GRBA Nationals: Thursday
FORT WAYNE, IN | It is the final week of the AAU season and we are up in the Summit City checking in on the Spiece Fieldhouse for the last time this year. There are plenty of top programs around this weekend and while we focused on a couple on Thursday night, we are trying to expand and get out to see more and more players on unknown teams this weekend. Here are some of what we saw on the first day of the GRBA Nationals.
Pro Bound Takes Down Indy Heat 17’s
In maybe the most thrilling game of the night, it was Pro Bound 17U that pulled out the victory over Indy Heat EYBL 17U. Led by an outstanding effort by Adrian Nelson, who scored 24 points in the win, Pro Bound kept the lead for most of the game and then in the final minutes were able to pull away.
Indy Heat was without a lot of their top players and really only Keion Brooks Jr., Jacob Polakovich, Brandon Johns, and Marcus Bingham were there from the first part of the year. They brought up Ethan Brittain-Watts, Isaiah Thompson, and John-Michael Mulloy to play. Thompson continued his great shooting and both Johns and Brooks were really good in the first half.
Michigan State commit Marcus Bingham looked outstanding in this one. He dropped 18 points, 11 coming in the second half. However, the play of Adrian Nelson, a 6’7 forward out of Pickerington Central (OH) was the best performance of the day. He was showing off his ability to shoot in the 15-22’ range as well as play at a high level in transition and above the rim. He had more than a few highlight reel plays and was drawing the eye of a lot of coaches in this one.
Indy Heat 16U Red Hits 20 Threes In Win
One of the more intriguing teams we have seen this month might have been the Indy Heat Red team. They have some hidden talent from the northern part of the state that should really get some more attention as the high school season comes around. The name that most know on this group is Westview (IN) guard Elijah Hales. The 6’2 combo guard had 7 threes on his own in this one to give him 28 points for the game. He’s been a kid that has really stepped up in the last year as his body has filled out. He’s always had the skill and scoring ability but he’s taking it to another level.
The bigger finds in terms of talent in this one were Sam Snodgrass and Sawyer Stoltz. Snodgrass is a 6’4 wing out of Crown Point (IN) that just really looked comfortable in every situation. He’s got a big frame and some toughness to him with a lefty stroke. Rebounded well, drove for a floater and shot the ball well too. He had 23 points and hit 7 threes of his own.
Stoltz could be a quick riser in this group. The 6’7 wing out of Huntington North can really stretch the floor. He’s a guy who can shoot, handle the ball well enough to drive, and play defense well enough on perimeter wings and forwards. He had 12 points and hit three triples in the game.
New Names To Check In On
With out search this week to dig into some new names and new teams, we found a few already on Thursday. One of the early ones was Thabit Gault Jr., a 6’7 post out of Mississenwa (IN). He’s a guy we have known about for a while but still was waiting to really take off. He’s a big post with a good amount of strength. Has some skill and can move. Motor is the big question but enough there to draw some small school interest.
Another name to watch out for is Drew Devers of East Noble (IN). The 6’3 wing showed the ability to shoot the ball pretty well on this night. He’s a bigger 2-guard and could grow as he gains a little more confidence. His teammate on Gym Rats 2018-Black, Jonah Webb, is another one we liked. A 6’6 burly post with more mobility than you would think. Can put it on the floor and drive a bit but so much strength in the post. With limited size in the 2018 class, it could really help his stock.