UAA Indy : Friday Night Notes
INDIANAPOLIS, IN | For the second year in a row, the Under Armour and Nike events for the AAU circuit came to Indiana and with it came a lot of high-end basketball on the northern part of Indianapolis. On Friday night, there was a ton of talent and we break down what we saw.
G3 Grind 2019 Took The Stage
With the class of 2019 in Indiana being as stacked as it is, it was proven a bit by just how good some of the newer teams are in the state. Grind took on Wisconsin Playground Warriors on Friday night and looked great. Led by New Castle (IN) post Mason Gillis and Fishers (IN) wing Armaan Franklin, they dominated from start to finish.
Gillis has trimmed up the body a bit and looks a little taller but the motor is solid and it showed on Friday. He torched Playground in the paint and especially in transition where he is quicker and more athletic than a year ago.
His teammate, Armaan Franklin, looks much improved as well. He showed a better jumper and one that can possibly become a bigger weapon for him. Franklin has been improving rapidly and the IUPUI offer looked a bit early at the time but it might end up being a little too low of level. He’s aggresssive and creative right now with tons of length and quite a bit of skill. These two players showed out of Friday night and could really see their stock rise because of it.
C2K Elite Wins On Buzzer Beater
Ohio’s C2K Elite looked like they were about to get blown out early in the game but kept the score close. By the fourth quarter, they were almost out of it with a minute to go but a couple missed free throws by Wisconsin Playground Warriors allowed a last second three by Just Ahrens from mid-court to pull off the upset.
Crispus Attucks’ guard Nike Sibande is playing back on the circuit with C2K Elite and was pretty solid in this one. His shot wasn’t stellar but he showed a good combination of shooting and scoring the ball. His driving ability was solid and had some tough battles at the rim.
Tough Start For G3 Grind 2018
The 2018 version of Grind had a tough night falling to Illinois Wolves in their opener. Led by Kevin Easley and De’Avion Washington, this group struggled to get things going on offense but did enough defensively that they were able to stay in the game most of the night.
Easley looked solid at times. More composed than he had been during the high school season. His jumper continues to be a big weapon for him and he is going to use it a ton but he showed a little more effort tonight off the ball going after boards and playing defense. When the shot is falling for him, he’s going to look great and like a high major player.
Grind plays again tomorrow at 1:00 PM against a tough Grassroots Sizzle 17U team at Best Choice Fieldhouse.