Yanders Law at UAA Finals

Yanders Law (boys 17u) wrapped up their UA Rise Circuit and UAA Championship bracket tour with several impressive wins.

Going 3-2 in the UAA Championship bracket, Yanders Law Basketball has proven that it belongs among the elite. At the UAA Finals, the 17u Yanders Law squad toppled WE R1 before suffering a pair of unfortunate losses to D Premier and Nebraska Supreme. However, the team got to finish with a couple of wins over Atlanta Xpress and Houston Superstars.

To make it to the UAA Finals, Yanders Law had to rise above the competition and earn the right, besting big-market teams in UA Rise. After successful stints in Atlanta and Dallas, the team was ready to face the tough competition that awaited in Indianapolis.

In many ways, things went as planned. Zach Howell (6’5 G/F) has officially broken out as an alpha dog on offense and has expanded his repertoire in ways even he may not have believed possible only a few years prior. In addition, Jonathan Dunn (6’7 F) and Sincere Malone (6’8 G/F) have been proven monsters on the boards and got the opportunity to showcase their all-around game.

Cam Liggins (6’4 G) showed he is the capable offensive weapon he always has been but has also broken out as a defensive stud. Logan Applegate (6’2 G) and Kanon Gipson (6’3 G) were steady as ever with their playmaking while keeping defenses honest with their shooting strokes. Elijah Whitley (6’3 G) punished opposing guards with his athleticism, Corey Williams Jr. (6’2 G) showed he could do a lot more than shoot, and Tyler Harmon (6’2 G) proved to everyone that he belongs with his defense and range.

You cannot win every game, but the showing in the Under Armor Circuit this summer by Yanders Law can only be considered a victory. This has been a building block for the program, which continues to grow and impress with each passing year.

Yanders Law alumni are flourishing, the up-and-comers are gaining more exposure than ever, and the future remains blindingly bright.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement and Yanders Law going forward. These players were able to play in front of nearly one hundred collegiate programs over the past few weeks, and we anticipate a few phone calls in these young men’s futures.

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!

Yanders Law 17u - UAA Rise

Yanders Law (17u) is having another strong showing, this time at the UAA Rise Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia.

Off to a 3-1 start in Atlanta, Yanders Law came in hot to the UA Rise Circuit this Thursday and Friday. Of course, the action is far from over, but this has already been a successful weekend for many rising stars of The Basketball Movement.

Already sporting numerous D1 offers and several having committed to Robert Yanders’ We Are United prep this fall, the future is getting brighter all the time for these young men. Coaches from some of the biggest basketball programs in the nation are in attendance this weekend, and Yanders Law is doing its part in giving them a show.

Thursday:

Yanders Law 98 - IBA Illinois Stars 69

Yanders Law 67 - Kingdom Hoops 59

Friday:

Yanders Law 78 - Illinois HoopStars 79

Yanders Law 73 - ESF Threat 41

Kanon Gipson (6’3 guard) has paced Yanders Law in assists in each game so far and has emerged as a pure point guard after having the looks of a shooting specialist previously. Gipson holds an offer from UW Milwaukee. He has also received interest from UC Santa Barbara and Santa Clara.

Unconscious from the field in Yanders Law’s first game against IBA Illinois Stars, Cameron Liggins (6’4 combo guard) dropped 29 and has continued his strong play. An elite rebounder for a guard, Liggins currently holds offers from Western Illinois and Montana State. He has also heard from Oral Roberts, Furman, and Oklahoma State. More to come soon for Liggins.

The most consistent Yanders Law player of the early going, Jonathan Dunn (6’7 forward), has been on a tear to the surprise of no one. Dunn’s versatility has been on full display with games of 19/12, 12/7, and 10/6 with a pair of swats. The high-energy forward holds offers from Mizzou and Texas Tech. He has also heard from Purdue, Marquette, South Dakota, and K-State.

Logan Applegate (6’2 guard) drilled four triples against ESF threat and has had solid showings on both sides of the floor, including a 14 point, 10 dime performance in a tough loss to Illinois HoopStars. Applegate holds offers from Texas State and SIUe and has drawn interest from Drexel, Westpoint, Belmont, and Nebraska Omaha. Elijah Whitley (6’3 guard) is another player to watch after stuffing the stat sheet against IBA Illinois Stars (8/4/5 with three big blocks).

Zach Howell (6’5 guard/forward) has been aggressive, dropping 27 on Illinois HoopStars, but also on the boards, showing that he can be a fantastic contributor even in the rare games where the threes are not falling. Howell recently received an offer from Texas Tech. He also has an offer from SIUe and has drawn interest from Harvard and Mizzou. Another all-around contributor, Tyler Harmon (6’2 guard), has been bringing his usual intangibles, remaining solid from deep and the pest on defense that every good team needs.

Two newcomers to Yanders Law, Sincere Malone (6’8 guard/forward) and Corey Williams Jr. (6’2 wing), are both We Are United commits that have quickly acclimated to the team. Williams Jr. has a great-looking stroke from outside. Sincere Malone has contributed on the boards immediately, with games of 9/9 and 11/10. He has had at least one steal in each contest, including 5(!) against ESF Threat.

Coach Rob Yanders says that they are good to go when the team moves the ball, defends, and rebounds. “When we are tougher than other teams, we win,” Yanders says. “In losses, if we aren’t the tougher team, we lose. We will be undefeated with toughness, and that’s what we are trying to emphasize to these guys.”

There has been no shortage of toughness the first few days of the Rise Circuit. We will be updating you here on the final days to see if the streak holds strong.