Team Scouting: MO Team Carroll 17U
The MO Team Carroll 17U team completed an excellent weekend by winning the championship at the Nike Indy Live Tournament in Indianapolis. Team Carroll finished the tournament with a 6-0 record. They were one of the smallest teams in the tournament with five guards in the starting lineup with the tallest being 6’2″. What’s unique about Team Carroll was that all of them was the point guard for their high school team, which made them difficult to guard because they can all pass, catch, handle the ball and score.
Here is a scouting report on the members of MO Team Carroll 17U:
Xavier Rhodes 6’1″ (Rockurst): A very lean, yet silky smooth combo guard who displayed the ability to slash and slither his way to the basket and finish at the rim with alarming regularity. Rhodes can take the contact and still create buckets from all kinds of angles. It is an art that he has perfected. He has nice handles and he can really pass the ball. Rhodes also knocked down a number of 3-pointers off the catch. He also showed some explosiveness in transition with a few nice dunks and alley-oops. He plays at his own pace and is never hurried. On defense, he has quick hands and good anticipation to shoot the passing lanes. Xavier is a nice prospect who only needs to continue to gain physical strength. He is getting looks from Division I and Division II schools.
R.J.Lawrence 6’1″ (Blue Springs): Another thin, yet extremely skilled combo guard who got buckets, buckets and more buckets throughout the weekend. Lawrence has the ability to score at all three levels, including his 3-pointers, in which he delivered with excellent range. He made six of them during one game in bracket play. Lawrence could make them off the dribble or off the catch if he had a little space. If defenders pushed up on him, Lawrence could drive by and scored in the lane or pull up to make mid range jumpers. He had a stretch of 10 consecutive points in a game when his team was trailing by nine points. He is about as confident an offensive player as you are going to find.
Landon Harrison 5’10” (Helias): An energizer bunny with the ball in his hands, Harrison is a picture of constant motion on the basketball court. You can get tired watching him go because he never stops moving. He has the ability to score in many ways, with a couple of 20-point games to his credit. Despite being small, he is fearless and will attack the basket at every opportunity, which resulted in a bucket. He also made several short stop and pop jumpers from about six to feet out, which are very difficult shots to make, but he did it on the regular. Harrison also displayed good range from 3-point territory. He already has two offers from Division II programs Lincoln and Missouri S&T, plus he’s getting a look from Eastern Illinois.
Austin Thompson 6’2″ (MICDS): An explosive point guard who plays the “center” in this five-guard alignment. He jumped center and guarded the opposing post players, but created a matchup problem with his ability to handle the ball and attack the basket off the dribble. Thompson had some very nice finishes at the rim and displayed a much improved stroke from 3-point range, plus he dropped several nice dimes to open teammates. He is a ferocious defender who can guard on the ball at the point, take on high scoring wing players and battle taller post players. He threw down an impressive tomahawk dunk in the championship game. Thompson received his first official offer from Division II Maryville University over the weekend.
Trent Lyles 6’0″ (Sacred Heart): A physical point guard, Lyles is a tough ball handler who likes to play the game at a fast pace whenever possible. He is strong with the ball which enabled him to battle through contact and pressure. Lyles has the ability to get buckets in a variety of ways. He can get in the lane and score on short jumpers or he can get to the rim. His 3-point shooting has also improved, which makes him a more potent offensive player. Trent plays with a lot of pace, but he has the ability to change speeds and keep opposing defenders off balance.
Jamonta Black 6’3″ (Rock Bridge, 2019): The talented wing player came up from the 16U team for the tournament and fit in perfectly with this group of guards with his ability to score, pass and handle the ball. He should be on the radar of Division I programs because he is a big guard with three-level scoring ability. Black has a nice stroke from 3-point range off the catch, plus he scored on a number of dribble drive moves to the basket, whether it was a pull-up 10 footer or a finger roll at the rim. I was really impressed with Black’s rebounding during Sunday’s bracket games when a championship is on the line. He grabbed several tough rebounds in traffic and took the pounding that went along with it.
Cason Suggs 6’7″ (Washington): The only and only big who played this weekend, Suggs is an improving combo forward who plays with a lot of energy and activity. His offensive game is more suited to facing the basket and knocking down mid-range jumpers off the catch, but he spent most of his time in the paint as the team’s only size. He had a key five-point stretch late in the championship game when he got an And 1 on a put back and followed up with a dunk off of dribble penetration. His length enables him to be an effective shot blocker. He is thin, but he is aggressive and does not back away from the physical play and intensity. Cason has showed a lot of growth during the past year.
Kaden Evans 6’1″ (Oak Park): A lanky shooting guard who has experienced a growth spurt in the past year which has really enhanced his game and resulted in a very good junior year. Evans is a very impressive 3-point shooter with deep range from the perimeter. He needs to be more assertive on offense to display his shooting ability. I also like his ability to pass the ball. He will find open teammates and get them the ball when they are ready to get buckets.