Manheim Bucket-Getters

New readers: Use code Proia30     I drove out to Manheim, Pennsylvania to cover Made Hoops' East Mania event featuring some of the top talent from the Northeast competing in a warmup spring AAU event. I got to see teams from across the major shoe circuits compete alongside some of the top independent circuits, including MH's MHC or MCC circuit teams. In this article we will break down some of the top bucket-getters that I saw, true scorers that came through for their teams in important moments. Let's dive in!    23p 2r 1a vs Thrill   -Phillips has grown a bit over the past year and it has given him more confidence initiating contact on drives to the rim and has enabled him to be a much better finisher. Loved the growth as well as an off-ball cutter from the corners that can dive to the rim to finish alley-oop lobs or serve as a connector on the move as an offensive player that opposing defenses need to mark. Phillips scored off several extension layups after blowing by his matchup, drove straight down the gut off a side ball screen and punched a dunk home, threw a beautiful crosscourt 1-handed dime to the shooter, hit a turn-around jumper from the elbow, euro-stepped around a defender to avoid the charge and score at the rim, and cut to space to create release valves for teammates that picked up their dribble. A much more well-rounded approach should only increase his long-term value as a prospect.     27p 1a 1r 1s vs [program_tooltip program_id='2078709' first='Team' last='Final']   -Came alive late to cut the Final lead late in a comeback that fell short, but loved the fight to keep attacking down the final stretch of the game. Moore hit 3s off the catch and off the bounce, raced the ball well in transition and made good decisions in space, hit floaters off the window, and scored off a big-time extension lay through the contact for the AND1 bucket. Moore's advanced handle gives him some perimeter wiggle that makes him a difficult guard to contain, even on the sidelines or baseline-- he's difficult to trap. Once he has the confidence to be aggressive off rip and not let up, his scoring outputs will only become that much more loud and consistent.     -German was an offensive bright spot for the NY Lightning as an aggressive downhill driver that works his way to his spots in the half court. The Dominican Republican native has the ball on a string and uses short bursts to throw his matchup off their rhythm and create space for jumpers or sharp passes off the bounce. German hit a deep 3 off the catch at the end of the shot clock, hit some tough movement jumpers coming off of screens, and is capable of guarding up a position thanks to a sturdy frame. Interesting name to track in 2027     -Our PH MD staff has been high on Raue for a bit and his role with the Warriors is pretty perfect to realize that potential as a guard that can score effectively in spots as an efficient shooter that is rounding out his self-creation skills. Raue used his pivot well to maneuver around the defense and hit a reverse layup, had a 1-dribble spin move into a fade-away short jumper that splashed through the net, scored on a euro step lefty layup at the rim, and looks much more comfortable attacking closeouts. He competed at the defensive end of the floor but will need to continue to develop more footspeed to succeed on perimeter switches onto 3SSB PGs this summer, but the flashes were encouraging throughout the weekend as a shooter that is developing a more well-rounded game.     9p 1r (3/4 3P) vs Thrill   -Erfle stepped in to take and make some big shots that seemed to stifle every run that Thrill went on throughout the afternoon. Erfle hit movement shots with and without a dribble depending on the closeouts that came his way, has the size to not be bothered by most contests, and moved well to space to create better looks at the rim. An unselfish passer in the halfcourt, Erfle picked his spots to keep the ball moving or provide his team with some much-needed spacing for his bigs and slashing guards. Thought he did a good job of sprinting back and walling up in transition to force misses in order to create an advantage opportunity at the other end for his team.     -The skill development is paying dividends for Sauritch as a shooter that provides some crucial floor-spacing for a super talented 15u Durant group. Sauritch hit a jumper early on but did a great job against Team Canada of using his shooting gravity to freeze his opponents with a pump fake before he drove to the rim and finished off a high-pickup euro step with the sweeping left-handed layup off the window. If he can continue to develop the handle to enable him to pass off a live dribble with either hand, it will make those drives to the paint even more dangerous with the play-making aspect added into the mix. With his IQ, shooting, a developing floor game, and an improved attention detail to the defensive side of the ball-- he is building a pretty safe floor for himself as a prospect.

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