Big Shots Loaded 17U Standouts (Part 2)
Every year I get the pleasure of enjoying some local AAU basketball on my birthday, as one of the premier grassroots even companies Big Shots teams up with one of the premier programs in the country Team Loaded for the…
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Continue ReadingEvery year I get the pleasure of enjoying some local AAU basketball on my birthday, as one of the premier grassroots even companies Big Shots teams up with one of the premier programs in the country Team Loaded for the Big Shots Loaded event in Richmond. Not only is it special because it’s on my birthday, it was also the first local AAU event I ever covered about five years ago with Vantage Hoops.
Now that the sentimental aspect is done, I got an opportunity to watch high level talent from Maryland, DC, Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas. With all of the talent I saw, I have broken up my standouts by age group. Here’s a look at part two of the 17U standouts.
Marcelus Avery | 6’6” F | Team Loaded DC
An unbelievably talented kid, Avery is going to have coaches drooling with his size and natural skill set, and when you watch him play you can tell that it’s all natural and he still has room for improvement. He plays above the rim in both transition and in the half court, he can shoot it from deep and the midrange, he rebounds on both ends and he can block shots. He has some bad habits that can be changed with some coaching but the potential for him is unbelievable.
Elijah Seward | 5’10” G | Team Loaded DC
Seward is an undersized two guard but the lefty is one of the top scorers in the area with his ability to shoot it from deep and his athletic finishing ability around the rim. He has a great looking stroke from deep that has improved a lot over the past three seasons, and when he hits one he’s liable to ring off two or three more in a row to open the game up. He showed his athleticism with some big rebounds, including a two handed put back in traffic that left spectators in awe.
Kenard Richardson | 6’2” WG | Team Loaded DC
One of the more underrated and intriguing wing prospects in the Richmond area, Richardson doesn’t have ideal size as far as height but he’s a strong and tough kid who is still getting more athletic and has improved every year he’s been playing. He takes pride on the defensive end and doesn’t mind guarding the other teams best player, and he showed some good leaping ability with some big time throw downs. He stays in attack mode and is able to get to the cup in straight lines or get to his spots for pull-ups and floaters as well.
Landon Hawes | 6’4” WF | Team Loaded 434-Hawes
I had heard a lot about Hawes from some of my colleagues so going into this I had pretty high expectations for him and he met them pretty well with his play. At 6’4” he has good size and a good build to play on the perimeter, and while he isn’t the quickest guy he’s strong and fundamental so he’s able to get to his spot and make shots. He shot it well from deep when I watched him hitting four or five threes, and he showed good footwork in the midrange to create space for his shot. A coach’s son, he understands the game and plays it the right way, and he has some toughness to him as well.
Tommy Mangrum | 6’4” PF | Team Loaded 434-Hawes
Mangrum and Hawes played very well together and they have a similar blue-collar game with some skill to it as well. Mangrum is more of a face-up small ball four man who can rip and go, post smaller guys and has an array of moves and shots from 18 feet and in that are just tough to guard. He can score it in a number of ways, he gets after it on both ends of the floor and his high motor and skill set allow him to compete in the paint with guys who may be a little bigger than himself.
Quinton Mincey | 6’4” WG | Mid-Atlantic Select
It was my first time watching this Mid-Atlantic Select group this season, and while I had heard of many of their players I had not heard about Mincey who stood out in a number of ways that would be intriguing with some continued development. He has a great frame at 6’4” and he’s a natural athlete with good speed and he can play above the rim as well. While he was a little inconsistent he showed the ability to catch-and-shoot and get to the basket in straight lines, and he was able to make plays on the defensive end that others simply weren’t able to.
Matt Rogers | 6’8” PF | Mid-Atlantic Select
Rogers was big time for MAS all weekend, and in a tough loss against Team Loaded VA he was the co-scoring leader for his team with 14 points. At 6’8” he showed he can be a mix of a pick-and-pop and a face up four, a guy who can stretch the floor off the catch but also can attack closeouts or rip and get to his spots. He has great touch out to the three-point line, he plays with passion and competes on both ends of the floor and he was efficient in a number of ways al weekend.
Noah Batchelor | 6’6” WF | Mid-Atlantic Select
This kid is going to be a special one in the DMV moving forward, as he’s a 2022 that’s not only playing up on 17U, he’s easily one of MAS best players and that’s saying something! Batchelor has a great feel for the game and he understands his game well, making very few mistakes or taking bad shots. He’s a light out shooter from deep and at 6’6” he has great size to be one. He can handle it and get in the lane where he has a good pull-up, and if you aren’t careful in transition he’ll put one on your head. Remember the name and keep an eye on him moving forward!
James Berry | 6’3” WG | Mid-Atlantic Select
While Berry may get outshined at times on this talented MAS team, he looks every bit like a legitimate division one players, especially the way he can hold his own against a team like Team Loaded VA who is full of high major talent. Berry plays much bigger than his 6’3” height entails, as he has incredibly long arms and is able to use his length to rebound from the guard position and get deflections and cause havoc defensively. He can score in transition around the rim but is also able to create shots in the half court and get his own within the flow of the game without having to slow the offense or be selfish.