HENDERSON, NV – Those of us who follow the boys’ basketball “grassroots” scene closely have known for a while that the Utah Prospects have been one of the elite programs — regionally and nationally – for a good while.
And that point was driven home succinctly — even among those who follow that hoops’ world even peripherally — last Sunday afternoon in Rock Hill, SC, when the Prospects’ 17s squad captured the adidas-fronted 3SSB national title while knocking off Georgia-based Game Elite, 62-52.
There were just a few days to bask in the glow of that remarkable run (which included a 54-51 win over another high-profile program, the Compton Magic, on July) for the Prospects, however, before they were back at it.
Friday, at Coronado High in this Las Vegas suburb, the Prospects cruised past the Middlesex Magic (69-48) and Team Curry (66-58) on the opening day of the first-ever Sportradar Showdown.
The 16-team event is made up of a field split between two of the three major athletic apparel-sponsored boys’ grassroots organizations (adidas and Under Armour; the Nike-front EYBL is not participating).
And the Utah Prospects (the program is run by Lynn Lloyd and Tim Davis) wasted little time in flexing their on-court muscle early Friday afternoon while knocking off the New England-based Middlesex team that captured the UAA title last weekend in Georgia.
The Prospects’ rotation (each member basically playing “starters” minutes) is made of up seven of the best prospects in all the west, five of those from Utah and two others, Isaiah Harwell — the only player in the group from the Class of 2025 – Julian Bowie, from Pocatello in the Idaho.
Joining the Bowie (who is committed to signing with Boise State in November) and Harwell backcourt is frontcourt remarkable in both its collective size and skill.
Six-foot-9 Jaxon Johnson (pictured; Alta in Sandy) was chosen the Most Outstanding Player at the adidas event and all those that skill and versatility in his repertoire was on display Friday.
Six-seven Brody Kozlowski (the best player on the State champion Draper Corner Canyon team last season) is a well-beyond “dependable” mid- and deep-range jump shooter.
And 6-9 (at least) Malick Diallo (he’s from Mali and a teammate of Harwell’s at Wasatch Academy Prep School in Utah) is one of the most rapidly improving centers on this level.
And the team’s top two subs, 6-4 Owen Mackay (the state high jump champion at Snow Canyon) and 6-3 Jordan Barnes (Olympus in Salt Lake City) are also future major college players.
The Prospects (who also are represented by terrific 16s and 15s teams in the Las Vegas-based “Ultimate Club Championships” offshoot of this event this weekend) face a challenging path to Sunday evening’s 17s title game at Coronado.
Barring upsets (and, with programs of this level, those are of the “major” variety), the Prospects are on track to face another UA-fronted squad, Maryland-based Team Thrill in a semifinal Sunday morning.
That squad has another of the best posts in the Class of 2024 in 6-9 Derek Queen.
Another adidas team, Indiana Elite, (led by 6-9 Flory Bidunga and 6-2 Travis Perry,) has a rotation that rivals the Prospects in its talent, versatility, and depth.
Indiana Elite is projected to play yet another adidas squad, Game Elite, in the other semifinal Sunday.
Leave a Reply