FISHERS, In. – The second and final adidas Gauntlet session came to a close on Sunday with a flurry of games in a short time. All of the teams will play in the Super 64 in Las Vegas in July, but this and the session two weeks ago in Dallas were qualifiers for the adidas Gauntlet Finale in Atlanta on July 8-10, which will feature 16 teams.
Most of the games I viewed on Sunday were not very competitive, though the last one had a somewhat surprising end. After Team Philly had a hot start to the second half and seemed poised to take over the game, they never built their lead, and the Utah Prospects slowly came back and then won going away.
The event was well-run all the way around. The staff did a great job keeping the results updated so that future games in bracket play could be planned out, and they also did well at the always-challenging tasks involving roster issues. They also had a top-notch hospitality area, and it was in a facility with an excellent setup for this.
With that, here’s a look at a few who stood out on the last day.
Brian Bowen II (6’7″ So. SG-SF, Saginaw (MI) Arthur Hill HS) Every time you looked up during a quarterfinal win, he seemed to be around the ball. Long and a baby physically, he handled the ball often, finished well and drove to make plays and get to the foul line, leading his team all the way to the championship game.
Yoeli Childs (6’8″ Jr. PF, South Jordan (UT) Bingham HS) A steady Robin to Frank Jackson’s Batman, he was among the leading rebounders here, pulling down at least seven in every game. He has a good body that can mature more, has some scoring tools inside and handed out a few assists in the flow of the offense as well.
Austin Davis (6’10” Jr. C, Onsted (MI) High) The recent Michigan commit started off slowly by traveling on his first post move, but this lumbering big man got better as a game went on to quietly post a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds. He scored on other moves later and showed he could use his left hand, and rebounded well as a nice post presence.
Quentin Goodin (6’3″ Jr. PG, Campbellsville (KY) Taylor County HS) In a game his team won convincingly to open the day, he had the biggest hand in it at both ends of the floor. Athletic and with a good body, he was active at both ends, ran the show and did a little of everything as the team leader. He seems to have a natural fade on his jumper, but he did hit from long range.
Kyle Guy (6’3″ Jr. SG, Lawrence (IN) Central HS) A lanky guard, this Virginia commit has a thin upper body but plays strong and is very aggressive. He’s athletic and not afraid to go at someone, as shown by his many drives that included a dunk on the break as well as a left-handed floater, and shot well most of the weekend from long range.
Aric Holman (6’10” Jr. PF-C, Owensboro (KY) High) An intriguing prospect, he has length that he used to block and challenge shots and also get rebounds, but he has much more. He was active on the glass, finished well including while fouled, and also doesn’t lack ball skills and fed the post from the perimeter. His offense overall looks like a work in progress, and his body has a ways to go, but there’s a lot to like.
Frank Jackson (6’4″ Jr. SG, Alpine (UT) Lone Peak HS) One of the top scorers in the event, he went out with a bang as he scored 30 points on 10-13 shooting in the finale. Athletic and with a good body, he scored in a variety of ways, from a give-and-go layup to finishing the break and getting a layup off a loose ball. He had a big hand in his team taking the game over and winning it going away.
Carlik Jones (6’0″ Jr. PG, Cincinnati (OH) Aiken HS) A baby physically and baby-faced, he came off the bench and made an instant impact, nailing a three-pointer and being a constant factor in transition as his team broke the game open.
Micah Potter (6’10” Jr. C, Mentor (OH) High) His team is full of perimeter players who lead the way, but this Ohio State commit nicely anchors the post for them with a good frame and fundamentals. He passed out of the post nicely and also made a nice long pass, scored on the post including going to his left, and was a presence on the glass much of the weekend.
Michael Sagay (6’6″ Jr. SF, Hartford (CT) Watkinson School) He had a relatively quiet weekend before he went for 19 points on 7-12 shooting in the opener on Sunday, grabbing seven rebounds as well. Athletic and with a good frame, this Georgia native hit from deep, rebounded and led the break, and his highlight reel play was a stickback while his momentum took him out of bounds and while he was fouled.
