Mr. May 17u: Second Team
Who were the best AAU players in the month of May? Read about players that both played exceptionally but also attracted the most college attention. Today, we feature the second quintet by position on our Mr. May 17u SECOND TEAM. Our state is loaded with great guards, but this team must resemble a team: Guard, Guard, Guard/Wing, Wing, Forward.
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First Team – Publishing 6/5
Second Team
PG BJ Edwards
G
Chip Brunt
Chip
Brunt
6'4" | PG
Whitehaven | 2023
GA
G
Amarr Knox
Amarr
Knox
6'3" | PG
Bartlett | 2022
State
#212
Nation
TN
SF
Kristian Shaw
Kristian
Shaw
6'6" | SG
Beech | 2022
State
TN
F Handje Tamba
PG
Brian Edwards Jr
Brian
Edwards Jr
6'3" | PG
Knoxville Catholic | 2022
State
#82
Nation
TN
, BMaze Elite 17u
Overall State Ranking: 3
Perhaps deserving of First Team, B.J. played consistent all month. His perch at #3 in the state is only in jeopardy by #4 Felix Okpara Felix Okpara 6'11" | C Hamilton Heights | 2022 #51 Nation MO at this moment. Edwards’ helped his BMaze 17u squad to 83.3% winning at the UnderArmour Memorial Day event. In fact, BMaze Elite lost in the final to Team Charlotte after defeating them in a 73-70 fight Saturday morning. In other words, BMaze and Edwards dispatched of every team they played (at one point). What did Edwards do special? “They had a really tough game against Team Charlotte and that is one of our rivals,” said BMaze 17u Head Coach Brett Patterson. “I thought they [Edwards and Quante Berry] played fantastic in this [Houston Defenders] game.” Coach Patterson credited Edwards with great defense throughout the event. Edwards will always be a scorer, both from slashing and shooting, but his improvement as a defender makes him a delicious two-way HM player.
Amarr Knox
Amarr
Knox
6'3" | PG
Bartlett | 2022
State
#212
Nation
TN
,
Team Thad
17u
Overall State Ranking: 6
Knox has been on fire all month. His ability to score is virtually unmatched statewide. Verbally committed to Memphis, Amarr has reason to be the least hungry of all 2022 players. It is not in his character, but Amarr has to prove himself to only himself and his Memphis recruiters. There is no need to attract new eyeballs. Knox scored constantly for Team Thad throughout May and impressed teammates and onlookers with a sky full of orange gumdrops. So, how did Amarr not land in the First Team? The glut of guards in Tennessee is both exciting and vexing for ranking purposes.
Chip Brunt
Chip
Brunt
6'4" | PG
Whitehaven | 2023
GA
, EAB 17u
Overall State Ranking: 20
Chip Brunt Chip Brunt 6'4" | PG Whitehaven | 2023 GA (Whitehaven HS) played with the unrelenting creativity common to his game during early May. Brunt is a classic scorer with the ability to shoot effectively from multiple points on the deck. He hit two three-pointers versus 1Family. Brunt, hinted at his potent mid-range game during he BMaze win. He scored 6 points in that massive clash of two elite AAU programs. If there is a weakness for Brunt, then it is lacking that desperation to score often embedded in alpha dogs. With St. Benedict’s, Brunt capably scored constantly. Of course, EAB is a much more balanced squad, and Evan Eursher Evan Eursher 6'2" | PG Webb-Bell Buckle | 2022 State #244 Nation TN often dominates the ball. Brunt could become even more terrorizing and assertive. Brunt’s senior season will be wonderful for two reasons, A) Brunt will be playing Class AAA competition in a city returning to its basketball life after the infuriating 2020-2021 absence and B) Brunt will get to showcase his game to a wider audience regionally, including college scouts.
SF/SG
Kristian Shaw
Kristian
Shaw
6'6" | SG
Beech | 2022
State
TN
, PSB-Nashville 17u
Overall State Ranking: 17
Kristian played fantastic in the UA midwestern stop Memorial Day weekend. Appalachian State expressed interest as a direct result of his success just north of Indianapolis, Indiana. His PSB-Nashville men won 3 of 5. They handled a frisky Atlanta Xpress squad, 84-74, the same day they overwhelmed the AC Georgia team. The two PSB-Nashville losses came to DC Premier and KC Run GMC. Shaw himself was special from beyond the arc. Shaw will miss the first LIVE period of July with an left hand injury. Expect him back for the two other LIVE periods.
C Handje Tamba, BMaze Elite 17u
Overall State Ranking: 15
No player I watched in May is more deserving of ranking re-consideration than Handje Tamba. Though Tamba still lacks the post polish of a top 100 player nationally he is certainly a MM-HM rotation player. Can he ascend to future SEC/ACC/Big 12 starter later in his career? Prior to May eval this possibility felt remote. No longer is his ceiling limited by his rawness. The development trajectory is tremendous and he is so much closer to the college game than prior. “He is a sweetheart kid. When he plays against really, big, tough competition he steps up,” BMaze Head Coach Brett Patterson. Getting stronger. “He has added about 30 pounds in the last 3 years. He is really ready to take the next step. When he first started working out he was all skin and bone. He injured himself working out. He had some shoulder issues which kind of put him on the backburner. We got him on a different program to where he is doing more body weight stuff. Bands. His chest was getting strong, but his shoulders were not strong enough.”
According to Coach Patterson, University of Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes loves, loves, loves Tamba and sees him as a project big they can really develop.
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