Yanders Law UAA Rise wrap-up

Yanders Law (17u) completed a successful UAA Rise Circuit this weekend, with many We Are United and The Basketball Movement players raising their stock.

Cartersville, GA — at the Lake Point Champions Center right outside of Atlanta, the young men of Yanders Law wipe away the sweat and stow away their shoes after the final action of the weekend concludes. Their minds are on the last game - one they believe they should have won - but at their core, they know what a success this UAA Rise Circuit has been.

Finishing 5-2 on the weekend against some elite talent, the wins were impressive, and the losses were close. By the end, Coach Rob Yanders is thrilled to give the young men such an opportunity.

“These guys did a great job competing,” Yanders says. “There were hundreds of coaches here - Mizzou, Arizona, K-State, Texas, Texas Tech, Marquette… our guys were out there drawing attention from major programs. This is so different than sending in videos. Our guys are legitimate prospects, so to be here in the flesh playing at a high level, they are really going to take off. This is only the beginning.”

The Basketball Movement already gave you the breakdown of the first two days of action. The following two on Saturday and Sunday provided plenty more fire.

Zach Howell (6’5 G/F) continued to show why he has high D1 potential. Against Atlanta Express, he hit five threes. Against Philly Pride, he had 26 and 8. Then, against TRD Basketball, he hit another five treys to finish his final game with 22 and 6. Howell is the real deal.

Cam Liggins (6’4 G) hit three triples en route to 16 points against TRD Basketball on Saturday, but it is his renewed focus on defense that likely turned the heads of coaches this weekend. He has been a scorer all season but is now looking like a complete package.

Yanders Law’s biggest breakout player has been newcomer Sincere Malone (6’8 G/F). Like Liggins, Malone is committed to We Are United prep this fall and looks like the perfect candidate to benefit from some additional exposure. Malone is a double-double threat every time he takes the court. He had 11/12 against Atlanta Express and a whopping 17 boards against TRD Basketball to go with four points, four assists, and four steals, which he also has a knack for.

Over the last few days of the circuit, Kanon Gipson (6’3 PG) flashed his ability to crash the boards at the point guard position but also stayed true to his role with ten assists against Atlanta Express and eight more the next day against TRD Basketball.

Logan Applegate (6’2 G) continued his strong play Saturday and Sunday, looking like an elite distributor both on the break and in halfcourt sets. He also tallied four steals against TRD Basketball and will make it very difficult for a college coach to keep him off the floor with his versatile guard play.

Tyler Harmon (6’2 G) is a great defender and glue guy but proved that he could not be left alone on the perimeter either. He went 5 of 8 from deep over the circuit’s final two days and stepped up whenever it was required, as always.

This Yanders Law squad feels like it has multiple players that could hold the “X-factor” title. Jonathan Dunn (6’7 F) used to hold that position, but now, teams know he is coming. JD drew plenty of attention this weekend but continued to be a handful in the paint. He brought the defense in the Circuit’s final games, flying around blocking shots and grabbing steals.

All weekend, we saw flashes of great play from Corey Williams (6’2 G) and Elijah Whitley (6’3 G). Williams is new to the squad and brought terrific toughness on defense. Coach Yanders is looking forward to seeing more of his silky smooth jumper next weekend in Dallas. Whitley can shoot it too and has above-the-rim ability for his size that screams potential.

Highlights for each player can be found on our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Follow the movement!

“This is going to be a great July,” Yanders says. “We are so excited about how far the program has come.” Yanders Law 17u will be on the road again next weekend in Dallas, TX. We are expecting even more big things, so stay tuned!