Grind Region Finals: Top Athletic Prospects

The Prep Hoops Grind Region Finals showcased many players with tons of athleticism! Players in this article had highlight plays that surfaced social media as the weekend went on. In this article I will talk about the top six players that were the most athletic in this tournament.      Stevie McClelland plays a very important role for the Dirty South Elite in the paint on both sides of the court. He is a play finisher that goes up athletically almost every time. When receiving the ball in the paint his vertical leap off the floor was impressive as he dunked the ball against Pro Skills Dallas 17U multiple times. Defensively Stevie altered shots in the paint due to his physical frame coming away with some blocks in the stat sheet. Stevie blocked shots coming from the weak side chasing opponents driving to rim displaying his quick reaction time in half court possessions.     [player_tooltip player_id='2381740' first='Jacobi' last='Ewing']'s athleticism was on full display throughout every game I watched him play using it in productive ways. With the ball in his possession Jacobi was in constant attack mode offensively as he is someone you don't want to meet at the rim, especially in transition. His explosiveness was impressive, making him a huge threat in driving lanes. With one quick jab or dribble move towards the basket, Jacobi was well on his way to finish offensive possessions. Jacobi can also create shots off the dribble in the mid-range using his 6'5 height to shoot over defenders. In terms of shooting from the perimeter he is capable from that range especially off the catch. Jacobi was one of the most active defenders in the division defensively. He plays the passing lanes well alongside putting pressure on opposing ball handlers. There were moments of Jacobi blocking shots as well displaying great reaction time.     Jarvell Bordelon is an athletic prospect who aggressively attacks the basket with vengeance, willing to go up with anyone in his way. When attacking the basket with contact he has good body control to finish plays matching the physicality of opposing defenders. Jarvell has no problem playing above the rim offensively coming away with multiple highlights and a broken rim throughout the tournament. With his aggressive play style, he is active on the offensive and defensive glass showing his effort on both ends of the floor. Jarvell can play defense on all three levels displaying his versatility on that side of the court.     Epiphane Affi was a rebounding machine throughout the weekend and was a huge piece to the Gulf Coast Blue Chip's success this weekend. He held the paint down for his team providing what was needed to win games. Offensively, Epiphane finishes plays strong at the rim using his athleticism to disregard contact from opposing defenders. Throughout Epiphane would find himself at the free throw line many times earning those opportunities. He dunks the ball a good amount when the opportunity comes which was often. Defensively he anchored the paint with his 6'9 frame to deflect shots and make it tough on opposing players to get easy baskets. At times he was responsible for making effort plays that turned defense into offense quickly for his team.     [player_tooltip player_id='2555372' first='Lee' last='Pouncil'] is a very athletic forward that plays with a lot of effort on both ends of the floor. Majority of the time he plays above the rim on offense getting most of his production in the paint. He never settles for jump shots as he constantly drives to the rim when he gets the opportunity to create for himself. Defensively he is very active playing on all three levels on that end. He uses his athleticism very well to block shots and cover ground on the perimeter.     Shangameir Sutton is a prospect that I got the opportunity to watch last summer on the Prep Hoops circuit. With him expanding his game even further since the last time I watched him play. As I watched last him play before, it was evident that he was a very athletic wing/big. He played the big position during the Grind Region Final for the PrepStarz 17U. In this tournament he showcased the ability to stretch the floor capitalizing on perimeter shots as he converted on some of those opportunities against New Mexico Mambas 17U. Also, on the perimeter he can create driving lanes for himself with the ball in his hands showing his versatility. He got the court four crowd on their feet as he dunked the ball in multiple possessions offensively. Defensively he played good on the ball and came away with some huge blocks protecting the rim.

The Prep Hoops Grind Region Finals showcased many players with tons of athleticism! Players in this article had highlight plays that surfaced social media as the weekend went on. In this article I will talk about the top six players that were the most athletic in this tournament.