Team Zona July Recap

<p>Team Zona 16s and 17s played in the gold circuit as well as other adidas affiliated events. This group performed at a high level, and I was able to directly observe them during the first live period in California. Below is a breakdown of their roster from the first live period.</p> <p><strong>17U</strong></p> <p><em>Larry Olayinka 6’8 PF 2022 Birmingham High School</em></p> <p>Olayinka plays with a high motor and has a lot of length. He makes a huge impact due to his uncoachables and effort. Offensively, he has soft touch around the rim and is a capable shooter.</p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="703835" first="JJ" last="White"] 6’3 PG/SG 2021 Ironwood High School </em></p> <p>JJ is coming off another solid year at Ironwood and a commitment to Central Arizona Community College. Throughout July, he continued to shoot the basketball well while also taking on point guard and shooting guard duties. White’s toughness and college build will make him an immediate impact guy at the collegiate level.</p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="703815" first="Kevin" last="Kogbara"] 6’7 SF 2021 Dream City Christian</em></p> <p>Kogbara is skilled and has size as well as strength. When he gets a rhythm, he is extremely dangerous due to his ability to score the basketball from all three levels.</p> <p><em>Kosy Akametu 6’3 PG/SG 2021 King/Drew High School</em></p> <p>Akametu was extremely impressive. He is impossible to stop in transition due to his speed, strength, and soft touch around the rim. He constantly finished through contact and was extremely explosive. His ability to touch paint and create for himself as well as for others was also impressive. He has a college level body and played extremely well.</p> <p><em>Noah Rasdall 6’1 SG 2022 Skyline Prep</em></p> <p>Rasdall plays with a chip on his shoulder and is a capable shooter. He has a solid handle and competes on both ends of the floor. He will have a good senior year at Skyline Prep.</p> <p><em>Sean McCants 5’8 PG 2022 North Canyon High School</em></p> <p>McCants is quick and elusive. This allows him to defend at a high level despite his height and to touch paint on offense. </p> <p><strong>16U</strong></p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="814531" first="Adonis" last="Thomas"] 6’4 PG 2023 Ironwood High School</em></p> <p>Thomas is a knockdown shooter, but where he thrived is his passing abilities and ability to finish in the paint. Thomas has improved as defender and makes difficult plays with the basketball. He was a big part of Team Zona’s success throughout the summer.</p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="1059927" first="Brandon" last="Turner"] 6’0 PG 2023 Hillcrest Prep</em></p> <p>Turner has a knack for tough finishes around the rim, especially with his right hand. If he is able to get downhill, he makes tough plays with the basketball. He is quick, elusive, and has a soft touch.</p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="1211945" first="Zaveion" last="Bineyard"] 6’5 SF 2023 Verrado High School</em></p> <p>Bineyard is an intriguing prospect due to his length and shooting ability. He did not hesitate to take shots in pressure situations and shot the basketball extremely well regardless of game situation.</p> <p><em>Chidubem Akametu 6’4 PF 2023 King/Drew High School</em></p> <p>Akametu is physical and has the ability to score the basketball around the rim. He is athletic and uses his strong style of play to clean up loose balls and rebounds.</p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="937197" first="Jordan" last="Jones"] 6’2 PG 2023 Ironwood High School</em></p> <p>Jones has earned a reputation for his defensive prowess due to his willingness to take charges and pick up the ball full court. However, in this event, he demonstrated an ability to touch paint and score from all three levels. </p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="936910" first="Jordan" last="Kuac"] 6’4 SF/PF 2023 Ironwood High School</em></p> <p>Kuac is explosive and plays with a motor that never stops. He has improved his lateral movements, and he has become more confident in his ability to finish around the rim as well as shoot it from deep.</p> <p><em>Logan DeMarie 6’0 SG 2023 Sunnyslope High School</em></p> <p>DeMarie is a knockdown shooter from deep. He understands his role and does what he can to aid his team in winning games. When this team is playing well, he is usually the glue guy who is stretching the floor.</p> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id="936905" first="Julius" last="Williams"] 6’4 PF 2023 Ironwood High School</em></p> <p>Williams is capable of making an impact from an array of spots on the floor. On the block, he has solid footwork. Further, he is a good passer. He can score the basketball from multiple levels, and he rebounds out of his area due to his size and strength. </p> <p><em>Blake Carabio 6’1 SG 2024 Ironwood High School</em></p> <p>Carabio was a bright spot for Team Zona as he shot the basketball with consistency from mid-range and deep. He did a great job of spacing the floor and competing on both ends of the floor. </p>