2020 MAYB Kick-Off: All-Tournament 17U
All evaluations below were copied from previous stories. First Team MVP: Jack Johnson Jack Johnson 6'2" | CG Andover | 2021 State KS | Team Buddy Buckets Kansas 6’2″ CG Andover (KS) ’21 Johnson was one of the best all-around hoopers at…
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Continue ReadingAll evaluations below were copied from previous stories.
First Team
MVP: Jack Johnson Jack Johnson 6'2" | CG Andover | 2021 State KS | Team Buddy Buckets Kansas |
6’2″ CG | Andover (KS) ’21 |
Johnson was one of the best all-around hoopers at the event. He is quite practiced and capable as a scorer, passer and defender, and his elite efficiency with the ball was a pivotal factor in TBBK’s success as he led the team to a championship weekend in Wichita. He drove to the rack with perfected combination maneuvers and finished with seamless accuracy. Johnson also used the pass to establish cohesive play-making on the offense end, again displayed exceptionally precision in distributing the ball among his teammates, even in movement or heavy traffic. Also one of the fastest players in the gym, Johnson was able to burn defenders in transition to either dump the ball to a teammate or finish it for himself.
https://twitter.com/johnsonj4ck/status/1270478062564642816?s=20
Jacob Hanna Jacob Hanna 6'3" | CG Andover | 2021 State KS | Team Buddy Buckets Kansas |
6’4″ CG | Maize (KS) ’21 |
Hanna was undoubtedly the most athletic prospect in the gym with the most college-ready strength and back-board shaking above-the-rim play. He utilized sneaky, off-ball floating to find himself with ideal opportunities to score at the rack, and any time he forced a turnover that left him open in transition, you could not help but expect a thunderous display of power on the opposite end.
Smooth Operator 🥶🏀 @5Jacobhanna pic.twitter.com/pKZMQO0bPl
— Brandon James Banks 🎥 (@_shotbybrandon) June 28, 2020
Manny Austin Manny Austin 6'3" | SG Des Moines Hoover | 2021 State IA | Beyond Ball 24K |
6’3″ SG | Des Moines Hoover (IA) ’21 |
Austin was one of the best players on the floor in Wichita regardless of position. An athletic, explosive and powerful guard with exceptional control, the quick combo guard was showing off his talents as a scorer, ball-handler, shot-creator, rebounder and defender, and he almost returned one rebound in the half-court for what could have been the dunk of the weekend. As a floor general, Austin used his quickness to blow-by defenders and differ to teammates in traffic, perhaps the most impressive part of his game.
@jsapp24 @wayBeyondBall U17 24K with the win. @John14__6 @MAYBbasketball @Mannyaustin03 @TaylorDiondre pic.twitter.com/FDu2SFoUiz
— Jeremy Groeteke (@Groeteke) June 27, 2020
Jake Gendron Jake Gendron 6'5" | SF Bishop Kelley | 2021 State OK | Tulsa Hawks |
6’5″ SF | Bishop Kelley (OK) ’21 |
Gendron displayed a variety of his best skills, including an absolute poster in the half-court during the semi-final game. He took fewer shots from deep than usual and focused his talents instead to working on his short-game, and he was spectacular in that right. One particular area of his game, his rebounding and returning, seemed a clear focus point for him, and his mid-range game on the drive fit consistently with that analysis.
🚀@MattReynolds___ @PrepHoops @D1scoveredT @GeorgeStoia @TheShotDrDrake @BKCometHoops pic.twitter.com/v1odQrLzv0
— Jake Gendron (@JakeGendron) June 6, 2020
Caison Hartloff Caison Hartloff 6'4" | SG Claremore | 2021 State OK | Tulsa Hawks |
6’4″ SG | Claremore (OK) ’21 |
Exceptionally gifted and perhaps the quickest stock-riser of the young summer, the 6-foot-5-inch wing shooter displayed efficiency and exploration at the event. Hartloff used his stature to elevate to complete shots from deep, get to the rim and create separation from defenders. He was among the best shooters and shot-creators from the dribble. Also a mighty defensive presence, Hartloff’s height was applicable to his production on defense. Whether it was using his length to stop perimeter guards’ progress or stepping over to defend the rim, Hartloff was ready for the challenge.
