NY2LA Summer Jam: Thursday
MEQUON, WI | The second day at the NY2LA Summer Jam proved that the depth of this tournament is outstanding. Today, we focused on watching out-of-state talent along with some younger age groups. It was a successful trip and we recap our Thursday in Milwaukee.
A2P, Jets-Ramey 2018 Go To Battle
In one of the tougher fought games of the week to date, the matchup between A2P 2018 and Jets-Ramey United 2018 was a fun one to watch. A2P brought some Region toughness to the game as did Ramey. The size and athleticism was definitely on display as well as some scoring prowess. In the end, A2P was able to pull it out, 49-47.
A2P has a ton of size on their team, they don’t really have a lead guard other than Andrean (IN) guard Caden Helfrich so they have a lot of wings handling the ball which led to a more wide open game. Former Michigan City (IN) wing Dante Combs has really played well this spring and summer. He’s gotten taller and stronger and his jumper is really lighting it up now. 2018’s Latrell Williams of Gary Roosevelt (IN) and Jaylon Holmes of Merrillville (IN) were also very good in this one.
For Jets-Ramey United 2018, the play of Jalen Hodge and Malachi Smith was extremely impressive. Hodge, a 6’1 lead guard from O’Fallon (IL) has all the speed and shooting ability you want. He plays with a great pace and can rip off pull-up threes with the best of them. Malachi is a 6’3 off-guard from Belleville East (IL). He was the most dominant scoring threat in this game. He’s such a powerful driving guard that when he knows he wants to score, you likely aren’t going to even slow him down.
Peterson, Illinois Wolves Showcase Talent
Just from looking at him, Libertyville (IL) forward Drew Peterson doesn’t come off like a basketball player but the kid can get buckets. The 6’8 skilled forward is a little gangly and thin but he’s a fluid athlete and can really handle the ball like a guard.
It’s a stretch of a comp but at first glance he reminds you of a young Gordon Hayward. Great size and skill but if everything falls just right, he could be a high-end player. He’s already one of the more skilled players you are going to find in the Midwest as a guy that can shoot, drive, pass, and do it against high level competition.
Peterson wasn’t the only player for Illinois Wolves that showed out on Thursday. St. Charles East (IL) forward Justin Hardy and Wesley Christian (KY) forward Tahir Smith were also very good. Hardy is an extremely versatile forward that can just make plays. He’s tough and physical, showing the ability to post up on one end, switch 1-5 on the other end, and then come down and drill a three back on offense.
Smith was much more confident in his ball handling abilities that in the spring. He was able to drive from the wing and get to the rim over and over again. The three players all have improved since the spring AAU season and has Illinois Wolves rolling at NY2LA.
H.I.T. 2020 Has Size, Skill At 15U
For the class of 2020, you are looking for a good frame that can continue to grow and hopefully that frame to be paired with skill. Not always the case at that age but when you find it, you might have something. H.I.T. 2020 has a pair of those guys. The West Chicago Suburb group has two guys, Grayson Therron of Wheaton North (IL) and Sam Schultz of Oswego East (IL).
Therron is a 6’6 forward that seems more like a post player early but clearly has the mobility and skill to play away from the rim. He’s got a great frame with tons of strength already and could continue to grow. Sam Schultz is a little shorter at 6’5 and is a little more slender but much more of a wing and has more athleticism early on.
Both players have a chance to be pretty good moving forward and should be players to track. This team has some depth with Marcus Skeete and Davis Walker as guards with size as well.