Memorial Day Takeover Saturday Standouts
ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Memorial Day Takeover 2017 got underway on Friday, and we were fortunate to witness some competitive games. Below are just a few standouts from the first night of action.
’20 OBINNA ANOCHILI | 16U TEAM MELO
This was our first chance to see Obinna Anochili in person, and he put on a nice first impression. The long and lanky 6’8 big man runs the floor hard, and can finish strong at the rim.
RJ BLAKNEY | 16U TEAM MELO
RJ Blakney continues to show signs of consistency and improvement. He’s a lockdown defender, and likes to get out in the open court. Blakney is also much improved in half court sets, and can operate on or off the ball comfortably.
MEKHI HENDRICKS | 17U ERICK GREEN PREMIERE
Mekhi Hendricks had some really nice floaters in the paint, and used the backboard effectively on his finishes. He defended well, and made several good passes.
BRAEDEN JOHNSON | 17U TEAM TAKEOVER GREY
Braeden Johnson demonstrated a sweet stroke from beyond the arc, and a very quick release. The sharpshooting 6’5 wing hit three of four from deep vs. Erick Green Premiere.
DONNELL LOUD | 16U TEAM MELO
We liked how hard Donnell Loud ran the floor in transition. He displayed soft hands, and was readily available for dump offs. Loud also did a good job ignoring contact on his finishes at the rim.
JOSH MACK | 17U ERICK GREEN PREMIERE
One of the biggest stock boosters of the spring has to be Josh Mack of Goretti. The athletic guard showcased his ability to defend at a high level. Mack consistently broke down his man, and got into the paint where he made plays.
CASEY MORSELL | 16U TEAM TAKEOVER BLACK
Casey Morsell continues to improve and showcase confidence in his skill set. Initially recognized as a lockdown defender, Morsell has developed a more balanced all around game. Morsell is an effective scorer from all three levels.
DEVEN RICHMOND | 17U MD3D
Deven Richmond hit a few perimeter jumpers, and had some creative finishes in transition. The athletic swing man out of DeMatha is a difficult matchup when his shot is falling from the perimeter.
JEREMY ROACH | 16U TEAM TAKEOVER BLACK
Jeremy Roach led Team Takeover to two convincing wins on Saturday. The highly skilled lead guard played at his own pace, and showed that he can be deadly scoring it from all three levels. Roach also made several nice passes to set up easy looks for his teammates, and defended at a high level.
JAKE STEPHENS | 17U ERICK GREEN PREMIERE
Musselman (WV) native Jake Stephens is a major sleeper. The 6’8 big has good length, and can hit the three consistently from the catch. Stephens is a very good rim protector, and an active rebounder.