Indy: Top 17U Wings
Between the EYBL, UAA, adidas Silver, Nike Midwest Takeover, and Terrific 24, the city of Indianapolis was a basketball fan’s dream this weekend. Every coach and scout had more wristbands than a preteen girl when the Livestrong era was in full-swing and every team had the opportunity to play in front of college coaches as the spring Live Period came to a close.
Ohio performed pretty well overall and we’ll take time to extensively recap all of the top performers at each grade level. After touching on point guards and two-guards earlier, let’s focus on wings here.
Jake Plantz, 6’4” G/W, All Ohio Gold / Genoa
Plantz is one of the best two-way D-II guard prospects in the state. First of all, he plays with an edge on defense. Plantz welcomes a little back-and-forth between him and his matchup without ever losing composure. Meanwhile, his upper body strength allows him to resist guys trying to force their way into the lane against him.
On offense, Plantz went to the post a lot. He was able to cleverly use cuts to get position on the block. From there, Plantz is a willing passer, but he primarily combines power and finesse to get buckets. He also is a solid finisher in transition.
Leon Hughes, 6’5” W/F, All Ohio Gold / Whitmer
The wiry athlete continues to impress us this spring with his versatility and shot-creation in the paint. Hughes has the ability to hang in the air for tough finishes at the cup. Also, Hughes changes a lot of shots near the rim. He does all of the little things, in terms of hustle and defense especially. Hughes also made a lot of good decisions at the elbow against a zone look.
Jeremiah Davenport, 6’5” W, C2K Elite / Moeller
Davenport was eating in the game we saw of C2K’s this weekend. The former Wright State commit turned 2019 prep school prospect craves contact around the rim. He loves to work with his back to the basket and go to a power move, including an effective hook shot. Although he hasn’t fully transitioned to their defensive pressure scheme, Davenport is super effective within 12 feet offensively.
Lunden McDay, 6’3” W, Nova (James) / St. Vincent-St. Mary
Any questions about McDay’s offensive versatility have been fully answered. He’s a legitimate three-level scorer who continually created immediate space with his pump fake at the arch. From there, McDay has a good feel of when to pull-up or attack the rim.
McDay, a long kid with some strength, also works hard on the defensive end. There were multiple times where he was the only player running in transition to challenge a fast-break layup. Excellent two-way player.
Nathan Bruns, 6’7” W, Northwest Ohio Basketball Club / Marion Local
Bruns is really tall and long to be doing all the stuff he does. Bruns is a true guard offensively. He has the ball often and is able to see passes like a point guard. Also, he’s always a threat to shoot the jumper. The fluid athlete also covers a large range on the defensive end with his instincts and size. Shows leadership qualities through on-court communication.
Bruns was watched by Division I coaches this weekend. He came into Indy with offers from Findlay and Malone. He’d be a steal at the D-II level, as there’s not any real holes in his game.
Chris’seon Stringer, 6’3” W, All Ohio Red EYBL / Taft
Although Stringer is considered a hard football lean as a prospect, he impressed against Indy Heat on Sunday. He was trusted as the primary ball-handler at times and was able to facilitate the offense. Defensively, he guarded a national top 50 prospect and held his own. He combines strength with quickness to defend larger opponents. Stringer has a lot of confidence also.