Grassroots Showcase: Kentucky Top Performers
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The Kentucky section of the Grassroots Showcase coverage has been my favorite to write up thus far. When looking at the 7 players in the below piece, my hope is readers see being a great scorer is not the only…
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Continue ReadingThe Kentucky section of the Grassroots Showcase coverage has been my favorite to write up thus far. When looking at the 7 players in the below piece, my hope is readers see being a great scorer is not the only way to be noticed in AAU events. Pretty much every guy below impressed me with another aspect of the game. Some defended well, others rebounded, and finally some just were unselfish. The easiest way to be noticed is what these players did: do the little things.
Tyson Barrett Tyson Barrett 6'8" | PF Frederick Douglass | 2023 FL (2023) Cave Gym Elite 6-6 SF
Barrett played up a level as he is part of Cave Gym Elite’s 17U team. Drew arguably the toughest assignment of the day being forced to guard Leon Bond from JH1 Elite in their Friday night matchup. Competed with Bond and battled with him defensively on the blocks. Great athleticism especially on defense. Hustles and even dove after a loose ball or two in their game. D2 schools should look into Barrett especially if he grows further or adds more to his bag on the offensive end.
Turner Buttry Turner Buttry 5'11" | PG Bowling Green | 2022 State KY (2022) Manimal Elite Gold 5-11 PG
Buttry reminds me a lot of Aden Slone Aden Slone 5'9" | PG George Rogers Clark | 2022 State KY (mentioned below) as he lacks the height compared to some of the guards in this piece, but he plays with a lot of grit and heart. Really good defensive player that excelled in Manimal’s trapping defense. Covers a lot of ground and understands the correct shifts needed. Ton of speed on the offensive end. Can play either guard spots but looked most comfortable in his game working off the ball. Colleges may be hesitant due to his height, but Buttry is a quality prospect worth consideration.
James Jewell James Jewell 6'6" | PF Marion County | 2022 State KY (2022) Manimal Elite Gold 6-6 SF
Jewell was likely another prospect college coaches wanted to get a look at. Long and springy legs. Quality rim protector especially when coming over in help side. Seemed bigger due to his bounce and wingspan. Tremendous focus on rebounds and secured several defensive rebounds over opponents. No doubt he has the athleticism to be a D1 level prospect, but hard to say what level until we see more of his overall offensive game.
Victor Lado Victor Lado 6'8" | PF Pleasure Ridge Park | 2022 State KY (2022) Louisville Storm 6-7 PF
Lado was impressive in a matchup with UWIN Serventz out of Alabama. Possesses long arms which makes him a nice prospect on the glass. Grabbed boards with two hands and was strong with the ball. Definitely undersized for a PF but he will battle in the trenches with whoever he is assigned. Must work on his overall offensive game as he doesn’t appear to be a focal point in Louisville Storm’s offense.
Aden Slone Aden Slone 5'9" | PG George Rogers Clark | 2022 State KY (2022) Cave Gym Elite 5-9 PG
While his teammate Tyson Barrett Tyson Barrett 6'8" | PF Frederick Douglass | 2023 FL stole the show defensively, Slone led his team on the offensive end. Quick hands and great handle for the ball. Disciplined with the ball as he knows when he needs to make passes vs using his solid frame for a guard. Gets by defenders with his handle and speed and can finish on either sides of the rim. Natural lefty that had to turn some heads in this game.
Christian Spalding Christian Spalding 6'4" | PG Evangel Christian | 2022 State KY (2022) Manimal Elite Gold 6-3 PG
Several D1s and D2s were on hand to check out Manimal in their game against Motor City Grizzlies. Spalding was no doubt one of a few players being evaluated by these coaches. Arguably one of the better perimeter defenders I watched this weekend. Truly chaotic with his longer arms, active hands, and footwork. Explosive offensively and gets by defenders in 1-2 moves. Can put the ball in teammates’ hands or keep and work himself.
Kyran Tilley Kyran Tilley 6'1" | PG Evangel Christian | 2024 State KY (2024) FOCUS Select 6-0 PG
Tilley played up a year with FOCUS Select’s 16U team. The best way to describe Tilley’s game is disruptive. Defensively he creates turnovers with his tight pressure on-ball as well as his elite lateral quickness. On the offensive end, he disrupts the flow on defense with his crafty passing on dribble drive and kicks. Very intriguing to me considering he’s only a sophomore currently as there’s plenty of upside if he continues to build off of what I saw this weekend.