Grind Region Finals: Wilk’s Sunday Standout Performances 16U
Sunday was the bittersweet conclusion to what has been an exciting, memorable summer on the Prep Hoops Circuit. While nobody wanted to see the grassroots season come to an end, everyone was excited to see who would walk away crowned…
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Continue ReadingSunday was the bittersweet conclusion to what has been an exciting, memorable summer on the Prep Hoops Circuit. While nobody wanted to see the grassroots season come to an end, everyone was excited to see who would walk away crowned king of their region. Championship Sunday at the Grind Region Finals in Wichita, Kansas did not disappoint. It seemed as if the “basketball gods” weren’t quite ready to call it a summer either as we had some epic overtime battles in both the 16U and 17U division championship games. Here is a look at a handful of standout performances in the 16U division on Sunday:
Multiple St. Louis Blazers step up in Final Four run:
The St. Louis Blazers opened up Championship Sunday with an impressive quarterfinal win over the D1 Prospects that saw them turn a one point halftime lead into a twenty point route by the time it was all said and done. They followed that up by blitzing Team Buddy Buckets out of the gates, scoring 53 first half points and having the highly touted squad out of Oklahoma on the ropes. Unfortunately for the Blazers, they did not have quite enough gas in the tank to finish the job and wound up falling 89-80 to the eventual 16U champions, seeing their excellent grassroots season come to an end.
The Blazers were a balanced squad all season that relied on tenacious defense to fuel an up-tempo offense that loved to get out in transition. On Sunday, three players stood out in both of their games on both ends of the floor. Rico Singleton was a man on a mission. The sharpshooting wing was ultra-aggressive off the bounce and did a nice job of getting to the rim and finishing or getting to the line. He also showed the ability to post smaller defenders and score on the block as well as attack the offensive glass for easy put backs. Marcus Pepper continued his impressive weekend. The pesky defender was responsible for countless steals and deflections that led to offensive opportunities. In addition to his high-motor efforts attacking the rim in transition, Pepper hit multiple huge threes in both games that were big momentum boosts for his team. Lastly, Nyjahl Vaughn closed out the weekend strong. The physical wing continued to power his way to the rim where he can finish through contact or use soft touch and finesse to find the bottom of the net. He jumper looked as good as it had all weekend on Sunday where he showed some range beyond the arc and a couple tough mid-range pull-ups.
D1 Prospects talented back-court tandem impresses:
Despite falling to a red-hot St. Louis Blazers team in the quarterfinals, the D1 Prospects had a dynamic back-court pair in Eligha Hagler IV and Maurice Pinnock that caught the eye of our scouts and college coaches. Hagler is an angular, lanky guard who has an impressive array of moves off the dribble that make him extremely hard to keep in front. Despite a small frame, he is a strong finisher at the basket and can stretch his jumper beyond the arc. His teammate Pinnock has a more physical build and is an electric ballhandler that can blow by his man and get to the rack or create separation and bury pull-up jumpers.
Sean Pedulla and Ethan Scott takeover in Buddy Buckets championship run:
Speaking of impressive back-court tandems, Sean Pedulla and Ethan Scott both made their presence felt in a big way in route to Team Buddy Buckets running the table and claiming the 16U throne. Buddy Buckets was challenged, to say the least, by the St. Louis Blazers in the semifinals and it took them overtime to seal their championship game win over BTR.
Trailing by double-figures in the semi-finals against a confident and talented Blazers group, it was Ethan Scott who caught fire and willed Buddy Buckets all the way back to the eventual win. He drilled 4 of his 5 threes in the second half run and finished with 23 points. Sean Pedulla knocked home a pair of threes himself, but was aggressive off the bounce attacking the lane for pull-ups and crafty finishes. He scored a team high 26 points in route to the come from behind win.
Both were equally critical in the championship game against a BTR team that absolutely refused to go away. Padulla made some critical plays down the stretch driving to the basket and finishing or dumping off assists. He also hit a huge step back three to give Buddy Buckets a 70-67 lead late in regulation. He showed excellent poise in overtime, taking care of the rock and cashing in at the free throw line to help seal the championship win.
Marty Perry erupts for 39 points for BTR in title game:
Marty Perry showed why he is ranked as a Top 20 player in the Prep Hoops Oklahoma 2021 class. He had the performance of the tournament, dropping 39 in the championship game that saw BTR come just one basket away from stealing the crown from Team Buddy Buckets. He was electric throughout, taking over the game offensively scoring it at all three levels.