The 2020 17U Season – First Look
Every year we mix a 17u review with a look forward. We take the top ten ranked programs from our 17u rankings and pear into the future. Let’s Go! ***We are not about to start guessing at what 2021s and…
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Continue ReadingEvery year we mix a 17u review with a look forward. We take the top ten ranked programs from our 17u rankings and pear into the future. Let’s Go!
***We are not about to start guessing at what 2021s and 2022s are going to switch teams. We are simply looking within the programs and projecting based on the talent they currently have. We use the order our 17s were ranked in.
Number 1… D1 Minnesota
Projected Starters: 1- Kody Williams, 2- Camden Heide, 3- Kendall Brown, 4- Jackson Loge, 5- Elvis Nnaji, or Kendall Blue in there for a big and go with four guards/wings.
In Comparison… Tough for D1 Minnesota to match their last two years of being a top team in the nation simply because the Minnesota class of 2021 guards doesn’t have the depth that previous classes did. They can of course be very good though.
What will they look to add? D1 Minnesota’s 16s had four underclassmen. Four talented underclassmen that will be very good, but D1 Minnesota will likely be in the market for another productive 2021 talent (Minnesota or the surrounding areas).
2019 Status – Achieved what was expected. D1 Minnesota was 33-5 and a top ten team which is about what we expected them to be. They were expected to be one of the nation’s best and they were.
Number 2… Grassroots Sizzle
Projected Starters: 1- Donovan Smith, 2- Braeden Carrington, 3- Prince Aligbe, 4- Chase Carter, 5- Chet Holmgren, plus Willie Wilson and Isaiah Davis off the bench.
In Comparison… Can a team be better without Jalen Suggs? Maybe. Why? Because Chet is that good and the Sizzle 16s were really good this year meaning this team will be deeper. Likely the most talented 17u in 2020 at the moment.
What will they look to add? If I had to pick a spot I would say the addition of another playmaking guard would help. This team has really good shooting.
2019 Status – Achieved what was expected. They were expected to be a top 25 team and they were a top 25 team, as well as one of the better teams in the UAA.
Number 3… Minnesota Comets
Projected Starters: 1- Joshua Strong, 2- DJ Akpati, 3- Eli King, 4- Devin Burger, 5- Jack Iverson, they also had Francis Nowakorie and Sam Privet at the end of the year although I don’t think one event at the end of the year should qualify.
In Comparison… I’m not sure it’s possible that a team can match the toughness of the Comets 17s this year but I love what the Comets have at guard next year.
What will they look to add? The Comets will need to add a highly productive player that boards and scores around the basket
2019 Status – Achieved Higher Than Expected. Never did I think this group would win the SPTS and win 39 of 50 games. Tougher than I expected them to be.
Number 4… Minnesota Fury
Projected Starters: 1- Eddie Beeninga, 2- Jack Frick, 3- Luke Strazzanti, 4- Spencer Goetz, 5- Brady Nicholson.
In Comparison… The Fury Zurn team had a lot of success over the years where this year’s Fury Poppen team won 30 games, but didn’t have the huge wins over the top teams.
What will they look to add? Simply put, as good as Chaska is the Fury needs to add some scoring from a different high school, unless Chaska has even more top talent next year on the way up!
2019 Status – Slightly Higher Than Expected. I thought the Fury Zurn team would be really good, but not 38-5 good. The Best of the South undefeated record likely pushed them just ahead of what I thought they would be.
Number 5… Howard Pulley
Projected Starters: 1- Tre Holloman, 2- Tamin Lipsey, 3- Cade Haskins or Andre Gray, 4- Ariel Bland, 5- Treyton Thompson, they also have Keijuan White, Francis Nwaokorie, Haskins or Gray, and Davon Townley off the bench.
In Comparison… This team certainly has the talent to improve on a 1 win EYBL Season and return to the Peach Jam. Bland is said to be going to a prep (listed as a 2021 all year on Nike rosters) after high school so that means even more talent will return.
What will they look to add? I would simply say they will look to add another scoring option for Holloman to distribute to.
2019 Status – Achieved Under Expectations. I’m sure people are reading that and getting flustered but be real with yourself, did anybody really think they would only win one game in EYBL play? As good as the EYBL is I surely thought they would win at least five games in the league. Pulley was a very strong 21-2 in the other events which is likely what you would expect or maybe slightly more than what you would expect, but 1-12 in EYBL is under expectations.
Number 6… Minnesota Select
Projected Starters: 1- Reid Patterson, 2- Jace Bigelow, 3- Bradley Cimperman, 4- Connor Chappell, 5- Andrew Mandel
In Comparison… This team does not have the athletic ability that this year’s Select 17s and they finished two games below .500
What will they look to add? Select needs to add similar scorers and athletes to be somewhat similar to this year’s 40 game winner.
2019 Status – Just Over Expectations. Select Cave went from just under what I expected to being past what I expected with a fantastic summer run to 40 wins.
Number 7… Minnesota Heat
Projected Starters: 1- Ryan Dufault, 2- Trey Longstreet, 3- Jack Tauer, 4- Andrew Morgan, 5- Will Tschetter
In Comparison… The Heat had two of the best dozen 17s this past year, but the Heat Tauer squad was 40-3 this year and finished #1 in state.
What will they look to add? An slashing athlete to go with the returning group.
2019 Status – The Heat Vang team AND the Heat West team were both better than I expected them to be. Above expectations for both.
Number 8… Minnesota Comets DLR
**** We only do one of these per program
2019 Status – At Expectations. They had some wins I didn’t expect, some losses I didn’t expect, it balances out.
Number 9… Northern Lakers
*** The Lakers didn’t have a 16s this year
2019 Status – Elite eight in the Hard Work Final, Title game of the Fury Shootout, 3-0 vs the Matrix, above expectations for sure.
Number 10… Minnesota Matrix
*** The Lakers didn’t have a 16s this year
2019 Status – This is complicated. The Matrix was in the final four in so many different events. They won 36 of 45 games. They beat Select, Heat Vang and Heat West, but they lost to the Northern Lakers three times. I don’t know what to do with that.
Number 11… Gain Elite
Projected Starters: 1- Robert Grace, 2- BJ Powell, 3- Jalen Cook, 4- Colton Roderick, 5- Broden Lien
In Comparison… This year’s Gain Elite team could be similar or just a bit better than last year’s, especially if they have Treyton Thompson for multiple events again.
What will they look to add? Thompson was with Gain Elite for a couple events but the team does not have much size without him. They need more size.
2019 Status – Gain Elite played most of their games outside the state against teams decent NY2LA/Adidas second division teams, and didn’t play that many Minnesota teams. I would just say they were what was expected and move on.
Others at 17u
Above Expectations
- FAB won 28 of 34 games!
- Select Koch
- Minnesota Rise was 26-14 and may have had the wildest combo of great wins to bad losses as any team
- Comets JL
At Expectations
- Mentality Minnesota
- Fury Kallman
- Rip City
- Lightning
Below Expectations
- WOTN
- SW Minnesota Stars
- Team Get Shook