Matt’s Notebook from the #GrindSZNKickoff
In this article:
I do not get to watch as many games as I used to when I was just a writer as the director of the Prep Hoops Circuit. However, I try to watch as much as I could and wanted to put down my thoughts on what was a loaded event in Oklahoma City. Here are some notes I made from over the weekend with everything from teams that stood out to players.
Sean Pedulla 2021 Buddy Buckets Point Guard
Listen I do not go out on huge limbs often unless I am fully convinced. After watching Pedulla in high school this year and now seeing how he plays in grassroots I am convinced Pedulla is NCAA Division I level talent. Low Major to Mid Major Colleges will want to make sure they watch Pedulla in the live period. Pedulla killed defenders shooting the three ball. Then when teams keyed on his shooting Pedulla hit them with his nasty hesitation dribble leaving defenders looking silly. This kid has the sauce, high basketball IQ, and some dawg in him. Pedulla is a winner.
Dallas Showtyme 17U
The Dallas Showtyme 17U played their hearts out all tournament long. I love the passion of the players for defense. The entire team feeds off playing great defense, which many times turns into easy offense. Sherman Brashear and Sadadriene Hall were spectacular in clutch moments. Big E did a great job coaching up this talented group.
DJ Stewart 2020 Houston Raptors Point Guard
This young man can go! The quick pace he plays with is hard for opponents to keep up. Stewart wore out opposing guards eventually cracking the code each game to put up points and get his teammates open looks at the basket.
Jonathan Aku 2020 Texas Impact Post
Aku was bigger in person than I expected at every bit of 6’10. When he is in the game he anchors this Texas Impact group. He had to sit out Sunday unfortunately due to injury. But he did show clearly over the weekend why he is so valuable and the college offers just continue to roll in.
Buddy Buckets 17U
When Buddy Buckets dropped their opening game I was shocked considering the great success they had last year. Of course, it was to a very talented All Arkansas Red squad. All of that being said I have to give it up to the coaching staff and players for running the table to the Championship game. The resilience of this group throughout the weekend was impressive. They looked down and out and few times but just kept fighting. The duo of KD Jolly and Christian Cook showed up in big moments just as they did a year ago. The addition of several players may take a little time to adjust as it would for any team. One of those additions, Jordan Thompson shot the ball pretty well all weekend long.
Trey Alexander 2021 Team Griffin Wing
Alexander is clearly taking the next step in his game. After finishing his high school season on a tough sour note how has Alexander responded? By getting in the gym working his butt off and becoming a better player. The intensity he is bringing to the floor mixed with how talented he makes him a very scary player. The killer instinct of Alexander is growing by the game. By the end of this summer, the basketball Blue Bloods will be showing interest.
BTR 16U
This group brought their A-Game making a run to the final four before running out of gas. The way BTR gets out and runs will be tough for teams to stop. In a day and age where the big man is so difficult to find, BTR has mastered playing with quickness and length. The player who impressed me the most that I did not know going into the weekend was guard, Danquez Dawsey.
Ja’Bryant Hill 2020 Team FOE Point Guard
The dawg factor with Hill is off the charts. The grit and grind he brings to the floor made him stand out quickly. Colleges looking for a tough Guard who can get buckets but also do a number of other positive things to help his team win will like the game of Hill.
Gateway Basketball
I have to give some love to Gateway Basketball program out of St. Louis. They did awesome as a program this weekend. College coaches will enjoy seeing their squads compete/
Shannon Grant 2020 Alabama Celtics Post
Talk about a big guy who could turn into quite the player. Grant could be that guy for some college at every bit of 6’10. Considering it was his first big tournament ever playing grassroots ball I was super impressed. Over the spring and summer, his game is going to continue to grow. Going against other guys who are his same size was a new and challenging experience for Grant. He went to battle on the boards and continued to improve each game out. I can not wait to check in on this kids development in July.
JV Seat 2022 Team Griffin Forward
Seat is super undersized down low but do not tell him that. It was impressive to see Seat go off all weekend. The bigger the moment the better he played. Most of his 28 points in the Championship game were due to his quickness and sneaky strength around the basket.
Oklahoma Power 16U
This one is a double shout out. First, Colby Onyekuru for what was an impressive performance against a good Gateway squad. He finished with nearly a triple-double notching 20 points and 9 rebounds. Second, I thought this tweet from Landry Harris pumping up one of his teammates was refreshing and super cool.
i just wanna give props to my man @ColbyOnyekuru . he had 20 points and 9 boards tonight, couldn’t be stopped @PrepHoopsOK @PHCircuit @MattReynolds___ @OKCSavage2021
— Landry Harris (@landry_harris) April 7, 2019
PB Nation 16U
This group gave Griffin (the eventual champs) a great run on Saturday night. They are well coached and play extremely hard for each other.
14U Championship: AAO vs. Rocky Mtn Fever Black
This game featured so many great shooters it was a blast to watch. AAO ended up coming home with the Championship due to inside play and defense. However, I had to give some love to both teams on what was a very fun game to take in.
