King of Prussia: Backcourt Standouts

New readers: Use code Proia30     I drove up to King of Prussia, PA to check out a regional session for the New Balance circuit featuring both P32 and E32 teams. I got a chance to see teams from all over the country in addition to a few teams from Canada compete to stack up wins in their respective leagues as we have reached the dog days of the AAU season. First, we'll break down some of the top backcourt players that I saw today. Let's dive in!    24p vs SKG   -Love the variance in Velez's offensive production as a guard prospect that is growing more and more comfortable putting the ball on the floor. Velez started things off by knocking down a pair of triples off the catch, snagged a steal and drove straight down the gut for a monster 2-handed dunk, hit a movement 3 off a flare screen, executed a well-timed euro step in transition for an easy inside hand lay, broke his defender down with a wide crossover at the top of the key to then drill the 1-dribble elbow pullup, took off early to raise up and hit the finger roll over an opponenet in transition, and pushed the pace to earn several trips to the FT line. He's developing more wiggle and creativity on his drives in the paint once he gets past his matchup to create better finishing angles or draw a foul around the basket. Velez played well with his 15u group and gave the 17u team a nice lift off the bench as they deal with a few injuries this weekend.     -Lazaridis impressed in several different areas as he showed his value as a shooter, dug down effectively on bigs to disrupt offensive flow, came up with some key defensive rebounds, and moved the ball well around the horn to generate good looks for his team. His shot prep and footwork led to a big offensive eruption late in the game that almost brought his team all the way back. Lazaridis hit a 3 to make it a 4 point game with 30 seconds left after hitting a wing 3 to cut it to 6, then knocked down a tough turn-around corner 3 with no dribbles to cut it to 4 again with just under 10 seconds remaining. Loved the intangibles that he brings to the game as an unselfish teammate that showed a willingness to win 50/50 balls that shifted the momentum of the game.     22p vs WV Hustle    -It's coming together nicely for Feamster as he heads into his senior season much more confident in his perimeter ability in a nice role for a balanced MLE team. Feamster hit his opponent with a wide double crossover into a smooth elbow pull-up jumper, knocked down four 3s off movement, pushed the pace well in transition, hit a baseline pull-up jumper, and understood “good to great” by turning down contested threes to create easy buckets for himself and others when attacking closeouts. I liked the way that he used his scoring gravity in the 2H to draw two on paint touches and make a play for a teammate. His body composition improvements are noticeable as his burst with the ball in his hands has improved and he's getting off the ground much more quickly/fluidly for rebounds or finishes above the rim.     -Crafty guard that is adept at initiating contact on drives to the rim and getting to his spots as a shifty downhill driver. Moore pushed the pace in transition and showed great timing on passes to teammates whether it was a quick baseball pass over the top after snagging a defensive rebound or a shovel pass/drop-off to a teammate in traffic at the offensive end. His ability to freeze help defenders with his eyes or with his pace coming off of ball screens was invaluable to his group as he created advantage scenarios for his team in the halfcourt. Would not be surprised to see him scoop up a late scholarship here in the spring as college rosters finalize their groups for the upcoming season.     -I don't think I've seen a game that Nix has played poorly in, even on days where the shot isn't falling-- he finds other ways to impact winning. The shot was falling today as Nix continues to prove to be one of the more underrated combo guards in the country. Nix started the game off with two straight 3s, used that shooting gravity to kick opposite to collect assists to shooters on the opposite wing throughout the game, and took advantage of a strong frame to bullyball defenders to the rim and his spots in the halfcourt. Nix has active hands defensively and disrupts opponents' offensive flow with his ability to switch onto different position groups to either body up with forwards to push them out of the paint or chase point guards around screens. His even-keeled demeanor pairs well with an aggressive style of play at both ends of the floor. He should make a name for himself on a national level with his transfer to Gillion Academy for his senior season.

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