NY Jayhawks win Adidas Gauntlet 16U Finale
LADERA RANCH, CA - On the final day of the Adidas Finale, the New York Jayhawks 16U squad walked away with a championship after defeating Chauncey Billups Elite 74-70. The New York Jayhawks 17U squad finished the day with a tough loss to Compton Magic, and D1 NYC went 2-0.
The Jayhawks 16U squad, spearheaded by 2022 point guard Max Ragusa, finished the tournament with just one loss. The team was constructed perfectly with the right balance of players that functioned very well together. Just about everyone got a piece of the pie and contributed to their success in California.
Ragusa was the player that stood out the most to me. Since seeing him in April, he’s certainly got better at being a point guard. He’s a lot more patient, sees the floor, finishes around the rim, can stretch the defense, but still has to work on his decision-making. However, it was a very productive week for the 6-foot guard who made a huge jump since Boston.
Mohammed Sow has plenty of upside in his 6-foot-8 frame. The talented forward from the Patrick School (NJ) is very athletic and can hit shots around the rim. He truly made his mark defensively. His long arms made it tough for defenders to get a shot off or get around him due to his active hands. His jumpshot is something he’s working on to start stretching defenses out.
Andres Marrero was definitely big time for the Jayhawks 16U that stormed to the chip. When the Hawks were down 22 points to Team Wall, it was Marrero on the defensive end stepping up, getting steals and scoring in transition. It was also Marrero who hit big shots down the stretch when the Jayhawks needed a scorer. I’d like to see him be more aggressive, especially with his shot since that’s what has been effective for him.
Samson Johnson was quietly the anchor in the paint for the Jayhawks. There were games where he would take on personal scoring runs himself to keep the Jayhawks in it or keep a lead. He has very long arms and is a very good athlete. If you throw something up, he can usually come down with it. The 6-8 post has a lot of upside and with some added strength, he can be a solid D-1 prospect.
The New York Jayhawks 17U fell in shocking fashion to the reigning Adidas Finale champion Compton Magic by two, 64-62. The play call was beautiful and it set Payton Shumpert up for a wide open layup, but he just couldn’t get the ball off in time.
The Jayhawks head back to New York 3-1 and capped off a memorable AAU season that saw 2020’s Zed Key and Andre Curbelo grow up before our eyes. Key probably made the biggest jump of any big I’ve seen all summer. He’s definitely gotten stronger with the ball, has defined post moves and has become very confident.
Head coach Jay David relied on him every bit this week to deliver the goods for the Jayhawks and Key always answered.
Curbelo continues to be one of the most elite point guards in his class and in New York. His vision is next level and he’s starting to get into the paint very easily due to his pace and ability to turn on a dime. With Curbelo on the floor, it really opened things up for Key, and the shooters on the outside. When Curbelo gets to the middle, the defense has to decide to let him score or take a three. A lot of teams often made the mistake of helping on Curbelo, which would allow for an easy score by Key or a three point shot by Liam Murphy.
Jalen Celestine is a true lefty combo guard that can play up to three positions. He can shoot and get into the lane, but his comfort zone seemed to be the mid-range, where he scored with easy floaters and step-in jump shots. His passing is definitely underrated and I’m starting to like him more as a defender.
D1 NYC had quite the class and didn’t deserve to be in the loser’s bracket. After dropping their first matchup, the program got back to playing well and no game was ever close after that.
Noah Best has so much potential. Already standing 6-foot-3 as a 14-year old with leaping ability, a jumper and the ability to finish around the rim against athletes his age. He obviously needs to get stronger but after speaking with his dad, that’s the focus after the summer and I believe by the time he hits junior year summer, programs will start to court him seriously.
Nicholas Townsend, the younger brother of former Yale standout Matt Townsend, has a lot of game. His post moves are so advanced, and he uses his big body to bully defenders in the paint for the score. He outsmarts you, has a few go-to moves with his back to the basket, and can face up a little bit and make plays towards the rim.
Richard Nweke is just a stud athlete. He has freakish athleticism, an insane motor, very active on both ends and has been working on his ball handling and shooting.
Just based on his athleticism alone, he has upside but he’s still extremely raw. A lot to work on for Nweke, but the end result could be D-1 prospect.
