Grassroots Preview: Louisville Magic (17u)
The AAU season is upon us here in Kentucky and around the country. With teams starting to roll out their rosters and events heating up, Prep Hoops Kentucky previews grassroots programs from around the Bluegrass.
The Louisville Magic compete on the adidas Gauntlet Gold Circuit and is one of the top programs in the country. Former players include D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers), Quinton Snyder (Louisville), and Derek Willis (Kentucky).
LOUISVILLE MAGIC (17U) ROSTER
#5 Oumar Keita, Cordia (6’10, C) – 2018
Keita had a solid junior season at Cordia High School, averaging 9 point and 9 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the field. He helped lead Cordia to a 13-11 overall record and is sure to get some looks playing on a high-profile grassroots program such as the Magic. In Dallas this past weekend, Keita averaged 7 points and 6 rebounds in two games for the Magic.
#21 Chance Moore, Fern Creek (6’6, W) – 2017
Moore had a fantastic senior season for Fern Creek, averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. Not only that, he helped lead the Tigers to their first ever state tournament appearance, advancing all the way to the Final Four. Moore just scored a 20 on his ACT and will be a catch for a program still in the need for 2017’s. Moore averaged 10.5 points and 4 rebounds for the Magic in Dallas this past weekend.
#10 Cameron Ramage, Wesley Christian (6’1, G) – 2018
As a back-up point guard at Wesley Christian this past season, Ramage averaged 5 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game. Coach Meddings at Wesley Christian state that “Cameron does a lot of things for us that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. He ran our offense well and shot over 46% from the 3.” An eye popping stat that shows up from this weekends Gauntlet games in Dallas – Ramage had 6 rebounds against the Arkansas Hawks, at 6’1.
#6 Christian Lorng, Wesley Christian (6’10, F/C) – 2018
Talk about a huge weekend in Dallas. Lorng averaged 10 points and 7.3 rebounds in four games for the Magic, earning him a scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee. Lorng also picked up interest from Marshall. Look for his stock to keep rising as the AAU season progresses.
#5 Eric Boone, Bryan Station (6’2, PG) – 2018
Boone had a solid showing on Sunday against the Showtime Ballers, scoring 10 points, dishing out 2 dimes, and grabbing 2 boards. He averaged he averaged 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on the weekend. Boone averaged 14 points per game for Bryan Station during his junior season.
#0 David Sloan, (6’1, PG) – 2017
Sloan was ruled ineligible by the KHSAA after transferring from Taylor County to Ballard HS in Louisville. He moved to Florida and played with for first-year program Conrad out of Orlando earlier in the season, then found a home competing with 22 ft Academy with his former high school coach from Taylor County. Sloan is still the same player that earned him the hype he received as a standout in the Bluegrass State.
He averaged 19.5 points and just under 5 assists in Dallas.
#1 Steven Fitzgerald, Pulaski County (6’5, Wing) – 2018
Fitzgerald helped lead to it’s first state tournament in years this past season, averaging 25.1 points and and 9 rebounds per game. In Dallas he averaged 8.5 points and grabbed 5 rebounds per game.
He has interest from a number of schools including Middle Tennessee, and holds offers from EKU, Samford, Old Dominion, SEMO, and Tennessee Tech.
#2 Anthony Wales, Fern Creek (5’10, PG) – 2018
The Samford commit averaged 14.3 points per game for Fern Creek as a junior this season, helping them reach the state tournament final four. Wales had a solid showing in Dallas, averaging over 6 points per game.
#3 Benson Lin, Wesley Christian (6’3, G) – 2018
Lin was put on the national stage after ESPN featured him in the article, “What’s it like to be the next Jeremy Lin“, after Wesley Christina pulled off an upset over powerhouse Huntington Prep. In that game, Lin scored 29 points off of 14 shots and hit 6 three’s. On the year, Lin averaged 15.3 points per game. He currently holds offers from Rice, Drexel,Winthrop, and Elon. He averaged over 23 points this past weekend for the Magic.
#4 Zan Payne, Lexington Catholic (6’6, F) – 2018
Payne is the son of Kentucky assistant basketball coach Kenny Payne. This past season, Zan helped Lexington Catholic reach the 11th Region tournament final. He averaged 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. This weekend in Dallas, Payne put on a solid showing averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds a game.