Eric Ayala (above) and WeR1's 17s captured the UAA championship last weekend in Atlanta. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Ari Rosenfeld (@ARosenfeldDVHR)
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The first of three July evaluation periods saw each of the three major sneaker circuits hold their championship tournaments, with Under Armour taking over LakePoint Sports Complex in Cartersville, Georgia--just north of Atlanta--to crown its 15U-17U champions. The Under Armour Association is the only of the circuits with two local representatives, and Delaware-based WeR1 and Philly Pride both had strong showings throughout the week.
CoBL scouting director Ari Rosenfeld was in Cartersville for the beginning portion of the week. Below is a recap of how the two programs’ combined five teams performed in front of the slew of college coaches checking out the action:
WeR1
17U
The week went exactly as planned for WeR1’s 17U group, as they successfully defended their UAA title and captured their third championship in the last four years. After an opening night showcase game victory over a loaded Team Rio squad, WeR1 ran through DC Blue Devils, Team Felton (SC), and Florida Vipers before beating Team Charlotte, 73-61, in the championship game.
One of two members of last year’s team back for this year’s run, Wilmington native Eric Ayala (2018/Putnam Science, Conn.) led the charge, averaging 17.6 points and 8.6 rebounds over five games. A 6-foot-5 scoring guard, Ayala used his herky-jerky style to get into the lane where he was consistently able to absorb contact and finish. The only player to join him in double figures in each game was 2019 guard Isaiah Wong (15.6 PPG) who got his buckets on an uber-efficient 64.2-percent shooting split. WeR1 also got consistent contributions from William Allen grad Tyrese Martin (2018/Massanutten Military, Va.) and Palm Beach State commit Malik Curry (2018/Putnam Sicence, Conn.).
16U
After posting an 11-1 record over the course of three UAA regular season sessions, WeR1’s 16U group entered the week as one of the favorites to win a title of their own. However, a strong showing for the week ended in disappointment, as Texas Hardwork captured the crown with a 63-57 win in the championship game.
As had been the case all spring, Eric Dixon (2019/Abington) led the charge for WeR1 to the tune of scoring 19-plus points in each of his five games, and hauling in double-digit rebounds in every outing. The highlight of Dixon’s monstrous week came in the semifinal, where he matched up with Philly Pride’s 16U squad and gave his local counterparts 31 points on 13-for-15 shooting to secure a spot in the title game. One prospect who also caught the eye of many of the college coaches in attendance was Nah’shon “Bones” Hyland (2019/Bonner-Prendergast), a Delaware native who will transfer into the Philadelphia Catholic League this season. A lanky 6-foot-3 combo guard, Hyland was the perfect complement to Dixon’s bruising inside game, and was rewarded for his strong play with his second offer, from San Diego; Monmouth offered after the April evaluation periods.
15U
If you’re beginning to sense a theme here, you’re not wrong, as WeR1’s 15U group also represented the area well down south. After losing to eventual 15U champ Playground Warriors (WI) by two points in the first round, the only local 15U squad in attendance stormed through the losers’ bracket, and combined with their showcase game victory, finished with a 4-1 record on the week.
Consistently leading the way for WeR1 was the three-headed monster of point guard Jhamir Brickus (2020/Coatesville), wing Ronnie Ellis (2020/Hamden, Conn.), and big man Elijah Taylor (2020/Imhotep Charter). Playing in just his second tournament with WeR1, the 5-foot-9 Brickus ran the show to perfection, averaging 14.6 points to go along with 3.8 assists, taking over for stretches when his team needed some clutch buckets. A bruising 6-foot-7 post prospect, Taylor was able to have his way down low, proving himself as one of the best rebounders in his class and exploding for 31 points and 13 boards (12-of-14 shooting) in a win over DC Blue Devils.
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Philly Pride
17U
It was a disappointing showing for Philly Pride’s 17U group, who entered the week with designs on winning a UAA title after finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record. A team devoid of any single star, it had relied on a bevy of solid mid-major recruits throughout the spring. However, things failed to click in Atlanta, as Pride went 0-3, going down to KC Run GMC, Louisiana Elite, and the Houston Defenders.
While it’s been the perimeter players who have seen their stocks soar during the spring, Philly Pride’s big men were the ones who really came to play this week. Their best and most consistent performer over the three games was undoubtedly Martin Luther King grad Elijah Kiah-El, who will do a post-grad year at Coastal Academy (N.J.). A throwback-style 6-foot-6 bruiser, Kiah-El was probably the best pound-for-pound rebounder in the entire tournament, posting double-doubles of 12 points/14 rebounds and 15 points/11 rebounds in his first two games. By the time the week was over, he’d earned his first two Division I offers, from Hampton and Coppin State, both of the MEAC. Also impressing was Kiah-El’s former high school teammate, center Will McNair (2018/Martin Luther King, Pa.), who used his hulking 6-foot-9, 240-pound frame to be a constant deterrent at the rim, averaging three blocks per game.
16U
It was a much better week for the Philly Pride 16s than for their 17U counterparts, as followed up their 10-2 regular season with a run to the semifinals in Atlanta, before falling to local rivals WeR1. Their two selection’s to this week’s Under Armour All-American Camp, super-versatile wings Donta Scott (2019/Imhotep Charter) and Seth Lundy (2019/Roman Catholic) were up to their usual tricks, giving opponents fits on both ends of the floor. While they were effective offensively, both shooting well from beyond the arc all week, it was their defensive efforts that really opened things up for the team. Without a traditional post player on the roster, the 6-foot-7 Scott, 6-foot-6 Lundy, and 6-foot-6 Jamil Riggins (2019/Imhotep Charter) all chipped in protecting the rim, often then ripping down rebounds and igniting the break themselves. Philly Pride also got some big games from 3-point sniper Hakim Hart (2019/Roman Catholic.)
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