It was championship Sunday at Proehlific Park! I had the privilege of covering the action on court 2. The intensity was definitely there all day, here is my recap of today's action:
2019 6'7 Zack Austin (Team Winston 17U)
Austin is just so long and athletic, at 6'7 he's a tweener. He looks like he is in the process of transitioning from a post player to more of a wing/small ball 4 type player. He showed his perimeter skills today knocking down several shots from deep, he also showed he possesses some ball skills. Austin has been putting it on the floor a lot more than usual lately. He is also very much serviceable on the defensive end, he is capable of protecting the rim and he rebounds down on every possession.
2020 5'10 Salen Streater (Main Event 17U)
Streater is an absolute pest, you will always see him in the action flying around the court. He is very skilled at pickpocketing opposing ball handlers and finishing with easy layups on the other end. He definitely made a great impression with his 28 point performance earlier, he is just so strong and quick in transition. I would hate to be on my heels with this young PG coming at me full speed. He also made some high IQ decisions, by not forcing attacks at the rim. He displayed a nice pull-up mid-range jumper on multiple occasions.
2020 6'3 Qualique Garner (Team Hickory 17U)
In the first contest of the day for Team Hickory, Garner showed up to the gym late in the second half, and his presence was definitely missed for his squad as they lost. In the second contest, Garner was getting whatever he wanted finishing with 23 points. His hard drives and ability to finish through contact were the key to his success. Garner stays in attack mode constantly putting pressure on the defense which opens up opportunities for his teammates.
2020 6'8 Jakob Moore (Team Winston 17U)
Strong and physical young player, Moore does not ever shy away from contact. He mostly operated in the high post today, attacking and finishing through the other squad's big man. Moore's ability to rebound is extremely valuable, he completely owned the offensive and defensive glass. I enjoyed watching him play because the effort and energy he plays with are contagious to his teammates.
2021 5'5 Mikal Johnson (Charlotte Aces 16U)
Johnson was truly fun to watch, he finished with 18 pts vs. Team Synergy. At 5'5, Johnson is extremely hard to stop from getting to the basket. He is a smart cerebral player, that understands when to pick his spots. Johnson was comfortable operating amongst the trees in the paint, he has knack for finishing around the rim. I love the confidence and swagger that this kid plays with, as he was not afraid to let the opposing team know that they couldn't guard him.
