ROCK HILL, S.C. – In the end, the Utah Prospects took home the adidas 3SSB Championship on Sunday, knocking off Game Elite 62-52 to claim the coveted hardware.
Still, after a week of intense hoops, the three stripes weren’t the only ones handing out trophies; from toughest defensive assignment to most NBA-ready we locked in on a handful of players who deserved to throw some hardware in their carry-on bag for the trip home.
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MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: V.J. Edgecombe
Quite naturally, with the abundance of talent on display in South Carolina, Edgecombe faced stiff competition from his peers for this appointment, but, in the end, it was clear that Edgecombe had separated himself from the pack.
Edgecombe won battles against some of the best players in the country, including Zoom Diallo, Khani Rooths and Paul McNeil, and averaged 21.1 points, eight rebounds and five assists in those wins. What stood out even more than his dominance on the offensive end was that he took on the burden of guarding each player for a long stretch of the game.
His relentless motor on both ends of the floor coupled with his versatile skill set produced one of his most dominant showings all summer. That’s saying a lot for a guy who won MVP of the adidas Eurocamp and is fresh off making the NBPA Top 100 All-Star team.
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MOST NBA-READY: Jayden Quaintance
Given that all of these guys have work to do in order to be ready to produce at the highest level, Quaintance oozes league potential through and through. We got help from the NBA scouts in attendance at the adidas 3SSB Championships to hand this one out, and the consensus was Quaintance checks off a lot of pro boxes, from his size (6-foot-9, 210 pounds) to his three-level scoring ability to his vicious athletic ability.
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MOST CONSISTENT: Micah Robinson
Another hotly contested award, but Robinson’s efficiency combined with his clutch gene ultimately gave him the nod. Robinson’s the type of player that you can bank on strong production out of in every game in a variety of ways on both ends of the floor. His motor is relentless, and his tenacity is next level.
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TOUGHEST DEFENSIVE ASSIGNMENT: Peyton Marshall
Usually, a guard would take this award home, but there was no other player in attendance in South Carolina that gave opponents a tougher time guarding him than Marshall. Not one. Most opposing coaches put tall and long skyscrapers on the 6-foot-11, 340-pound center, but his combination of footwork, strength and alpha mentality made those attempts futile.
Marshall faced triple teams whenever he touched the ball and saw an average of five or more defenders coming in waves every game. He earned the appointment of being the toughest defensive assignment.