2020 MAYB Kick-Off: Day 1 notebook
WICHITA, Kan. — During the second evening of the 2020 MAYB Nationals event in Wichita, I was regrettably only present to watch games in the latest time slots: 8 o’clock and 9 o’clock. During those games, I watched a few…
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Continue ReadingWICHITA, Kan. — During the second evening of the 2020 MAYB Nationals event in Wichita, I was regrettably only present to watch games in the latest time slots: 8 o’clock and 9 o’clock. During those games, I watched a few budding ball-players from the Tulsa Hawks’ 16U squad before catching their senior team in the subsequent game. Here are a few notes on what I saw:
Checking out the young talent
Saving Seth Pratt Seth Pratt 6'3" | SG Memorial | 2023 State OK , I had not previously seen the steep talent pool on the Hawks’ roster before Saturday evening. Pratt was magical as usual, draining shots from the catch and stretching an opposing zone (ugh) well beyond its boundaries. Only a sophomore, Pratt may already be the best spot-up specialist in the state. It seems, increasingly as I watch him play, further the stretch to give that crown to any of his contemporaries than it is to put him on that pedestal. Still, he has a lot to improve, but his sophomore summer has been a good sign through the first weeks of play.
You may have seen some fuss about Anthony Allen Anthony Allen 6'5" | SF Broken Arrow | 2022 State OK , the Hawks’ remarkable weapon from Broken Arrow. The post promises to be one of the most touted prospects the Hawks have fielded, and his Saturday performance was indicative of his talent. Explosive as they come, the standout flushed a hellacious dunk within five minutes of my arrival to the facility (serving as a pretty good alternative to caffeine, I’d say). Throughout the game, I was increasingly impressed by, well, everything he did. Not so much the raw talent, Allen has practice to compliment his athleticism, and he displayed everything I wanted to see from him early. He was careful defensively but made an almost impassible barrier for opposing scorers, especially ball-handlers who exercised crafty moves around the rim. On both ends, he was an unstoppable force on the boards. Offensively, he did not resign to brute strength to score the rock, though he has plenty of it. He has an array of kinesthetic maneuvers to his advantage, and he can even handle the ball pretty well for himself in the full-court.
A teammate of Allen’s, Aaron Johnson also stood out for the Hawks squad. He has the talents to play an on-ball role, but his length makes him an interesting prospect. He handled the ball well against the press, converted on triples and distributed the ball exceptionally through traffic.
The big leagues
The Hawks’ 17U squad thrived, struggled and recovered all in a single match, but it made for some advantageous points. Head coach Evan Drake’s most valuable player was Jake Gendron Jake Gendron 6'5" | SF Bishop Kelley | 2021 State OK , while George McCurdy George McCurdy 6'2" | PG Broken Arrow | 2021 State OK , Caison Hartloff Caison Hartloff 6'4" | SG Claremore | 2021 State OK and others each played pivotal roles in pulling out the win.
Gendron, though his deep-ball wasn’t falling at the clip it usually does, was fantastic automatic from the mid-range. Leading 26-6 less than six minutes into the first half, the Gendron’s crew almost squandered its lead when it found itself with just a two-point advantage shortly after the mid-way mark. Without trepidation, Gendron went to work and seldom missed after that point. He worked on his smooth finish, utilizing his height to convert on strikingly difficult shots proceeded by complicated moves — indicative of the talent and practice that has taken his recruiting to new heights in recent weeks. He also showed unprecedented competence in gathering offensive boards and returning them for points.
McCurdy was smooth in the full-court and delivered the ball through cloudy stretches of the floor to aid his fellow shooters with easy conversions. His poise in facilitating paired with his ability to finish tough shots at the rim provided a great advantage for the Hawks in finding the win in that match.