Film Study of EAB 15u
EAB 15u captured two Hoopseen titles in April. Their success landed them at #4 in the initial @PrepHoopsTN AAU team rankings. A month is enough time to provide distance and perspective. Dissect film of their 15u Championship Game against Pro One Select (Huntsville, AL) with me.
Who looks like they are ready to start varsity in the fall? Do you see any projects that can grow into nice players? Are there college prospects in the program?
Share thoughts always by tweeting or DMing @PrepHoopsTN.
Matthew Schneider is abnormally strong for his age. He clearly invests in the off-court aspects of improvement. Regardless of his vertical growth, Schneider will always be a hungry rebounder. Intangibles that he brings will always enhance his value to coaches and teammates. Schneider is a quick thinker. You will notice in the following game film that he reacts immediately to what the defense gives him. A defender took away a drop step, and Schneider turned to his left and swiveled into an unchallenged layup.
Point guard Zion Swader reminds of Shane Larkin with wonderful change of direction and strength as a slightly shorter point guard. The key to thriving as a shorter lead guard, which Swader might continue to be is demonstrate either ridiculous bounce or insane quickness or both. Swader is very tough to contain at the 15u level. He darts around defenders with ease. The handle is good and projects as great. What makes Swader a really tantalizing prospect is his vertical explosion. Short, dynamic guards typically struggle to finish in the paint as they ascend the basketball ladder. Swader’s bounce might alleviate some of that concern.
Like Swader, Jaylan Wetzel projects as a lifelong point guard. Quickness is the foundation of Wetzel’s game. Another aspect that impresses is the passing vision and touch. Wetzel is able to involve players that appear guarded or denied. Still Wetzel figures out ways to make difficult passes. As a scorer Jaylan churns out a beautifully repetitive shooting form. When he incorporates subtle, little foot fakes he easily gets open looks at this stage.
At this stage Mt. Juliet’s Riggs Abner is a forward. He runs the floor and rebounds well. The ultimate challenge for Riggs will be to morph entirely into a wing or growing taller to be a college forward. Of course, we can’t control how tall we grow. With his skills he projects to either position. It all comes down to lateral mobility. Can you guard a blur of a shooting guard? This will determine what level Riggs can play after high school. Again Abner is destined to be a fantastic high school player at either forward position, but he can be much more than that with precise athletic training.
Grant Slatten flies around the floor with a terrorizing style. Slatten’s confidence in traffic should provide consistent access to points. The red-haired wing unabashedly drives into zones. Defensively, Slatten uses perfect hand technique. The feet slide well. Like any young player he can get those feet moving faster laterally. It will help him play as a shooting guard, or possibly spell the point guard defensively for stretches. Giving a coach positional versatility helps earn players more minutes. Slatten looks to be a versatile, widely-skilled player.
The strength of Jordan Jenkins, as a guard, puts him ahead of his peers. With his powerful body Jenkins burst into the lane several times in the linked game. Jenkins needs to improve his shooting form. He is an average shooter now. That might be a problem area without the necessary attention. With his physicality Jenkins will be able to overpower his peers for the next 2-3 years. Relying upon strength at his age becomes fool’s gold. When everybody catches up to his power, at the higher levels of basketball, Jenkins will need to demonstrate other attributes and pathways to success. This is the kind of concern that will not even appear for years. But there are examples of physically imposing guards stagnating after their early successes without a broadening of the game.
Game FILM: https://www.periscope.tv/PrepHoopsTN/1MYxNpqqdQPGw
More Game FILM: https://www.periscope.tv/PrepHoopsTN/1djGXdnpnPXGZ
EAB 15u Roster
Jersey # | Name | High School |
#1 | Zion Swader | Siegel |
#6 | Jordan Jenkins | Webb School (Bell Buckle) |
#7 | Grant Slatten | White County |
#10 | Connor Beavon | Franklin |
#12 | Matthew Schneider | Siegel |
#21 | Jaylan Wetzel | Siegel |
#23 | Isiah Lightsy | |
#25 | Sabino Otira | John Paul II |
#34 | Riggs Abner | Mt. Juliet |