The Finale: 17U Day 1 Game-Changers
What more is there to say? It is the final tourney on the Circuit, The Finale. Solid day of basketball. Here are some 17U players that stood out from Day 1. Sam Dierning – United Basketball Dierning is a crafty…
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Continue ReadingWhat more is there to say? It is the final tourney on the Circuit, The Finale. Solid day of basketball. Here are some 17U players that stood out from Day 1.
Sam Dierning – United Basketball
Dierning is a crafty finisher and difference-maker for United when he gets the ball. The 6’3 combo-guard hit a couple of tough finishes to keep his team in the game and stopped a couple of runs. He finishes with his off-hand floaters and gets inside the thick of the defense. He also got out on fastbreak for finishes in transition. When that stopped working, he was the facilitator that dished it out for open 3-pointers as well—a balanced game for Dierning.
Isaac Patterson Isaac Patterson 6'6" | PF Overland Park | 2021 State KS – Mokan Select 2021
Patterson was a guard for Mokan that showed off his court awareness and his willingness to make the extra pass. He was getting teammates involved, players around him seemed to read him and move off of him, and he also remained aggressive by getting to the rim. He finished with both hands and also stepped out and hit some shots as well. He was one of the smaller players on a big team and was able to step over on screens and make stops. A two-way player that changes games.
Isaiah Thomas – Pluto Prospects
Thomas is a big guard from a small school that hopped onto the scene and has been turning heads all summer long. Thomas was a difference-maker in the game as he used his big frame to get to the spots that he wants. He is an aggressive downhill runner that does not slow down. He is always attacking and making plays around the rim and hunting for favorable matchups with screens. He finishes well around the baskets, cuts without the ball, and every time the ball is in his hands, here is an understanding that he can make something happen. Pluto needed him to be assertive in their game, and he did not let them down.
Kendale Johnson Kendale Johnson 6'5" | SF George Washington | 2021 State CO – Colorado Soldiers
Johnson was the Soldiers’ best player as he already has the size, but he showcased the ability to do it all. Johnson brought the ball up the floor as the primary ball-handler but also somehow found himself open on multiple plays on the perimeter and sunk the shot. Johnson was shooting the ball on the break, hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and stayed in attack-mode. When his shot is opening, it makes him a dangerous player because he can go inside and score when he wants as well. He had a block and multiple stops, and when you get both offense and defense from him, it’s a good day.
Schaefer Reichart – Pluto Prospects
Reichart is a guard with a very polished game, and he allows the game to come to him. Reichart closed the door on any comebacks that the opposing team had as he took over late in the game. He hit shots, has a lethal mid-range pullup and got to the rim and finished. He was very active on defense and forced a few stops when his team needed it most. He moved well without the ball, got into a flow, and Pluto made sure to get the ball in the hands of their best scorer. Reichart has played well this summer both in and out of state.
Buzz Ritzel – Illinois Bears Ritzel
Ritzel and his Illinois Bears team took a while to get on the board, but once they got started, they did not look back. Ritzel shot the 3-ball well. He has solid size and is a confident scorer that lets it fly. One thing that stood out was his ability to rebound with the trees. Illinois Bears played a bigger team than them, but he did not back down and stuck with it. Ritzel was able to defend bigger players, and remained aggressive throughout the game.
Armani Thompson – Colorado Soldiers
Thompson was a player that got out in transition and scored the basketball. Thompson uses his athletic frame to get out on the break, and teams have a difficult time slowing him down. He had a few finishes in transition, rebounded the ball well, and is a scrappy defender that refuses to be scored on. He used his defense to frustrate defenders and pushed the pace and also stopped runs for the opposing team.
Jameel Wright Jameel Wright 5'10" | PG Overland | 2021 State CO – Colorado Hawks
Wright is a player that it is difficult not to enjoy watching. He is a true point guard that plays the right way and is a natural scorer that is a bit of a live wire for this Hawks team that teams have a difficult time figuring out. He is the team’s primary ballhandler and does a great job of finding the open man because he is not afraid to take chances. As stable as a scorer that he is, he is even better as a playmaker. Wright found teammates and also made the defense move with attacking and finishing and also hitting a few shots. Wright took care of the ball, did not allow other guards to get inside of the defense easy, and rotated the ball to keep the defense guessing. Another solid performance for him.