UA Finals: Friday eye catchers
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SUWANEE, Ga. -- There were some familiar names among the top
performers at the Under Armour Association Finals on Friday. There was also the
production of a small in size, but big in output point guard that had tongues
Tyler HarrisClick wagging.Here to view this Link. put on the best performance that these eyes saw on Friday. The
5-foot-9 point guard scored 28 of Team Thad's 63 points in a loss to the Florida
Vipers in 16U action. Harris used his quickness to get to the rim and he
connected on half of his 12 three-pointers. He also grabbed four rebounds and
had two assists and two steals. He simply made plays and when he wasn't in the
game Team Thad's offensive efficiency tanked. Due to his size, Harris will need
Billy PrestonClick to learn to create space so that he can get better looks at the rim.Here to view this Link. is a Swiss Army Knife of power forwards. In other words, just when
you think you have something that will slow him down, he uses another skill to
overcome that challenge. Thursday Preston scored on all three levels plus
connected on 6-of-8 (75 percent) of his free throw attempts. He was good in
transition, can handle the ball in open court and shows potential as a floor
spacer. Preston led MWA Elite in scoring with 23 points plus had six rebounds
Mark VitalClick and one assist.Here to view this Link. used his size and strength inside on Team Thad and when things were
all said and done, he had a double-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks
and two steals for MWA Elite. But Vital wasn't just a bull in a china closet, he
used good fundamentals and body control to avoid committing a single foul during
the game. The Baylor commit plays bigger than his listed 6-foot-6
height. He's stronger and more physical than most small forwards and could play
Jeriah HorneClick the four in a pinch.Here to view this Link. is a very skilled 6-foot-6 combo forward with a solid frame who will
bang down low, hit a turnaround jump shot or step out and shoot. Horne can put
the ball on the floor and he competes hard. Horne is a great communicator on the
court, particularly on the defensive end where he blocked three shots in the
game against Baltimore's Finest's. Horne had 19 points and seven rebounds for KC
Mitchell BallockClick Run GMC 17U to go along with those blocks.Here to view this Link. has a great motor and a skill set that isn't found in many rising
juniors. The first thing you notice about Ballock is his competitive fire, you
can see it during warm-ups with his KC Run GMC 17U teammates. He doesn't wow you
with athleticism but Ballock can knock down the open shot off the catch, from
mid-range or beyond the arc. He's also a solid ball handler with great court
vision which allows him to be an excellent passer that sets his teammates up
well. At 6-foot-4, 175 pounds the rising junior has good size, and skills, for
either guard position. Ballock had 11 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and
Zach ScottClick zero turnovers versus Baltimore's Finest.Here to view this Link. burst onto the recruiting radar by keying the 16U Florida Vipers
victory over Team Thad in a game played in front of coaches from UCLA,
Auburn, Michigan State, Florida and Florida State to name but a few. The rising sophomore led the Vipers in scoring
with 17 points coming on 7-of-11 shooting (64 percent), grabbed six rebounds and
two steals. Scott finished at the rim through traffic, hit jumpers around the
free throw line and connected on one of two three-point attempts. All while
running his team's offense in a game that came down to the last possession. As
his body matures and Scott adds strength, he will become an even tougher
Ty-Shon AlexanderClick assignment for defenders.Here to view this Link. was dialed in defensively against Atlanta Xpress. He moved his
feet and put strong pressure on the ball leading to stops that keyed his, and
Team CLT's offense. Alexander almost never forced the issue, making the right
pass and being judicious in his shot selection -- scoring 14 points on just
seven field goal attempts. The three-star prospect has good size at 6-foot-3 and
Jade SmithClick 180 pounds and he used that size well to grab six rebounds.Here to view this Link. was a solid floor leader at both ends of the court against SE Elite
Florida. Offensively he runs the Team Superstar sets, he's patient and showed
that he knows how to control tempo. Smith also showed poise when the team was
dealing with adversity and on the defensive side, Smith has good lateral
quickness to defend quick guards and he is vocal. Smith put in this type of
performance while still recovering from a dislocated left knee-cap that he
suffered at the end of February that sideline him for three months. One area of
improvement for the three-star guard is free throw shooting, where he was just
28.6 percent (2-of-7) for the night.