An Afternoon at the UA Finals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='2043503' first='Zack' last='Niven']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chicago again hosts the Under Armour Finals. I spent Thursday afternoon and evening watching any Tennessee-based hoopers compete. These are their stories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2349746"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687954dc7193f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> Heady point guard. Good strength. Just ok speed. He was unable to burst past Top Shot defenders. Perhaps that will be an indication of his college style. Remember Jason Kidd was unable to blow by defenders. Same with Andre Miller. It is not impossible to be a solid point guard if you are not speedy, but it is certainly more difficult. Asbaty did not turn the ball over despite constant pressure. STARS played with a lead most of the game and Top Shot 17u tried to speed them up with a press. Asbaty, Jayden Scott, and [player_tooltip player_id='2571757' first='Nash' last='Stark'] expertly carved it up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2043503"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687959722aefd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> Lipscomb University watched this game, and Niven was most likely the reason. he is a fringe D1 player, to me. Elite shotblocker. Solid shooting touch. Slender but capable of adding weight as his body matures. The key will be development and if a D1 program sigs him then they are not going to get much out of him on the floor in year one. Which is fine. It just is not commonplace in the modern D1 landscape to sign a guy who is not starting Day 1. Hopefully, Niven gets a few D1 opportunities to select from. If not, then he will be a fantastic D2 player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2571757"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-687959722af91"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> Nash plays for Lipscomb Academy. He likes to defend either forward spot, but can get wedged into a center role on shorter teams. Stark has no problem with contact. Totally unselfish. Keeps his eyes on the whole play. Lateral mobility is surprisingly good. Agility impressed. Not explosive, but nimble. Fast basketball thinker. Nash was not just shoved under the rim. He truly helped break the press with the pass. Obviously, [player_tooltip player_id='2571757' first='Nash' last='Stark'] sees over defenses easily. Reliable under ball-pressure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2133810"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68795fc11136d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> Lived at the free throw line. Elite balance. Ty downshifted from full-speed to super slo-mode in an instant. Cobb makes the difficult look routine. Started for Stars 16u in their only Thursday game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thrill 16u defending [player_tooltip player_id='2133810' first='Ty' last='Cobb'] with David Lunn, a 6'4" 190-pound dude.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ty is still playing well, but this is a very different look than he usually saw for Upperman in 2024-2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cobb needs his strong shoulders to fend him off when driving. - @PrepHoopsTN</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2299334"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68795fc1113b6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> Missed his first two three-pointers but looks like he believes in that shot. Both emanated from the near wing. Started for Stars 16u in their only Thursday game. Completely pummeled on the low block. He is tall, but Zay does not have the heft to defend high-level college-bound bigs. This is why we list him as a small forward prospect. Top 3 athlete on the team. Still quite raw. He is taller than our listed 6-foot-4. More like 6-foot-6 now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2373252"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68795fc11148e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> Very, very thin. Obviously, John is athletic. He has a hard time setting screens against guards because he just does not have a wide body. John is not the scorer aroudn the rim Michael Nwoye was early in his career but definitely has the same agility.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2621353"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68795fc1114d3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> High-energy guy. [player_tooltip player_id='2621353' first='Cole' last='Kizer'] secured an offensive rebound, drawing a foul during a STARS 16u scoring drought. Quick feet. Hard-nosed. He will likely always be the smallest guy on the court, so to separate himself he needs to do little things perfectly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1760996"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68797cf5cb877"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>7/17/25:</strong> It is shame we won't get to see Fred play in TSSAA again, if what is anticipated comes to fruition. Fred was absolutely dominant against Grand Rapids Storm 17u Thursday evening. The team needs more, but Fred's impact was undeniable. Elite offensive awareness. Surprising outside shooting prowess.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->