13U Championship: Kansas Pray N Play vs. Next Level
This featured probably the best game of the entire tournament. I know 13U flies under the radar due to the focus being on the high school kids. But I had to point out just how fantastic of a game this was in the finals. Kansas Pray N Play ended up winning on a clutch shot with about four seconds remaining in the game.
Omaha Biliew 2023 Beyond Ball Wing
Biliew is one of the best 2023 players in the country period. I hear hype about a lot of players some live up to it some do not. Biliew is a rare case where he exceeded the hype he gets around the country, which is saying something. At every bit of 6’7 and 14 years old playing up he can handle the rock, get his own shot, shoot three-pointers, dunk all over opposing players, block shots that appear out of reach, and so much more. This kid is special. I had a ref call me this weekend after midnight just to tell me he is the best player he has ever reffed in his many years in the profession. Biliew made his mark in OKC.
Mike Murry 2020 Alabama Celtics Guard
Had to throw Murry in here because of this sick dunk.
Mike Murray @bama_celtics 2020 Guard OH MY! #PHCircuit #GrindSZNKickoff pic.twitter.com/rRuKvCM04o
— Matt Reynolds (@MattReynolds___) April 6, 2019
KJ Adams 2021 Team Griffin Wing
Adams was a man amongst boys with Team Griffin this weekend. Physically the kid has been gifted everything someone could want at 6’7+ super muscled up with great athleticism. The motor of Adams is what impressed me the most. Not only is he super talented he also plays hard. We have all seen top talent not ever reach their level because they do not play hard. You will not have to worry about that with Adams. High Major schools will continue to call on Adams as he is out to prove he belongs with the best in the country.
NTX Crush 17U
This group had an awesome weekend proving they can outwork just about anyone on the court. I loved the fire they brought every time they played. Plus they really play with good chemistry, which stood out considering how early it is in the year.
Daniel Abreu 2020 Missouri Flight Forward/Wing
Abreu is making the transition from the four to more of a three man. I loved how he competed on the floor for rebounds. Many times when a player wants to play out on the wing more it means they do not really want to rebound. That could not be farther from the truth than with Abreu. He is also a pretty good scorer for Missouri Flight. Small colleges will want to watch Abreu and Missouri Flight.
Quajon Young 2020 North Florida Hurricanes Point Guard
Young was a blast to scout this weekend. I actually got to catch him in action a couple of times. Every single minute this kid is on the floor he plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. You can tell the game of basketball is very near and dear to his heart. The quickness Young plays with off the dribble left defenders in quicksand. Small colleges this is a young man who can both play and bring leadership to the floor at the Point.
Drew Steffe 2023 Beyond Ball Wing
Steffe was one of the best shooters from three-point range this weekend regardless of classification. The quick trigger, high release, and confidence of Steffe are off the charts. Keep an eye out for him over the years to come. He was also playing up an age.
Conner Calavan 2020 Tulsa Hawks Wing
If you give Calavan an inch of room he is going to put three points on the board from distance. The quick trigger of Calavan was fun to take in. As the summer progresses the better he gets at handling the ball the tougher he is going to be to slow down. Calavan has a bright future at the NCAA Division II level. The automatic trigger from three-point land makes him super valuable.
Jonathan Garcia 2020 West Texas Blazers Point Guard
Garcia dropped a big-time opening game on Friday night. The poise and pace Garcia brings to the floor was fun to watch. He also got super hot from three-point range. I only got to watch him once but I look forward to continuing to see him much more. He put together one of the most exciting performances of the tournament on Friday.
Texas Mel Elite 17U
They did not have the weekend they wanted, however, it is clear they have a talented group. I enjoyed watching Melvin Holloway run the show at the Point. I look forward to seeing them make a deeper run at the next Prep Hoops Circuit event.
St. Louis Blazers 16U
This squad was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend for me. You never know how a team is going to look to open the year, which leaves you guessing sometimes. It was easy to spot the chemistry of this group. The hustle they show on the court at all times is infectious. Can not wait to see this team more.
S.T.A.T. Elite 13U
They had a great showing making a deep run. In the game, I watched I was super impressed with Ory Williams inside. Williams is every bit of 6’3 and could develop into a nice Post player with work and continued growth.
Ethan Scott Buddy Buckets 2022 Guard
The Championship game did not go how Scott would have liked. However, I would be crazy to not mention how well he shot the ball all weekend. Scott is one of the best shooters in the entire state of Oklahoma from three-point range. When he gets to his open spots it is going in. I know Scott will continue to get in the gym and work on his game, which excites me. Once he gets to the point where he can get his own shot off the bounce consistently, look out.
Jaxson Robinson Team Griffin 2021 Wing
Robinson was excellent staring in his role as three and D guy for Team Griffin. The length of Robinson has always made him an intriguing prospect at 6’5. The maturity is starting to show as Robinson looks completely bought into being the star of his role. If Robinson does what he did this weekend making a ton of three-pointers on high-quality looks while also playing good defense the college offers are going to flow in this spring and summer.
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com