Cassidy's Takeaways: Friday action in Alabama

HOOVER, Ala. -- The opening weekend of the adidas 3SSB Grassroots circuit is under way, but the loaded event isn’t the only show unfolding in the Birmingham area this weekend. Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy hit both 3SSB and Prep Hoops’ Platform event on Friday and shares his takeaways from the day that was in Alabama.

*****

More: Prospects on verge of crashing the Rivals150 ranking

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

*****

One of the day’s most impressive scoring efforts game came at the hands of M.J. Rice, who led his Team Loaded squad to a comfortable victory with a 22-point effort that saw the Rivals150 guard knock down a pair of 3-pointers to compliment his trademark ability to absorb contact on his way to finishing at the basket.

Rice has focused on becoming leaner this offseason and the results show in his physique. And while NC State is thought to be the college leader at this juncture, the four-star prospect insists his recruitment remains wide open. He recently visited Kansas and Oklahoma State.

“The biggest difference between Kansas and Oklahoma State is that it was so hot at Oklahoma State, man,” Rice said. “It was really, really hot down there. Both were great, though. Both places are like a big family.” Even in the wake of his visits, however, Rice insists his recruitment remains in its infancy.

“Every school and pro route is all the same right now,” Rice said. “I’m taking this whole thing slow.”

Ryan Dunn has seen his recruitment pick up momentum in recent weeks and that energy shows no signs of fading any time soon. Marquette and Minnesota have entered the fold in recent weeks and a Div. I coach at Friday’s event called the NY Jayhawks wing “one of the most impressive players” he’d seen during the afternoon session.

Dunn poured in 14 points to go along with a handful of rebounds in an afternoon victory before scoring 10 in a losing effort in the evening. And while the second showing was nowhere near as impressive as the first, it became clear that the 6-foot-7 wing can impact a game in a number of ways. Dunn is a willing defender and uses his length well on that end of the floor. He also impacted both contests on the glass. Dunn is only starting to explore the new recruiting interest swirling around his name, but it seems as though Marquette and Minnesota have piqued his interest to say the least.

“I know a little bit about Maquette and I was really excited to get that offer. Same thing for Minnesota. All three have a lot of interest in me and I’m getting to know them now. I talked to the head coach at Minnesota. He was cool. He said they are big fans of me and have a lot of interest. I kind of want to play in a really fast system. That’s what I’m used to. I like to get up and down and get into pick-and-roll stuff because I have a little bit of guard skills.

One of the day’s most pleasant surprises, Pryce Sandfort is a name with which Iowa fans may already be familiar. His older brother Payton signed with the Hawkeyes in the class of 2021, but Friday was all about Pryce, who scored 16 points and grabbed an unofficial seven rebounds in his OSA Crusaders’ afternoon victory over the famer Southern Assault program.

A class of 2023 prospect, Sandfot is all of 6-foot-5 and showcases a smooth shooting stroke in addition to the ability to finish at the rim. He’s still awaiting his first offer, but Iowa, Iowa State, Drake, Clemson and Butler have all made preliminary contact with the junior-to-be.

Kam Craft and his Meanstreets grassroots team played The Platform event a few miles away from where adidas held its event but the Xavier commit managed to make plenty of noise at the satellite location.

Saturday morning saw the Rivals150 guard score 22 points in an effort that included some mid-range jumpers, four 3-pointers and at least one dunk. Kraft’s was one of the more versatile efforts of the day. And while the future Musketeer already carries a lofty ranking, he’s certainly making a case to slide up a few additional spots when the rankings refresh next month.

Class of 2023 guard Ja’Kobe Walter plays up an age group with Team Trae Young and certainly doesn’t look out of place doing so. On Friday, the four-star guard was a key cog in a narrow, 57-55 victory that saw him score 19 points and grab the game-sealing rebound with less than five seconds left in the game.

Walter, who has pulled in offers from UCLA and Arkansas in recent weeks, has announced himself as one of the top pospects in the state of Texas and could one day have a claim to the Lone Star State’s top spot down the road if his jumper continues to develop.

Baylor and Texas are also heavily involved with the rising junior and could figure into his recruitment heavily down the road.