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2016 AAU Preview: WeR1

04/13/2016, 10:15pm EDT
By Josh Verlin

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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AAU Program Previews: Jersey Shore Warriors | Philly Pride | Team Final | Team Philly | WeR1

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Program Name: WeR1
Coach: James Johns

Circuit: Under Armour
Key returnees: Trevon Duval
Notable Alumni: Ben Bentil, Traci Carter, Derrick Jones

Roster

Kevin Anderson (2017/St. John Neumann, Pa.)
Eric Ayala (2018/Putnam Science, Conn.)
Jawan Collins (2016/Academy Park)
Trevon Duval (2017/Advanced Prep International, Tex.)
Zach Kent (2017/St. Andrew’s, Del.)
Tyrese Martin (2017/Williams Allen, Pa.)
Bourama Sidibe (2017/St. Benedict’s, N.J.)
D’Andre Vilmar (2017/Roman Catholic, Pa.)
Maurice Williams (2016/Life Center)
Talek Williams (2017/William Allen, Pa.)
Warren Williams (2017/St. Benedict’s, N.J.)


Trevon Duval (above) is the unquestioned star on this year's WeR1 17U squad. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

2015 Recap

In the first full year of the Under Armour Association, WeR1 finished atop the 14-team “Hungry” division with a 9-3 record, led by the talented backcourt of Trevon Duval and Quade Green, and then won two games at the UAA Finals Showcase in July to cap off a satisfying summer in the program’s fifth summer since the merger of the East Coast Elite and NJABC programs.

2016 Outlook

Led by one of the best players in the country, WeR1 co-directors Matt Pauls and Terrell Myers have assembled a team that should yet again be one of the top teams on the UAA circuit. Drawing equally from the tri-state area with players from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, WeR1’s 17U squad is poised to make its presence felt amongst some of the other top travel teams in the nation.

The Star(s)

It all starts with Duval, the top point guard in the 2017 class and one of a few players in the country who will have basically his choice of schools. Kansas, Villanova, Arizona, Indiana and Oregon are just five of the 25-plus high-major programs who have extended offers, and he’s being tracked by John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky as well. A 6-3 guard with poise, athleticism and a whole lotta talent, Duval is a near-lock to be a one-and-done talent who’s gotten better and better continuously throughout a stellar prep career. He’s far from the only Division I prospect on the team, but in terms of star power, Duval will be their guy.


Jawan Collins (above) is chasing a Division I scholarship after setting the Academy Park scoring record. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

The Sleeper(s)

One of the better two-sport athletes around last year was Jawan Collins, as the Academy Park senior was a standout on both the football field and on the court. A third-team all-state selection for basketball, Collins averaged 21.3 ppg, 7.0 apg, 5.9 rpg and 4.2 spg for the Knights, and now he’s chasing a Division I hoops scholarship; if the hyper-athletic 5-11 guard doesn’t get one after the April live periods, he plans on going to prep school in hopes of securing one.

Another player who’s got a D-I game but not yet the recruiting to match is Kevin Anderson, a first-team all state selection after averaging 21.5 ppg up at little St. John Neumann in the middle of the state. A 6-3 guard with a silky smooth offensive game, Anderson is (like Collins) making his major-circuit AAU debut this weekend and is sure to get a few calls if he shows off the scoring ability he’s displayed at the high school level thus far.

The Supporting Cast

While Duval will draw the high-level coaches, WeR1 has a few others that are already wanted commodities in D-I circles. The wing group is especially large: Ayala, who reclassified from 2017 to 2018 last summer and went from Sanford (Del.) up to Putnam Science, is a confident 6-4 guard with a mature offensive game; Vilmar, an athletic 6-3 wing, has helped Roman to two straight PIAA Class AAAA state championships; Martin, a 6-5 wing, is a bit of an unknown quantity out of the Lehigh Valley but flashed some serious talent at the Donofrio Classic last week; Moe Williams, at 6-6, is an inside-out scoring threat and Talek Williams is an athletic standout of a 6-3 guard with above-the-rim capabilities.

The X-Factor

The only part of the team we haven’t discussed yet is what will determine just how good they are: the frontcourt. The potential is there: Sidibe is a powerful 6-10 forward with offers from Kansas State, Arizona State, Seton Hall, Memphis and more; Kent is a face up 6-10 forward with offers from Notre Dame, Saint Joseph’s, La Salle, Oregon, Providence and more; Williams is 6-9 and adds more depth and height to the squad. If this frontcourt is clicking like the backcourt, they should be one of the best teams on the UAA circuit yet again.

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Tariq Ingraham (above) is one of a few young forwards on the WeR1 16Us with some serious size. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

16U Roster

Allen Betrand (2018/Samuel Fels), Antwuan Butler (2016/Del-Val Charter), Will Colleran (2018/Valley Forge), Abraham Deng (2018/Valley Forge), Tariq Ingraham (2019/Salesianum) Ajiri Johnson (2018/Putnam Science), Reggie James (2018/Trenton Catholic), Kiyon Johnson (2018/Pennsgrove), Will McNair (2019/Parkway CC), Tyree Pickron (2018/Archbishop Wood), Sean Simon (2018/Springside-Chestnut Hill), Isaiah Wong (2019/Notre Dame)

Outlook: This is a massive 16U squad, with four players standing 6-8 or taller: Johnson (6-8, 225), McNair (6-9, 240), Ingraham (6-9, 225) and Deng (6-10, 220), which will be quite an imposing sight in layup lines. Ingraham is the furthest along in his development and had a tremendous first season at Sallies, but McNair is another young big who’s really come on strong as he’s grown to be one of the largest young forwards around. Their guards aren’t bad either, led by the talented 5-11 Butler, who will set up Simon, a 6-4 sharpshooter; Pickron, a 6-3 wing and Wong, a 6-3 slasher.


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