Battle at the Lakes: Sunday’s Elites
Tyrell Terry, 6’1 PG (D1 Minnesota 17U)
Without a doubt this savvy and clever point guard is one of the best in the nation. It’s as if he has eyeballs rung around his head; Terry’s vision is off the charts and his court awareness is unlike any we’ve seen this spring so far. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery was in attendance to watch (his son, Patrick, plays on the same D1 MN team), and he must have liked what he saw from the slender floor general. The Hawkwyes are just one of many high-majors that have offered this DeLaSalle product.
Harouna Sissoko, 6’7 F (All Iowa Attack 17U)
Formerly of Lincoln Academy in Georgia, Sissoko told me in Minneapolis that he’ll play with Grand View Christian next season. There was a flurry by Sissoko during Attack’s win over Young and Reckless when he skied for an offensive rebound and took off the length of the court for a bucket at the rim. That was after he nailed consecutive 3-balls. His mash-up of skill-sets is going to make him utterly dominant at the 1A level next season in Iowa.
Dalen Ridgnall, 6’6 F (Kansas City Spurs 17U)
We feel like KC Spurs beat writers at this point, they’re at all the big-time Western Midwest tourneys, and they always advance to the title game. Ridgnall is a big reason why the Spurs have enjoyed so much success this spring. He’s extremely athletic and active, blocking shots and snaring o-boards is his specialty. The supremely athletic combo-forward threw down four dunks during a loss to D1 MN in the 17U title game. He was certainly a bright spot for the Spurs in that one.
Matthew Hurt, 6’9 G/F (D1 Minnesota 17U)
Without a doubt, Hurt was the best player at this tourney. He’s going to play in the NBA soon. It was his fade-away 3-ball while falling out of bounds that was best; he made it look routine. He’ll bang down low, and is certainly not shy about taking it hard to the rim. There’s no weaknesses in his game. He’ll have a big freshman season next year, wherever he lands.
Jonathan Davis, 6’4 G (Wisconsin Playground Warriors 16U)
Definitely one of the more electric players at this loaded event, Davis threw down a dunk that sent the entire gym into a frenzy during the semifinals (see below). He’ll do that. Saturday he slammed home the best dunk I’ve personally seen this spring, a one-hand smash from a stand-still. But he’s not one-dimensional. Davis will burn you off the bounce and has a penchant for getting big buckets at the rim. All of his 16 points in the 16u title game from within the 3-point arc.
Johnny Davis took a life at @PrepHoopsBatL. @JonathanCDavis1 @WisconsinPGC pic.twitter.com/BdGjiMok1L
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) May 13, 2018
Noah Carter, 6’5 F (Iowa Barnstormers 17U)
Carter is enjoying a better spring than anyone in Iowa, and although his Barnstormers were ousted by KC Spurs a bit earlier than they would have liked, he was showcasing a high-level skill-set in the L. Carter was held scoreless in the first half of that one, but erupted for 15 second half points. He’s big, but has a ton of lift, Carter’s explosiveness is what sets him apart. Also, it’s his ability to make 3-balls at a high clip that makes him an elite offensive threat. He’ll continue to rack up D1 offers as the summer unfolds.
Dajuan Gordan, 6’3 G (Team Rose 17U)
Team Rose was throttled by D1 Minnesota in the semifinals, but Gordan was dominant in defeat. An athletic and very skilled Chicago guard, Gordan showcased a prolific jumper in that game, he made nine buckets and scored a game-high 27 points, a lot of them from an indomitable mid-range. He rose up and easily got well-above the rim for a jam for two of those 27. And canned a couple 3-balls for good measure.
Dawson Garcia, 6’10 PF (D1 Minnesota 16U)
A simply dominant big-man, Garcia does his damage thanks in large part to his sheer size, and his ability to take his man out on the perimeter and let a smooth jumper fly. He can score from anywhere on the floor, and his four 3-balls in the 16u title game was very telling of what he’s capable of. Dunks, 3s, blocks, boards, he’s going to do it all in droves fro Prior Lake the next two seasons.