Nike Summer Championship: 2019 Stock Riser and Sleepers
Saturday featured several talented players that either asserted themselves as sleepers or saw their stock rise after strong play throughout the day. The Class of 2019 had about 10 names that could have been mentioned however we chose the 5 strongest showings for this piece. Here is our top sleepers and stock risers from Saturday’s action in 17U play.
Jalen Greiser- 6’3 SG- Loveland (OH)/Cincy Classics
Jalen was a huge asset for the Classics as they lost a close game to Beyond Ball on Saturday. Greiser handled the basketball very well, blowing by his defender on multiple occasions. When he did get in the lane after beating his defender, he was a great finisher, making shots with up to 3 defenders at some points. He has the size to be a collegiate guard for sure and after putting up big numbers on Saturday, he surely is considered one of the top sleeper players in this class.
Kayin Derden- 6’2 PG- Columbus St. Francis DeSales/Miller Factory
Derden (PHO #80 2019) was one of many talented guards on Miller Factory’s U17 team. Saturday, Derden showed off his playmaking abilities on the offensive end. He showed he can knock down 3PT shots but most importantly, he showed he is truly a slasher that can get most of his points at the rim off the dribble.
Arnaldo Valenzuela- 6’4 SF- St.Ignatius (OH)/ TNBA Silver
One of the top sleeper prospects on this list, Valenzuela impressed with his versatility on both ends of the floor. He was able to get up and down the floor well for a forward. A competitive rebounder and tenacious shot blocker, Valenzuela is an underrated forward that will create mismatches on the perimeter.
Jarred Logan- 6’5 SF- Elyria Catholic (OH)/ TNBA Ohio
Jarred (PHO #89 2019) was an aggressive forward on the offensive end. He used the dribble drive to get his points and made himself known to be one of TNBA ‘s top guys. One of his most impressive traits was his ability to lead the fast-break as he had several opportunities to get out in transition for TNBA . I can see him moving up in the 2019 rankings during our next update.
Jakob Maranville- 6’3 PG- Uniontown Lake(OH)/ TNBA Flash
On a team where Tommy Sala (2019) is your top player, Maranville (PHO #72 2019) made his name known on Saturday. On the offensive side, we loved his ball control and ability to make crisp passes to set up teammates. On the defensive end, we were impressed with his willingness to play physical with opposing bigs. He made it clear he was there to play on Saturday, and if he continues to show this, he will see his stock rise in the near future.