PGH Legacy Classic: 17U All-Tournament Team
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The 17U age group for the Legacy Classic displayed all types of competition on the floor this weekend. You had teams that brought pressure, teams that played conservative, teams that played more strategically, and teams that just let their kids…
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Continue ReadingThe 17U age group for the Legacy Classic displayed all types of competition on the floor this weekend. You had teams that brought pressure, teams that played conservative, teams that played more strategically, and teams that just let their kids go out and play freely . No matter how each team played though, ALL teams this weekend BROUGHT IT! The players listed below are ones who caught my eye the most throughout the weekend at the 17U level and changed the outcome of the game for their perspective teams on more then one occasion, enjoy!
Nebraska Hoops Elite put on a show this weekend as a program, throughout all age groups. On the 17U level their presence in the middle and rim protector, Lillian Petersen, did everything that was asked of her at the Legacy Classic for her squad. She played her size, took advantage of smaller opponents, played more physical then everyone else on the floor around her, rebounded the ball at a high rate, and scored a majority of the time when she caught the ball with her back to the basket in the post. There were a lot of impressive 17U centers this weekend and Petersen was easily one of the most impressive. This spring/summer I expect a lot of interest to come her way if she keeps putting together weekends like this one. Her size and skill combined are a very promising combination on the floor.
State 38 basketball came to the Legacy Classic and showed out as a program this past weekend, their best player being Krystyna Manzanarez. Manzanarez is a shifty and smooth point guard who really looks the part, as well as plays it. She moves side to side with ease when she dribbles with the ability to blow by anyone trying to matchup across from her. After she gets by her defender she is an elite passer, usually finding her teammates for some sort of crafty assist. Overall Manzanarez was debatably the best point guard I saw all weekend and if she wasn’t #1, she was definitely #2. I expect a good amount of D1’s out west to reach out this spring/summer to Manzanarez. She is the type of player who could see the floor early in her college career and compete at an extremely high level.
Highlights
Dru Zoucha
Dru Zoucha
Dru Zoucha was a player that stood out to me all weekend long. In all of the moments that I got to watch her compete she looked like a complete player. She was leading her team with the ball in her hands down the floor, making big plays/shots when it matters the most, and was an overall leader in every sense of the word. In a tournament that was STACKED with elite point guards at the 17U level, Zoucha was one of the best and maybe the most consistent this weekend. She stuck to what she was good at and that faired well in most occasions for herself and her team. This program is really good. From top to bottom they put on a show and compete on every possession like it’s their last. I’ll be following along with Dru and company going into the future as they really have some players in the program who can hoop at an high-level.
I already had a write-up published including Inia Jones Inia Jones 5’7″ | PG Omaha Central | 2024 State NE as a stand-out of the Legacy Classic based on how she performed during Day 1 but as it pertains to the entire weekend, she deserves even more credit. Jones put on for her team in every game they played this weekend, coming out on top in every contest. She made the most of the opportunities given to her and really competed at an elite level. She is the other player that I would consider for being the #1 PG of the weekend next to Krystyna Manzanarez of State 38 basketball. She has an elite handle with an incredible change of pace and direction. She can score at all three levels while also being a steady passer for the teammates around her. Most importantly, she has the gift of being able to will her team to a win. I saw it a few times this weekend first hand. When you see it on the floor, you just know, and you can see it with how Jones competes. She may not be the tallest player on the court at all times, but she definitely has the most heart.
Camdyn Kay Camdyn Kay 5’10” | CG Dubuque Hempstead | 2024 State IA has a similar story to Inia Jones Inia Jones 5’7″ | PG Omaha Central | 2024 State NE in the article above. A player whom I shouted out on Day 1 of the Legacy Classic for being a top performer, who carried that momentum into Sunday and put on an even better performance for her squad, ultimately leading them to an overall successful weekend as a whole. I think a perfect example for the weekend she put together is reflected in her stats. In two of her contests that she led her team to victory she recorded 28 points/14 rebounds & 16 points/11 rebounds. If that doesn’t say everything I don’t know what will. Kay is a big part of this team, when she is in the game they act/play more efficiently. This Iowa Prep 2024 Platinum group was debatably the best team there this weekend at the 17U level when they had all their players, a big part of that begin because of Kay.