Team Scout: St. Louis Shooting Stars 17U

The St. Louis Shooting Stars 17U enjoyed a very productive month of July. They accomplished one of their biggest victories of the summer when they defeated the Arkansas Hawks at the Adidas Three Stripes Alliance in St. Charles. The Hawks played in the Adidas Uprsing Series Gauntlet. Coach Troy Griffin's crew finished the month strong by winning all four of its games at last weekend's Sunflower Showcase in Shawnee, KS. Here is a look at the St. Louis Shooting Stars: Justin Mathews-Williams 6'3" Francis Howell North: A strong shooting guard who has the ability to get buckets in a variety of ways. He is very good on the drive where he played through contact and got himself to the free throw line and completed a number of And 1s. He is constantly probing and attacking and putting the pressure on the defense, plus he can also make jump shots if the defense slacks  off to much. Michael Akinwumi 6'7" Parkway West: A developing big who improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the summer. Big Mike was a factor in the post and as rebounder and shot blocker, which he has always done well. He has shown the most improvement with his offensive game as he did a much better job of finishing around the basket. He also converted many offensive put-backs for easy buckets. He should be primed for a big senior season. Michael Sanders 5'10" SLUH: A excellent floor general who did a nice job of directing the team with a lot of scoring options. He handled the ball well against pressure and distrusting the ball in a very effective manner. He is also an excellent 3-point shooter who will keep the defense very honest. Brenden Gillmann 6'3" Oakville: An excellent 3-point shooter with good size on the wing. Gillmann scored 16 points and knocked down four 3-pointers in a victory over NLHA out of Wichita. He is very good off the catch with a quick release. He is also a solid ball handler and passer. Darious Thomas 6'0" Fort Zumwalt South: A hard-charging combo guard who is coming at you at full speed every opportunity he got. He loves to attack the basket and he has the strength and athleticism to make it happen on a consistent basis. He is an excellent finisher through contact, in which he seeks and flourishes with the physical nature of attacking the rim. With the court spaced with good shooters, he has the ability to get to the rim very effectively. Darius Dorsey 6'2" CBC: A very athletic wing who plays a very energetic game that is very valuable. He collects a lot of points by making a lot of hustle plays, whether its crashing the offensive boards, running down loose balls or getting out on the break in transition. He makes a lot of things happen when he is on the floor. Kyle Younge 5'10" Jennings: An excellent point guard who has the ability to get buckets and plays the game with a fearless streak, which makes him such a good player. He is a good distributor, but when it time to score, he can knock down 3-pointers and get to the rim and make his free throws. He averaged more than 18 points and led Jennings to the Class 4 state quarterfinals last season. He is never afraid of the big moment. C.J. Paul 6'3" Vianney: An excellent 3-point shooter off the catch. When he is on his game, he can make them in bunches, which really comes in handy on a team with a nice group of drivers and slashers. His long range shooting provides them the space they need to open the court. He is also a solid ball handler with good size on the wing. Leondre Clay 6'8" Kirkwood: A developing big who provided ample size on the interior. He has a big body and he can be very effective around the basket when he's able to get the ball in certain spots around the basket. He is hard to move around the basket with his size.