Rumble In the Rapids: Tate’s Observations 1.0

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grassroots season tipped off this weekend as hundreds of athletes from around the Midwest gathered at MBA Fieldhouse in Grand Rapids for the Rumble in The Rapids Prep Hoops Circuit Event. Check out my observations from this weekend's games below. Be sure to stay tuned for pt.2, as well as my top performers, top shooters, top defenders, and much more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Montrell Oliver</strong> of BNB 24" and Muskegon High School looked like he was still in post season form following last weekend's MHSAA conclusion at the state finals, which saw Montrell's Muskegon Big Reds take home a runners-up trophy in Division 1. Riding that wave of momentum, Montrell largely dominated his individual matchup, hammering home dunks and skying over the competition for rebounds. Defensively, Montrell had at least five blocks in the opening game, and contested several others, forcing bad shots. Montrell's length and lateral quickness prevented his opponent from driving the lane.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1459095' first='Jordan' last='Wright']</strong> of the Michigan Goonies was the most dynamic forward I saw on Saturday. Jordan flashed a few solid post moves with his back to the basket, using sound technique to get quality high percentage looks up. Jordan also knocked down several jumpers, and looked consistent with his shot. Defensively, Jordan erased multiple jumpers with his lanky frame. His ability to close out quickly on shooters was as noticeable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1811797' first='Evan' last='Haverkamp']</strong> of REAL Academy carried the load on both ends of the floor, dominating almost every opponent that was thrown his way. Evan thrived in the paint despite facing numerous doubles and taking his fair share of physical play. Evan seemed to embrace the physicality and was rewarded by getting to the line on a regular occasion. I thought his drop step in the low post was one of the more polished moves I saw this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gardayee Walker</strong>, in my opinion, was the best overall defender I saw at the camp. His ability to guard all positions effectively and overwhelm both guards and forwards was evident. Gardayee displayed great footwork when guarding the ball and great spatial awareness when providing help-side defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyler Brown</strong> displayed one of the most diverse offensive skillsets of any prospect this weekend. Tyler has good size, strength, and length which made him a matchup-nightmare for opposing players. Tyler knocked down a high percentage number of threes, drove the ball effectively, and was great at setting up his teammates with his dribble drive. Defensively, Tyler won the majority of his matchups and helped control the glass on both ends of the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jerry Peterson</strong> of Top1 Basketball Club Detroit showed off a really nice handle against the Midwest Outlaws on Saturday. Jerry was patient and waited for a driving lane to make his move, which led to several high percentage looks in the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ayden</strong> <strong>Wilkes</strong> of Truth Sports had a good weekend shooting the ball from the perimeter. His ability to seek out soft spots against the zone and get his shot off quickly without compromising his technique stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jerry Boyd</strong> put together a really solid performance on Saturday against the London Ramblers. I thought he played with controlled aggression, he was assertive with what he wanted to do offensively, and kept his eyes on the rim when he drove the lane. Jerry stayed active in transition and was rewarded with several fast break buckets as a result.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Elisha Cooper</strong> was one of the more physically developed prospects I saw over the weekend. Elisha has a unique combination of size and athleticism which he used to create for himself and his teammates. Elisha also seemed willing to embrace contact when he drove the ball and wasn't afraid to put his body on the line to make a play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->