Houston AAU Previews: Houston Hoops 17U

<p>The AAU spring season is fully underway and several teams in the Houston area are showcasing some of the top talent in Texas. Below we preview the roster for the <a href="https://www.houstonhoops.com/17UEYBL2022.htm">Houston Hoops 17U</a> team.</p> <p>More Houston Area AAU Teams:<br /> Houston Hoops: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/04/houston-aau-previews-houston-hoops-17u/">17U</a> | <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/04/houston-aau-previews-houston-hoops-16u/">16U</a><br /> Houston Raptors: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/05/houston-aau-previews-houston-raptors-benjamin-netty-pt1-2/">"Benjamin/Netty" Pt 1/2</a> | <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/05/houston-aau-previews-houston-raptors-benjamin-netty-pt2-2/">"Benjamin/Netty" Pt 2/2</a></p> <p>#1 Amier Ali - Montverde - 6'8" - 2024</p> <p>Ali, Prep Hoops #1 shooting guard in Florida for the class of 2024, is back in his home state for the summer as one of the most skilled and promising players on a stacked Houston Hoops 17U squad. He may be the youngest of the bunch, but he plays years ahead of his age and has the poise and maturity to lead his team to wins. At a long 6'8" combined with the skillset he possesses, Ali can play nearly any position. He is essentially a tall point guard, with a natural ability to create for himself and others with ease. His ball handling at such a tall height is impeccable and his shot creation ability makes him one of the most lethal players on any court. His playmaking, vision, and passing abilities are continuing to get better as he gets older and is something that he takes pride in. He lacks in elite strength right now, but that will most likely come with age, although his length more than makes up for his slim frame. He has the quickness and the grit to guard any kind of player on the perimeter and his long arms and athleticism allow him to defend the paint at times, as well.</p> <p>#2 [player_tooltip player_id="1056399" first="Jace" last="Posey"] - Strake Jesuit - 6'4" - 2023</p> <p>Posey is Prep Hoops' #19 ranked player in Texas for the class of 2023 and is already a star for Strake Jesuit High School. He is a strong do-it-all guard that gets to the rim with ease and can be a menace on the defensive end. He has an explosive first step and a quick handle, and once he gets in the paint, he has an incredibly creative finishing ability and efficient touch around the rim. He's light on his feet and bounces around the court, making quick moves and getting to his spots whenever he wants. He can shoot the 3 off the dribble and off the catch, and he is extremely intelligent in choosing when to shoot and when to attack. His athleticism gets the crowd on their feet nearly every time he attacks the basket with high-flying dunks and acrobatic layups. His on-ball creation is elite, but he is also a fantastic off-ball threat with intelligent cuts to the basket and phenomenal understanding of proper spacing.</p> <p>#5 [player_tooltip player_id="787349" first="Jaland" last="Lowe"] - Fort Bend Marshall - 6'2" - 2023</p> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-1426746 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/IMG_0964-crop-3024x1986-1649712339-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></p> <p>Lowe, Prep Hoops' #1 ranked point guard and #10 overall in Texas for the class of 2023, led the<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> Fort Bend Marshall Buffalos to an impressive 28-3 record, a district championship, and eventually came up against a talented Crosby Cougars team in the second round of the 5A UIL playoffs. He's a calm and composed point guard that doesn't seem to rush or force anything, although has great speed and impressive change of direction with the ball in his hands. The game comes natural to him, and he has a beautiful flow within the offense where he can maneuver through a defense with his smooth handles, creating any kind of shot for himself he puts his mind to, while also keeping everyone on the floor involved in the offense. He can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc, and if he gets hot, there is no stopping him as he can string together several impressive scoring runs with ease in any given game. He has a very creative finishing ability once he gets into the paint and he sees the floor beautifully, as well, willingly pushing the ball up the court to the open man to create easy shots for his teammates and dishing to guys cutting to the basket as he runs the offense.</span></p> <p>#21 Joseph Tugler - Cy Falls - 6'8" - 2023</p> <p>Tugler has made enormous strides during his junior season this past year as the star big man for the Cy Falls Eagles, helping them get all the way to the regional semifinals where they fell to a dominant Garland Owls team. He has become a prototypical paint beast with a constantly developing post game, an incredible touch around the rim, and an absolutely dominating interior presence on defense. Not only can he control the paint on both ends of the court, but he moves extremely well for a big man, with incredible footwork, speed, agility, athleticism, and strength. He can attack from the perimeter and has a full array of moves to get a good look at the rim and he has valuable playmaking abilities out of the post and as he drives to the paint. He stays aware of all the moving parts on offense, and he is ready and willing to dish to the open man cutting to the basket at any given moment. He moves well off the ball and is dangerous in the pick-and-roll after setting hard and effective screens at the top of the key. His mobility also helps him guard perimeter players surprisingly well and allows him to switch across all positions. His star is rapidly rising, and he will undoubtedly be a force this summer for Houston Hoops and next year for his senior season at Cy Falls.</p> <p>#32 Wyatt Boeker - Woodlands Christian - 6'8" - 2023</p> <p>Boeker is an athletic forward with extreme intelligence as an off-ball threat, helping lead The Woodlands Christian Academy to a 25-8 record and a first-place finish in District 5 of the TAPPS 5A conference this year. He's an incredibly strong and athletic slasher, dunking with ferocity any time he gets momentum going to the paint. If he's running on a fast break, with or without the ball, it's best to get out of his way because he has no regard for any defender in the paint and will posterize you in an instant. His cutting ability off the ball makes him a perfect role playing big along other ball dominant players and he understands when and where to make his cuts to best complement teammates' dribble drives. He can lull a defender to sleep on the perimeter and then make a quick back door cut to find an open lane to the basket and he is also a capable enough ball handler to take his man off the dribble and attack the basket himself. He shows intelligence as a passer, as well, making the right reads and getting the ball to the open man, willingly moving it around the court, and never forcing up a poor-quality shot. He's a tough rebounder and has a quick bounce to get a putback to go almost immediately, usually through a strong dunk with an amazing standing vertical leap. </p>