2023 Best of the South: 17U Standouts
ATLANTA, GA - This was a diverse Best of the South in terms of talent. The prospects were spread throughout the Georgia World Congress Center. Any level of college could find someone for their program.
We’re going to continue celebrating that depth by cleaning out our notes with 17U standouts.
"Smooth" is the adjective that perfectly describes Prophete's game. Standing at 6’5, this combo guard was the main scorer for TNBA South Santana. His superior change of pace and deep range made it easier for his teammates to operate all weekend. No matter who the defender was, Prophete treated them as if they were merely a cone, either bypassing them swiftly or picking his spots to knock down jumpers. He also showcased his impressive athleticism with several breakaway dunks and managed to convert on tough finishes around the basket. In the two games that I watched, he scored 23 and 34 points and he made every bucket seem easy. It's worth noting that Prophete demonstrated that he doesn't need to dominate the ball to rack up points. His catch and shoot skills were exceptional throughout the weekend, drawing considerable attention from opposing defenses. The attention he caused and his performances led TNBA South Santana to a 4-2 weekend at the Best of the South tournament.
Tyler Ball was absolutely great for the Eastern Shore Aces this past weekend at Best of the South. He played guard for the Aces, who were one of the most competitive teams we saw all tournament. Ball’s game was very refreshing to see in an era of basketball lacking high effort defenders. The 2024 Salisbury School guard constantly matched up with bigger players and number one options on opposing teams. His defense and tenacity on the boards led him to multiple games with 10 plus rebounds and 5 plus steals. Ball can light up the scoreboard too. He’s extremely comfortable handling the rock and we saw him knock down some tough three point pull-up shots with defenders in his face. This guy does it all at the guard spot and I look forward to seeing how his recruitment goes. - Theo Han
Division II schools should be all over this guy. Rein has the size and the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting. He can get hot and go on spurts where he is knocking down three or four three-pointers in a row. He has a good looking stroke and can consistently make shots which college coaches have put a premium on. He has been able to help DB Elite get to a 4-0 mark so far on the week - Justin Byerly
Here’s the deal - he’s consistently proved himself as a producer, versatile prospect and winner on our platform. This story dates back to the very beginning of the season back in the spring and his summer showing was just as good. The 6-foot-4 multi-positional guard can win at a variety of spots. He’s a slasher, passer, rebounder, runner, scorer and dunker. Defensively, he’s just as productive. Offer him. Seriously, offer him. He’s worthy of a roster spot and his trajectory bodes well for a good collegiate result. - Justin Young
Above Academy had an undefeated weekend performance at Best of the South going 6-0. Sam Ritchie was a consistent playmaker and defensive gamechanger for the team. The athletic guard excelled at doing the dirty work for the team and had multiple games finishing as the team leader in steals and rebounds. Ritchie can score the three ball as well and was a tough guard for opponents when he was slashing to the rim. His showing this weekend led him to receive his first official offer from Rhodes. - Theo Han
TNG Black was one of the teams that just won. They went 6-0, and one of the guys that drove their success was 6-foot-5 wing Laithen Mitchell. He’s a smooth shooter from the wing. When I got to catch him, his shot was working well for him from deep. Mitchell also gave this team some plus athleticism. - Josh Tec
