3 Takeaways: Exum Elite vs. Game Elite Black
The adidas Summer Championship is underway in California. Exum’s 17U team took on Game Elite Black in their 4th game of the weekend. Both teams came into the game winless. With that said, both teams have plenty of talent and competed at a high level in an attempt to get that first win of the weekend. Game Elite Black was able to pull off the close win over the short handed Exum.
1. Missing the Jones’ Impact
Exum’s 17U team has had a lot of success on the gauntlet this year. However, playing without Rylan Jones has impacted the team greatly. He gets the guys going due to his high basketball IQ and ability to put teammates in spots where they can be successful.
While his impact has surely been missed, Trey Stewart and Jaxon Pollard have done their best to fill in the game. Stewart had 6 assists in this one while Pollard had 4. While both prospects are legitimate NCAA Division-I candidates who are playing at a high level, this group is still missing some of what Jones’ brings to the table.
2. Jaxon Pollard is Back
Pollard’s injury kept him from having a huge roll on last year’s state championship Lone Peak team. However, he is healthy now and prospects have graduated that will aid in paving the way for him to be the go to prospect on the team next year.
In this one, Pollard demonstrated why he is a NCAA Division-I prospect. He filled up the state sheet while leading the team in scoring and rebounds. Further, he finished 2nd in assists. Pollard has the ability to be a triple double threat and a double double machine due to his versatile skill set and length.
Pollard will need to play at a high level in order for Lone Peak to survive their tough region and make a run in the state tournament. If Pollard continues to play similar to how he played in this one, Lone Peak is prepared to have a lot of success.
3. Isaac Johnson is more than a Shooter
One of the things that makes college coaches quite intrigued in Johnson is his ability to shoot it from deep. Shooters who have good length and can play the stretch 4 are becoming more and more sought after. With that said, Johnson is more than just a stretch 4.
In this game, he showed flashes of being able to score the basketball from all 3 levels. While he has been capable of doing this in the past, he looked more polished and improved in this regard. As he continues to improve his ability to score and defend multiple spots on the floor, his stock will only continue to rise. As it stands, he is already extremely skilled and a highly sought after prospect.