direction. He can cap it off with a layup/floater, mix in a ball fake, or find the open man because he doesn’t commit to the shot every time. He scans the floor as he’s making his pivot and often finds cutters to dump it off to. His catch and shoot game was also raised a notch over the summer.
Wyatt Heston Wyatt Heston 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State IA – 6’7″ Wing
As a key player this summer for Kingdom Hoops, Wyatt showcased his value as a reliable spot-up shooter and capable defender. He doesn’t have much of a dribble drive game which limits his offense, but players like Wyatt have a spot in any offense. He shoots when he should and he keeps the ball moving quickly if he doesn’t have anything. He seems to have the instincts to track down rebounds but some added weight will help him greatly.
Jayden Houston Jayden Houston 6'3" | SF Davenport North | 2021 State IA – 6’3″ PG
Houston’s defense showed up big for his team this summer. He jumps passing lanes and sprints down court for easy buckets, often earning trips to the free throw line. He is very physical and can play post defense when caught on a switch. Rebounding is a major part of his value, too. His ball-handling might be the thing holding his game back the most. He is not always capable of showing off his speed and strength on offense because his handle can’t keep up with his athleticism. If he can reliably use his dribble to get where he wants on the floor it will be even more difficult to keep Jayden away from the basket.
Matthew Riedl – 6’2″ SF
Like so many of his Kingdom Hoops teammates, Matthew is an effective shooter off the catch. He doesn’t have much of an intermediate game but I was surprised by his ability to face a guy up on the perimeter and get past him with speed and a dribble move to finish at the basket. He is active on the glass and is great about running the floor. He attacks closeouts well which can result in some easy buckets for the wing player.