Hustle Region Finals: 17u Standouts (Pt. 1)
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IRVINE, Calif. — The final west coast stop of our Prep Hoops Circuit of events on the west coast was in Irvine for the Hustle Region Finals. A variety of west coast teams made their way to Momentous Sports Center…
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Continue ReadingIRVINE, Calif. — The final west coast stop of our Prep Hoops Circuit of events on the west coast was in Irvine for the Hustle Region Finals. A variety of west coast teams made their way to Momentous Sports Center where the bracket-play style produced competitive games all weekend. Below is our first set of standouts from the 17u crop of talent.
Exodus Ayers Exodus Ayers 6'2" | CG La Cueva | 2023 NLG , ABC New Mexico 2022 National – Ayres is a dynamic transition scorer who uses his open court speed to get to the rim and finish above or through contact. Ayres also has catch-and-shoot ability in the half court setting and can create offense for himself and teammates off the bounce. The 6-foot-2, class of 2023 combo guard scored 20 points in ABC New Mexico’s 17u championship win over Arizona Dream.
William Benjamin, ABC New Mexico 2022 National – Benjamin is a freakish downhill and transition athlete who is always in attack mode. The 6-foot-1 point guard uses his burst to blow by defenders in transition and half-court settings and has change of speed and pace ability to keep his opponent off balance. Benjamin showed the ability to score in bunches and change the momentum of a game with his tough on-ball defense, relentless motor, and timely three-point shots. Benjamin scored 27 points in ABC New Mexico’s 17u championship win over Arizona Dream.
Joey Bilello Joey Bilello 6'8" | SF Thunderridge | 2022 State CO , PSB Denver – Bilello is a nice stretch-four prospect who, at 6-feet-7, can space the floor with the catch-and-shoot three and has some ball skills to take slower defenders off the dribble. Another aspect of Bilello’s game that stood out was his basketball IQ as a passer. He found open cutters often and fit in well to the flow of PSB Denver’s offense.
Logan Deal Logan Deal 6'6" | SF Sky View | 2023 State UT , Utah Force – Deal has a throwback big man type feel to his game. At 6-feet-5 with a strong frame, Deal did a nice job of sealing off deep post position and made the most of his touches by finishing around the basket at a high percentage clip. Deal made it a point to crash the offensive boards and understood how to space the floor for his guards to take advantage of open driving lanes. Deal was a physical presence on the defensive end with his fundamental post defense and willingness to find a body, block out, secure defensive boards and find his point guard.