#PrepHoopsLiveATL Day Three Glass Cleaners
Day three of the #PrepHoopsLiveATL powered by @PUMA and @hibbettsports tourney gave all in attendance another full day of exciting games and fantastic talent to watch. There was excellent guard play, outstanding shooters, prolific defenders, and players that stood out…
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Continue ReadingDay three of the #PrepHoopsLiveATL powered by @PUMA and @hibbettsports tourney gave all in attendance another full day of exciting games and fantastic talent to watch. There was excellent guard play, outstanding shooters, prolific defenders, and players that stood out for their work on the boards. Let’s look at a few of the players who emerged as Glass Cleaners…
Team: Flee Club Hoops 2023
Instagram: quan_frmdaraq
Twitter: N/A
Joel has good size and length and is highly counted on by his teammates to control the paint. Offensively, he was a threat simply because he stood 6’8 and had a nice wingspan. His presence alone caused the Illinois Bears to pay more attention and send more bodies to the glass. JB has to continue to add to his offensive toolbox, but right now, he is comfortable going over his right shoulder, and when he does, he is highly productive. He has soft hands in traffic and made some nice catches in the paint from errant passes. Defensively he is a rim protector but is not the most nimble when it comes to maneuvering in the paint. As he continues in the game, he has to get stronger and more explosive off the floor. There are some questions when it comes to JB’s game, and one that has to be answered is what type of motor he has, as there were too many times JB was not sprinting the floor and did not seem to be giving max effort. When it came to the glass, JB was hitting the boards and on the offensive end, getting easy put-backs and keeping possessions alive, and on the defensive end of the floor, he was ending possessions by securing the board.
He was active on the boards, but with a greater commitment to rebounding, he could have been dominant and not just good.
Team: Tony Delk Basketball Academy 2023
Instagram: terrell_hoops23
Twitter: @ terrellteeves
Terrell is a lengthy and relentless forward who makes a lot of positive things happen for his squad on both ends of the floor. Defensively his length caused huge problems as he was able to protect the rim and defend in space. He showed the ability to contest shots without fouling, and he blocks shots and keeps the ball live, giving himself a chance to make a play on the blocked shot. He likes to get out in the open floor and make things happen, as he is athletic and finishes nicely in transition. He is a versatile player on both ends and brings a lot to the floor because of the options he provides his coach in the way he can be used. He put up 12pts in the 47-55 loss to Tallahassee Thunder, and more than half of his points came from his work on the offensive glass, which led to easy put-backs.
He rebounds at a high volume on both ends of the floor.
Team: Top 1 Basketball Club 2023
Instagram: thedeepaklaungani
Twitter: @thepaklaungani
Deepak plays with a squad that utilizes a small line-up and looks to him for their production in the paint. Deepak is a fascinating prospect because he creates so many problems for opposing teams. His versatility on both ends put Savannah Select ’23 in a state of flux. Deepak is an excellent complement to his high-scoring teammate as he does not need the ball to contribute but gives his squad another option when the defense takes away their primary scoring option. He plays the post and is even listed as a PF, but he has guard skills that allow him to take bigger guards out in space and off the bounce, while at the same time, his size allows him to play over the top on G/F his size and smaller.
He was highly active on the glass and was committed to that role for his squad.
One thing that benefited Top 1 was Deepak’s ability to secure the defensive board and initiate the break. He rebounded at a high rate, and if it was not for him, his team would have had some serious problems on the glass.
Team: World Hoops Elite 2023
Instagram: 414will
Twitter: @TheOfficialWS1
Let me get right into with William as he is 6’4 and plays like he is 6’9 or bigger on the glass. The stats for the boards were not kept, but it is safe to say that William had a minimum of 16 boards, and that is possibly too low for the baseline. The way he is committed to the glass for a player his size was unreal. He is athletic and is a high riser that is quick off the floor. He is not waiting on the ball to take a downward trajectory; he is often securing the rebound at a high point, leading to getting his hands on more rebounds than others on the court. Often at this level, too many players’ reaction is slow, barely jumping for the rebounds, and William completely dominates those types of players on the glass.
This weekend, I would have put his rebounding capabilities against anyone at the #PrepHoopsLiveATL tournament.
He was sensational. Now, he has areas he needs to continue to work on, such as his offensive skillset and perimeter jumper. If he can expand his game in those areas, he will make considerable jumps and see his stock rise. I also encourage William to watch his interactions with the refs as he was in a heated back and forth with an official near the baseline late in the contest that could have ended up going in the wrong direction for his team in what was a close game going down the stretch. I commended the ref after the game for not escalating the moment and giving William a tech because you hate to see players of William’s talent not on the court in late-game situations when everything is on the line.
Team: World Hoops Elite 2023
Instagram: wyatt.anderson33
Twitter: @wyattandersons
Wyatt is a 6’4 bruiser that plays extremely physical. Wyatt plays with a nasty edge; that could be why he is a beast on the glass. He is a blue-collar type worker that does not mind getting in the paint and mixing it up with the bigger guys. He can hold his own defensively and on the glass. He maneuvers well around the paint, throwing his body into position and blocking out. He plays with the above-mentioned William Starks, and they play well off one another and are a dynamic frontcourt tandem on the glass. William often demands so much attention in trying to be kept off the boards that Wyatt is the beneficiary of easy boards on both ends of the floor. Don’t get me wrong, Wyatt isn’t a glass cleaner because he is getting easy access to the glass, but the kid can flat out rebound with or without attention being elsewhere by opponents.
His physical play is clearly seen not just on the boards but on the defensive end of the floor, two areas where he causes a lot of problems for opponents.
Team: 24MD Team Daum 2023
Instagram: wagstaff.luke
Twitter: @LukeWagstaff12
Luke is not the most athletic post player, but he is one hard-playing and tough player that was at #PrepHoopsLiveATL. He is the type of player that others love playing with but hate playing against. He is a bruiser who will push, fight, elbow, lean on, and make life miserable for opponents in the paint. He throws his body around, and when he does, the opponents feel it and are moved.
He is physical when boxing out and physical when going after the board.
He is a steady presence in the paint for Team DAUM. Even though he is not a primary scoring option for his squad, they can throw the ball down to him on the low block and sometimes play through him. He also manufactures points by his aggressive nature on the offensive glass that leads to put-backs or fouls and trips to the line. His offensive game and technical aspects of defending warrant attention, but make no mistake; Luke knows his role when it comes to rebounding and is committed to doing just that.
Team: Fab SoElite 2023
Instagram: Ayobie_
Twitter: N/A
Ayob brought his hard hat to Atlanta and did all the dirty work for his squad. He is a big and solid presence coming off the bench, and he defends, gets on the floor after loose balls, runs the floor, and plays with great energy and effort in the paint. His offensive game is lacking and is an area that needs improvement, and being a ’24 kid, gives him a little time to add to his toolbox. He impacts the game without having to have the ball in his hands, and he makes winning plays that are not scoring plays.
His activity on the glass is huge when he comes on the court, as he goes after rebounds and is in the mix or somewhere around after every missed shot.
His physical build and strength give him an advantage when battling through contact on the glass. He is a competitive, tough, and aggressive glass cleaner that still has another season left after the upcoming one, and monitoring his growth will be worth tracking.