The 2017 NY2LA Sports GNBA season kicked off Friday from Homestead High School. Featuring some of the Midwest’s top up and coming talent, day one marked the beginning of the 7th and 8th grade divisions. In arguably the game of the night, Yanders Law won a slugfest thanks to their outstanding point guard Anton Brookshire…
TOP PERFORMERS
(Note – Listed in Alphabetical Order)
Delone Austin – SF – 8th Grade – Playground Elite Fletcher
Austin doesn’t make the game harder than it has to be. He sizes up his man, sees what the defense gives him, and then takes it. Austin’s slashing ability was on full display Friday night. A long, strong wing, Austin has terrific body control and touch around the rim. When he can’t get to the basket, Austin showed a nice pull-up jumper from mid and 3-point range. In the pick n’ roll, Austin does a very nice job of giving the impression that he’s going to attack, drawing help-side defenders in order to hit the roll man. Austin played with a high motor, particularly on the offensive glass where he converted some physical put backs.
Anton Brookshire – G - 8th Grade – Yanders Law
A guard with tremendous burst and speed in the open floor, Brookshire blows by people in the half court and transition. Brookshire did a lot of damage on Friday by turning defense into offense. His lateral quickness forces ballhandlers to stumble and cough up the basketball when they can’t get by. That’s when Brookshire pounces and turns steals into points on the other end. A one-cut and go guard, Brookshire leaves defenders helpless when he attacks gaps. Brookshire’s quickness allows him to have a ton of space on the perimeter as well, where he’ll drain jumpers at a high rate. A true floor general, Austin sets up his teammates better than perhaps anybody else at his position in the 8th grade division. With elite understanding of drive and dish basketball, Brookshire generated tons of wide open looks for his teammates. Brookshire exploded for 27 points in a win over the Milwaukee Spartans-Rebels Friday night.
Steven Clay – G/F – 7th Grade – Wisconsin Shooters
Clay had a monster first half as the Wisconsin Shooters cruised to an easy win over Quad City Elite. One of the most exciting talents in the GNBA, Clay already stands 6-foot-1 and can play every position on the floor. He’s raw, but has quickly improved his overall skillset, particularly his ability to handle and shoot the basketball. Clay’s tremendous length makes him one of the most difficult players to handle. Clay was already intriguing with his ability rack up offensive rebounds, blocked shots, and play in transition, but his improved offensive skillset just raised the ceiling even higher. He scored all 18 of his points in the first half in short work.
Michael Foster – C – 8th Grade – Milwaukee Spartans-Rebels
Watch out for this prospect in the coming years. Foster is 6-foot-6 and runs like a deer. A long, athletic post prospect that’s oozing with potential, Foster is a game-changing big. First and foremost, Foster owns the paint. He racks up blocked shots and alters even more, making it very difficult for opponents to get clean looks at the rim. Foster also killed his opponent on the offensive glass Friday night, often chasing down misses in transition. Like most posts his age, the skill work has a long way to go, but with Foster’s athleticism and size, there’s a ton to work with. He scored a team-high 17 points in a loss to Yanders Law.
Kenrick Harrell – F – 7th Grade – Mac Irvin Fire
A high-upside forward with big time potential, we might be talking about Harrell as one of the top prospects in his class when all is said and done. Harrell is 6-foot-2 with length and athleticism that currently goes unmatched in his age group. In transition, Harrell was able to get coast-to-coast with ease. He converted some terrific off-balance finishes against contact, which turned some heads. If there was an offensive rebound up for grabs, chances are Harrell came down with it. Harrell put together a big first half as Mac Irvin Fire coasted and ran away with a win over Net Gain Sports.
Foster Wonders – F – 8th Grade – Playground Warriors
There appears to be a good chance that Wonders makes an early impact as a freshman over in Michigan. A skilled, physically advanced prospect, Wonders is a potential mismatch problem over the next few years and beyond. Although he’s 6-foot-4, Wonders isn’t reliant on his size to get the job done. He’s got excellent footwork down on the block and even when it seems the defender has the advantage, Wonders is able to work around and find an angle. Wonders also has a good looking stroke from 3-point and mid-range, making opposing bigs uncomfortable with his ability to play on the perimeter.
STOCK BOOSTERS
(Note – Listed in Alphabetical Order)
Rickey Bradley – SF – 8th Grade – Milwaukee Spartans-Rebels Elite
A big, athletic body, Bradley has an advanced frame and the skills to go with it. Bradley is a smooth operator offensively that glides to the rim and can adjust on the go. Defended by smaller players, Bradley even left many of them in the dust. If this kid gets a step baseline or from the high-post, it’s already over. He can take over a game offensively, but is very unselfish. A high-motor rebounder, Bradley racked up numerous second chance points on Friday, flying in for put backs and tracking down long rebounds. A slight injury seemed to slow down his progress in the second half, but he had a big coast-to-coast finish that tied the game late against Yanders Law.
Evan Bush – SG – 8th Grade – SYF Players
Bush is a good all-around scorer with good size. The 6-foot guard can knock down shots from all over the floor and plays with good patience offensively. Bush isn’t afraid to let it fly and showed he’s comfortable taking shots from well beyond the arc. Bush also took over some of the point guard responsibilities for his team and made smart, sound decisions. He has the makings of a potential break down, isolation scorer at the high school level that can fill it up when he gets in a rhythm.
Mason Dorn – 8th Grade – PG – Playground Warriors
Opponents have to know where Dorn is on the floor at all times. If you lose track of this kid for a split second, it could be costly. Dorn put on a shooting clinic in Friday’s win over All-In, hitting three triples in the first half alone. Although he’s only 5-foot-7, Dorn has adapted with a very quick trigger. Dorn will often bring the ball up the floor, but gives it up early in the offense so he can run through screens, catch, and fire. Dorn also has some jets off the dribble and was able to make plays for others by getting into the teeth of the defense.
Brian Jett – G/F – 8th Grade – Mercury Elite
Jett is an intriguing talent to watch in the next few years. He’s already 6-foot-2 and serves as a stretch wing/forward. He gave the Wisconsin Blizzard a lot of problems on Friday with his versatility and shooting ability. Jett had a big first half, scoring 12 points. Jett has a lot of tools offensively. He can create mismatch opportunities and has no problem scoring from any level on the floor.
Donald McHenry – PG – 8th Grade – Playground Elite Fletcher
There was some really good point guard play on McHenry’s part Friday night. A quick, skilled floor general, McHenry has an electric first step and an array of moves with the basketball. The lefty has a very smooth dribble drive game and has mastered the art of the floater over the top of the defense. When defenders began respecting his speed, McHenry hit the defense with some deep triples. Leading his team back in the second half, McHenry turned the game around with his hands in the press break, generating steals and quick buckets.
Quincy Wiseman – G/F – 8th Grade – Iowa Barnstormers Gold
A talented two-way player, Wiseman has a big impact on the game on both ends of the floor. Starting with his defensive activity, Wiseman locks down the perimeter using his length and lateral quickness. The 5-foot-11 wing has an all-around offensive game and really impressed with his ability to create and score from 12-15 feet. Wiseman has a knack for making plays. Whether it was crashing the glass, streaking in transition, or generating open looks, Wiseman just seemed to be in the right place at the right time.