Grit Region Finals: 17 U Friday Standouts

The Grit Region Finals kicked off with 17 U action taking place at the Farmers Bank Fieldhouse in Lebanon, Indiana. In this article we'll break down some 17 U standouts from the opening night.    Midwest Flyers Paige was down early but Caldwell hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the first half to bring his team back within striking distance. In the second half, Caldwell put on a show to lead his team to victory. After a rainbow 3-pointer tied the game midway through the second half, Caldwell had a steal into an assist to break the deadlock. Later in the game with his team up three, Caldwell blew by a defender to drive and lay it in off the glass. His strong second half charge was the difference between winning and losing on Friday night.     With good size and a strong frame, Kareelis was putting in work on the interior for Full Package White. With multiple and-1 layups at the rim, Kareelis was using his strength to his advantage. When Kareelis caught it in the post, he liked to back down before spinning back to his left shoulder to finish with his right hand. One of the most productive forwards I saw all evening, Kareelis size and motor will give him a chance to contribute at the college level.     Quality Sports had a strong start to the tournament that got a delayed start with their opponent being a little late to the tournament. Despite playing a little over a half, Griffin established his presence on both ends of the court tonight. Defensively, Griffin has quick hands that caused turnovers and allowed his team to push the pace. With the ball in his hands, Griffin was looking to pass it ahead to a teammate running down the court. Also knocking down jumpers, Griffin's toughest shot was a 3-pointer in the corner off a nice BLOB set for him to catch a handoff. Quality Sports could have a chance to make some real noise this weekend.     A physically imposing presence on the court, Lowe stands apart physically with his size from the wing position. Able to use his bigger frame and body to shield off defenders in the paint, Lowe is a load to defend and box out. Offensively, Lowe knocked down a handful of spot-up 3-pointers on Friday evening as well. If Ky Rise can take care of the basketball and lock down defensively, they have the talent to compete deep into the winners bracket.     Despite only having five players, Charging Elite gave a great effort on Friday in their tough first round contest. Moulton impressed me as the undersized point guard was scoring in transition, especially when he got behind the defense on the fast break. Also knocking down a couple timely 3-pointers, those shots helped get his team back in the game. The quickness of Moulton was also on display when he created off the dribble and set one of his teammates up to score. Moulton is a new name from a Charging Elite program that's made some strides this summer on our circuit.     The last time I saw Perie, he was making it rain from downtown with this same Midwest Burgett squad. Tonight, Perie was scoring it in the paint better than I've seen him before. Leading his team with 17 points on just one 3-pointer, Perie scored some drives and reverse layups at the rim. Also thought he played tougher, going after a couple rebounds and loose balls. Staying active and aggressive will be the key for Perie, who has the ability to get hot from downtown. We'll see what Midwest Burgett can do for an encore tomorrow after a blowout win on night one of the tournament. The winners bracket will only get harder as we advance.

The Grit Region Finals kicked off with 17 U action taking place at the Farmers Bank Fieldhouse in Lebanon, Indiana. In this article we'll break down some 17 U standouts from the opening night.