July AAU Superlatives: 2019 Class
The month of July is perhaps the most important period of basketball in the entire AAU season. The three NCAA live periods allows players to get looks from a ton of coaches, which in some cases translates into offers. Kids from Kentucky spent the three weeks traveling everywhere from Myrtle Beach to Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Here are some of our July Superlatives:
Best Duo: Michael Moreno and Kyle Rode (Indiana Elite) – It’s odd to have the best duo playing for an out of state team, but Moreno and Rode have been with Indiana Elite for the last two seasons and have enjoyed a lot of success. This year they only lost 2 games for the entire AAU season and compiled almost ten offers between them over the course of the summer. As a Kentucky homer, I hate to see kids go and play out of state for AAU, but no one can argue that playing with IE hasn’t worked out for these two Kentucky boys so far in their basketball careers.
Don’t Jump With Him! (Best Dunker): David Johnson (Louisville Magic) – I was torn between Johnson and KyKy Tandy here but gave Johnson the edge. Tandy puts on an exciting dunk show in layup lines and on Instagram but Johnson is the more likely of the two to “catch a body” in a game. You better not jump with either of them.
Hand Down, Man Down! (Best Shooter): Hunter McCutcheon (Louisville Magic) – Hunter possesses one of the most pure strokes in the Commonwealth. He shot 43% from 3 for Male High last season while shooting almost 6 3s per game. On the AAU circuit he benefits from single coverage that he doesn’t see in Louisville. When Hunter gets a clean look at the rim, it’s going in more often than it’s not.
Most Underrated: TaQuan Hollowell (Starz United) – Standing 6’4 and possessing a relentless motor, TaQuan Hollowell is a top 10-15 player in the 2019 class but you don’t hear much about him. As hard as he plays, the knock on the UHA Blazer is that no one seems to know what position he projects to play in college. What I know is that he makes winning plays and makes his team better. He has a chance to play Division I like his older brother and Wofford freshman Tray Hollowell.
Walking Bucket (Best Scorer): Dontaie Allen (Ky Royals) – Capable of scoring at all 3 levels and getting to the free throw line with ease, Allen is not only a big time bucket getter, but he’s generally pretty efficient when scoring the ball. Critics used to knock his poor shooting percentage from 3, but he’s improved that aspect of his game over the last year or so and will only continue to get better.
Human Eraser (Best Shot Blocker): Isaiah Cozart (Louisville Magic) – After shattering the state blocks record as a sophomore last year, not much changed for Cozart in the AAU season. He just continued erasing shots one after the other. Standing only 6’7″ but possessing a massive 7’4″ wingspan and defensive timing that cannot be taught, Isaiah Cozart is an elite level shot blocker.
110% Award: JJ Kalakon (M.A.T.T.S. Mustangs) – JJ plays his butt off every second of every game. Usually playing the entire game or most of it for Waggener and the Mustangs. He guards every position from 1-5 and it’s not unusual to see him guard a 6’10” kid on defense and then push the break after a rebound. If there is a 50/50 ball, Kalakon is diving for it. And colleges have taken notice as he already holds 2 D1 offers from Morehead State and SEMO.
Best College Prospect No One Talks About: TreVon Smith (Team Manimal) – It may seem weird to have a kid listed here that already holds a D1 offer from Morehead State but Smith’s name isn’t mentioned as much as it should be. Standing 6’3″ and capable of playing either guard spot, TreVon is a big time scorer. Ranked #12 in our last rankings update, I believe Smith projects as a mid major combo guard at the next level. If he continues to grow and improve his game, TreVon could find himself on some high major radars a year from now depending on exposure and how well he plays in his 17u AAU season.