WCE SoCal Slam: Top Performers

This past weekend we had some prestigious 17U teams for the West Coast Elite SoCal Slam. The tournament took place at Cerritos College and had all kinds of talent of different levels. We had a large pool of 17U squads that came out but there were seven teams that stood out from the rest of the competition. Some made their name with top players, where others stood out through quality team basketball. If you have the chance to watch these teams, you will not regret it.

Standout 17U Teams

WCE LA 17U Nat’l Gruskin (CA)

A pace pushing team with decent size. They all play well together and spread the ball around. The roster has a good mix of scorers, shooters, and big man defenders. A team full of hustlers where scoring is not an issue. They struggle on the defensive end with rebounding and staying with their man. They don’t lack in size or athleticism so all they have to do is put some more effort in on that side of the ball. It doesn’t seem to matter too much though because they score at such a high level with so many shooters on their team.

Logan Barker – Unlimited range / Score first point guard but has great court vision / Natural feel for the game and always makes the right decision

Anton Berge-Wells – Undersized big man with crazy bounce / Has tools to play both forward and center positions / Runs the floor

Certified (CA)

The length and defense on this team is unreal. They can play different styles depending on who their opponent is. When playing smaller teams, they like to punish on the inside. Against bigger teams they can dominate through the defensive end and moving the ball on offense. It is hard to notice their struggles on offense because they score so much on the inside, but they lack perimeter shooting. This is something that everyone can work on, and if they are able to add this to their game, I’m not sure how anyone would be able to beat them.

Cheikh Diebakhate – Good flasher in the paint / Agile big man that can guard every single position on the floor / Acts as a point forward

Mohamed Diao – Elite rim protector / Finishes everything around the rim / Doesn’t need the ball to impact the game

Elite 24 17U Deandre (OR)

Doesn’t have the look of a high level or athletic team but do not be fooled at all. This team will run circles around you by playing the correct way, shooting the lights out, pushing in transition and great team defense. Length exists at every position and there is also some good depth at the wing and big spots. There is no one traditional set up man on this team and that is an area of growth that they can develop. That doesn’t become too much of an issue though because they play the right way and love to move the ball.

Wyatt Stassens – Contributes on all ends of the floor / Underrated strength when driving to the basket / Makes quick decisions with the ball and never settles

Braydon Ace Long - Best pure shooter in the gym / Doesn’t look big but has no problem guarding bigger players / Excels as a cutter and spot-up shooter off the ball

AOSS (CA)

Full of college prospects at the D1 and D2 level, they like to run and gun and won’t stop until the game is over. What they are best at is their ability to play both inside and outside. They have multiple guys that will dominate in the paint, but their guards do a great job of creating downhill. They struggle in the pure shooting department and need some help developing shooters that will help them space the floor. Other than that, watch them in transition because they are almost impossible to stop.

Jason Van Horn Jr. – Scoring combo guard / Doesn’t force shots but will continue to get his own / Knock down shooter with the ball and off-ball

Kot Malou – An elite defender and rebounder / Will defend the best player whether he is a point guard or center / Likes to score in the midrange and by filling the lane in transition.

Juice County Players (CA)

A very structured team that continued to be unselfish. They are strong in the guard and wing department. All players hustle on defense and move the ball very well. Their biggest strength is shooting because every player they put out on the floor will knock it down from deep. They can all create for themselves and others with a lot of ball movement flowing through. They don’t have a true big man that can battle down low so that is something they can look to add to their team. They look to out-shoot their opponent, which they will continue to do most of the time.

Jaden Goodall – Lefty shooter / Three level scorer that will get his against anyone / Does a good job of staying in front of his man

Elijah (Eli) Arthurton – Under control point guard / Has a good mix of speed versus composure / Knocks down open looks and does his job of stopping the opposing guard

OW Basketball Club 17U (CA)

A sneaky good team that will sucker punch you when you least expect it. Filled with a good combination of acrobatic players and defenders, they all do a good job of playing their role. Their defensive pressure is what sets them apart as they are always organized, in the right spot in help and play together. The entire team is playing up, so they are lacking in the size department, so they struggle against bigger teams. What they lack in size, they make up with heart, hustle, and patience on the offense.

Trent Lotito – Combo guard that excels on both ends / Tight handle and acrobatic finisher / Does an excellent job of picking and choosing his spots

CJ Aldrich – Small but has amazing court vision / Quick first step and will easily get by the first guy every time / Pesky on defense

Elite 24 17U Greg (OR)

One of the more entertaining teams you’ll watch that also loves to play the right way. They always make the extra pass and get back on defense. Loaded with slashing guards that create for other, and multiple big man that will punish you on the inside. Wing help is one area that they struggle in and have room to get better with. The roster is filled with some talented players that all fill a role and as long as they play their style of basketball, they will be tough to beat.

Becket Curry – Elite quickness with and without the ball / Draws doubles through slashing and gets teammates wide open shots / First step is unreal that gets him to the rim easily and pairs as a good spot up shooter

Soren Dalan – Ginormous rebounding machine / Runs the lane and always hustling / Solid post moves inside but also can space the floor when needed