Adidas Gauntlet Spartanburg: First Impressions
YGC 36- Marcus Smart’s team brought some of the same toughness and resiliency to Spartanburg that you expect to see from Smart in NBA games. They are a well-rounded team and fought back while trailing most of the game in…
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Continue ReadingYGC 36- Marcus Smart’s team brought some of the same toughness and resiliency to Spartanburg that you expect to see from Smart in NBA games. They are a well-rounded team and fought back while trailing most of the game in their matchup against Team Wall that I watched, eventually winning 75-67. Latrell Jossell set the tone with his vocal, aggressive play. He got to the basket very well with some impressive moves, and also mixed in effective outside shooting. Jossell finished with 21 points and 3 made 3’s. He was the spark-plug when it looked like Team Wall was ready to pull away. Andrew Laczkowski was quiet for a good portion of the game but came to life and was big in the 2nd half. He stretched the floor with his shooting ability and attacked closeouts well, going for 15 points with 2 3’s. He is skilled at 6’6” and has a good understanding of the game. Thailand Elder also inserted himself into the game late, wowing with his athleticism. He made several eye-popping plays above the rim to help YGC36 keep their momentum, while also rebounding well and using his length on defense. Julian Larry and Harrison Ingram both had productive weekends as well. They averaged a combined 15.3 PPG (7.6 each), did so efficiently, and contributed in other areas when needed. I hope I have another chance to see them this summer.
Latrel JossellTeam Florida- New to the Gauntlet this year, Team Florida came to Spartanburg for their first session with some solid prospects. The first person who catches everyone’s attention is their center Andre Weir. He is 6’10” with an absolutely massive body. Weir runs and move much better than you would expect for someone his size, and possesses good hands too. He rebounds on both ends at a high rate, has pretty good touch, and keeps things simple when looking to score down low. He went for 18 points and 16 rebounds in the full game I watched. 2021 Tre Carroll is a really good prospect as well. He can do it all as a forward with length, toughness, and skill at 6’8”. Carroll runs the floor, can handle the ball, and is a solid athlete. You can just plug him into a game and he’ll find ways to be productive. Bradley Douglas was good in the game I saw, playing with tons of energy even at 11 PM. He was physical getting to the basket, found teammates, and was a vocal leader throughout the game. Kegan Karnes and Johnny O’Neill both serve as outside specialists for the team. Karnes has deep range and a quick trigger, while O’Neill has great size for a shooter at 6’7”.
Andre Weir Tre Carroll
Loaded VA- I was able to see each of Loaded VA’s HS teams, all 3 of which impressed. Their 2020 & 2021 groups will be highlighted here, with the 2022 team being included in the next piece. The 16U team has a great combination of post and perimeter pieces. Guards Jason Nelson and Isaiah Simmons make this group go. They may be smaller than most, but that doesn’t hinder their ability to make an important impact. Their game against Game Elite was close for a while, but Nelson and Simmons turned it up a notch and helped them to gain separation. They have no issue getting into the lane and mixing things up inside, but will also hurt defenses with shots beyond the arc. Nelson and Simmons just come to compete and set a good example for the rest of the team. Loaded also features nationally ranked 2021 Roosevelt Wheeler. He is already physically developed and defined as sophomore, and will run the floor pretty often. Wheeler impacts the game on both ends and looks to use either hand when scoring on the interior. Bryson Spell has some qualities that will attract a lot of attention from coaches. He is a legit 6’7” and has a really nice outside shot. Spell is capable of putting the ball on the floor as well but does not overdo things.
Bryson Spell Roosevelt Wheeler
The 2020 team was missing Henry Coleman and although they had a rough weekend overall, some other guys stepped up and impressed with their play. 2021 Brayon Freeman averaged 14.3 PPG on the weekend and made an impact in almost every other area too. Against Game Elite, he had 16-7-6 with 3 steals. Freeman is great off the dribble and knows when to kick to teammates or get his own once he penetrates. He is a pest on defense too, getting into ball-handlers and timing when to pick their pockets. Fellow 2021 prospect Anthony Williams was a confident shooter from deep the whole weekend, averaging 11 PPG. He hit 12 3’s in 4 games, including 5 against Game Elite. Williams provided a nice complement to Freeman off the ball. Elvin Edmonds also had a good shooting game, hitting 4 3’s while also collecting 7 rebounds. Although he did not shoot well the rest of the weekend, he continued to rebound. Last but not least is David Early, who averaged 11 PPG on 51.5% shooting. He is a load to handle at 6’5” with a huge body and ball-handling skills. Early loves to get defenders off balance and use his spin when attacking. Smaller defenders just bounce off his body and forwards do not have the agility to stay in front of him.
David Early brayon freeman
Taihland Owens, Myles Rice (Atlanta Celtics 2021)- Both Georgia products, I was familiar with both Owens and Rice coming into the event. However, before last weekend, I hadn’t seen either of them on the travel circuit this year or last year. Their 16U Celtics group is extremely talented, with nice prospects at every position. They might not be the well-known names on the team, but put together good weekends. Rice was particularly impressive in their battle with Game Elite. He has good size for a guard and some smoothness and athleticism to go with it. Rice commits to helping the team rebound and can finish in a variety of ways at the basket. He has a nice combination of tools; I hope to see more of him this weekend. Owens was productive in the Game Elite matchup, but really blew me away in the team’s last game against Upward SE. He scored 27 points while hitting 7 3’s, helping the Celtics pull away over a really good Upward team. Owens stands at 6’5” and has solid strength that he uses often when on his way to the basket. When you add high-level outside shooting to go with his slashing ability, he provides a difficult matchup for anyone on the perimeter.
Jamahri Harvey, Justin Wright, Dean Reiber (Team Loaded NC 2020)– Loaded NC has tons of weapons and Josh Hall and Carter Whitt will be talked about a lot throughout the travel season, but I thought Harvey, Wright, and Reiber put together productive and efficient weekends. All 3 of them shot 50% or better for the weekend, and made significant contributions each game. Harvey (11 PPG, 8 3PM, 44.4% 3FG) was a consistent threat from the outside, excelling from the corners especially. He has good size at 6’5”, knows his role, doesn’t need the ball a ton, and ran lanes well for transition baskets. Wright is a crafty, unique scorer who averaged 12.3 PPG while shooting 54.5% from the field. He mixes in hesitations, in-and-outs, and other dribble moves to keep his defenders off balance. Wright is really good at using his body and negating shot blockers in the paint. He is a capable shooter who is patient with the ball also. Reiber had one of the most efficient weekends of anyone in the event, averaging 9.5 PPG on 73.9% shooting. He has a big, thick body which he uses effectively inside on both ends. Reiber gets up to the rim and can power home dunks through contact with ease, while also displaying a soft touch. He hit some mid-range shots and stepped out to 3 a few times as well.
Dean Reiber