Summer Slam: 16U Friday/Saturday Standout Guards
Solid teams from all over the midwest converged on the Pentagon in Sioux Falls last weekend for the Sanford Summer Slam. With teams from North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and even Canada, there was a ton of great…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSolid teams from all over the midwest converged on the Pentagon in Sioux Falls last weekend for the Sanford Summer Slam. With teams from North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and even Canada, there was a ton of great competition over a three-day stretch.
Here were some of the standout guards at the 16U level from pool play Friday and Saturday
Jack Frick, Fury Poppen
Fury Poppen had little trouble taking care of business in pool play over the weekend and while it’s a team whose strength is its depth, the guy who stood out to me was Jack Frick. The Chaska swingman was really good on both ends of the court, using his athleticism and high-effort to cause issues for poeple on the defensive end while getting out and making plays in transition. Frick was a menace off the ball, getting into passing lanes and being in good position to dig down on bigs in dump off situations and he’s a one-man wall against dribble penetration. Offensively, he did a great job moving the ball and helping teammates get wide open shots and slashing to the rim and finishing in the paint.
Brady Mettel, Heat Fleury
Mettel has impressed a few times when watching Heat Fleury and while his shooting ability is top-notch, I like his competitiveness on the defensive end a lot. He’s got active and quick hands and while he’s small, he’s tough as heck against bigger guards and even mixing it up in the paint when in help position. He rebounds well and can be a threat immediately either looking to pass ahead or go up the floor himself.
Kooper Vaughn, MN Lightning Swiggum
Vaughn is one of the best shooters in the state regardless of class and in an AAU setting, where scouting reports are rudimentary at best most of the time, he’s a terror for teams because his range goes beyond what the traditional shooters does. Defenders can be standing at the 3-point line and think they are in good position to defend Vaughn but they aren’t. When he’s allowed to square and load his shot, it’s a layup. He’ll need to continue developing the ability to beat people off the dribble, but that jumper is a weapon. And he’s showing signs of being a pretty smart passer when he can draw extra bodies to him.
Kyle McCullough, Fury Syverson
McCullough was a beast for Fury Syverson Friday and Saturday on both ends of the court. He was awesome on the defensive side of the ball, not only checking his man but playing excellent help defense. He rebounded out of area and started offense and in the halfcourt, he was great as a ball-mover, cutter, shooter and finisher. He’s got the size and strength to get to the paint and score over people and his jumper was on point both off the bounce and off the catch.
Casey Schultz, MN Lightning Swiggum
Schultz looks like a guy who will take on a bigger role next winter at Caledonia and it is easy to see him filling in that utility role where he does a little bit of everything. At 6-foot-2ish, he’s got a great frame to defend up and down in a lineup, he sees the floor well and looks to distribute first (which will work very well with the Warriors). But he’s also more than capable of drawing his own number and finishing at the rim if you sleep on him.
Ryan Miles, Fury Syverson
Miles looked like Fury Syverson’s best individual shot-creator over the weekend. He’s long, skilled at finishiing in the mid-range and around the rim and he has the ability to thread passes when he isn’t tunnel-visioned. His length is a big plus for him on both ends of the floor and he uses it well on defense, making up ground against smaller guys trying to drive on him and getting to places on the floor where he can elevate and make a play. I’d like to see him be a little more active off the ball and break the habit of holding the ball on the catch but he’s already an effective and promising player.