Never been a people person, but always been the people’s person 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/2VT5DBJLPc
— Caison Hartloff (@CaisonH15) June 29, 2020
SECOND TEAM
George McCurdy George McCurdy 6'2" | PG Broken Arrow | 2021 State OK | Tulsa Hawks |
6’2″ PG | Broken Arrow (OK) ’21 |
McCurdy was a back-court mechanic at the event, pulling all the stops and showcasing all of his moves to put points on the board for Tulsa Hawks. He passed the ball extremely well as usual, utilizing the drive-and-kick to draw defenders near him before extending rocket-passes with pin-point accuracy to teammates. He provided high-quality shots for his teammates, and when it came his time to shine, he just took the ball to the rack and finished through contact, an area of the game he excelled in throughout the weekend. Defensively, he was the primary show-stopper on the perimeter for the Hawks, using his acceleration to pick-off passes across the key to take to the opposite end.
Ben Loverude Ben Loverude 6'6" | PF Dmc | 2021 State IA | Beyond Ball 24K |
6’6″ PF | Des Moines Christian (IA) ’21 |
A 6-foot-6-inch stretch-forward, Loverude’s fluidity was the most impressive part of his game. He played with great mobility, footwork and grace as he used his tools on both ends of the floor. He was outstanding defensively, allowing little to get past him. Offensively, he showed off his stature to knock down shots from the mid-to-short range, and he even displayed some impressive handles to defeat adherent defenders on the perimeter.
Diondre Taylor Diondre Taylor 5'10" | PG North | 2021 State IA | Beyond Ball 24K |
5’10″ PG | Des Moines North (IA) ’21 |
Taylor was was in his bag (as they would say) getting crafty with the ball and creating separation. He has tremendous a vision for attacking, and his shift, lateral quickness and striking speed made him a tall task for man-to-man defenders. He was mostly efficient with the ball, and his separation maneuvers allowed him the space to get to the rack and finish with elevation. He had great efficiency with either hand.
Kaleb Gaddis Kaleb Gaddis 6'1" | PG Andover | 2021 State KS | Team Buddy Buckets Kansas |
6’1″ PG | Andover (KS) ’21 |
Gaddis was a sort-of glue point for TBBK last weekend. The home-floor guard used his best intuition to create plays for teammates and create paths of little resistance to produce buckets. Pairing skill, body control and all-around high-iQ play, Gaddis took upon himself all of the regular duties of a premier on-ball guard. He defended well, made great down-floor passes from steals, rebounded, passed and scored with elite efficiency in each facet of the game. His playmaking capabilities, whether driving-and-kicking or scoring from a screen, were instrumental for the championship-winning squad.
Nick Hogan Nick Hogan 6'5" | SF Eisenhower | 2021 State KS | Team Buddy Buckets Kansas |
6’5″ PF | Eisenhower (KS) ’21 |
Thriving primarily from offensive sets, Hogan used both his 6-foot-5-inch, bullying stature and interior iQ to produce offensively for TBBK. He moved well off-ball, used his power at the rim and also displayed impressive touch when finishing inside. Also an aggressive rebounder, Hogan’s presence was pivotal in his team’s championship weekend at home.
Jordan Brown Jordan Brown 6'2" | SG St Francis | 2022 State GA | Bobcats |
6’3″ PG | Basehocr-Linwood (KS) ’22 |
One of my favorite players to watch from the event, Brown is a legitimate prospect who played up with his home-town team and stood out among the crowd. He has impeccable ball-handling and space-creating moves, and he packs a catalog of talents into his 6-foot-3-inch, lanky frame. He moves fluently with the ball and appeared every-confident and comfortable with on-ball duties. Most of his team’s plays ran through him and often ended with him getting a bucket.