Kansas City, MO–The competition at UAA II was immense. The talent on the Under Armour circuit is unquestioned and it lead to a lot of competitive games throughout the weekend.
One of the most fluid athletes on the circuit this year has been, and was this weekend, 2021 shooting guard Max Christie of the Illinois Wolves. Individually, he has become a walking bucket for a young team coached by Mike Mullins.
Christie can do an array of things on the offensive end, at all three levels, that was on full display this weekend. Defenders were left to pick and choose, and Christie usually made them pay.
After an opening round game that left him 2-for-11 from the floor with seven points and three turnovers, Christie turned his offensive fortune around against Louisiana Elite in a loss posting 19 points on 7-11 shooting. Against New Heights, he got the struggling Wolves their first win of the weekend with arguably his best game.
Christie finished with 16 points while also showcasing his ability to get into the lane, stretch the defense with his shot and be a terror offensively. He finished off the weekend leading the Wolves to back-to-back wins with a 16-point effort against Oklahoma Run PWP.
Iowa, Villanova, Baylor, Rutgers, West Virginia, Cleveland State, Siena, Fordham, Loyola, Memphis, UNLV and more were in attendance to see him play.
2022 Jarace Walker of Team Thrill was another interesting prospect I watched this weekend. Against very good competition, in the Illinois Wolves and Grassroots Sizzle, who both have five-star talent in their backcourt, Walker didn’t disappoint.
As @CourtCred pointed out, he did a really good job against Christie during their first matchup and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against a Sizzle team that has immense talent.
Wisconsin Playground was probably the most consistent team I saw play all weekend. The programs 17u went 3-0 on the weekend. In all three games, Wisconsin Playground had at least three student-athletes in double-figures.
2020 shooting guard Gabe Madsen leads the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game on 47-percent shooting from three. His brother Mason Madsen is the second leading scorer with 12.4 points per game on 44-percent shooting from three.
The Madsen brothers are key contributors to their success but their strength lies in their togetherness. Against KC Run GMC, they had 18 assist on 24 made field goals. Against District WAWG, Gabriel, Mason, Terrance Thompson, Jonathan Davis and Jordan Davis all scored in double-figures.
In their final game of the weekend against Louisiana Elite, half of their baskets were assisted on, three players finished with double-figures and Wisconsin Playground as team only missed two shots all game.
2020 shooting guard Matthew Murrell opened up the tournament with a 19-point effort on 6-of-8 shooting, and his only two misses were from three.
From then on, Murrell showcased exactly why most recruiting services have him highly touted as a potential high major player at the next level. Murrell is unstoppable in transition. His frame affords him the ability to fight through the contact and make a highlight play at the rim. more often then not, if he a clear path to the lane, he will dunk on you.
The obvious matchup of Jalen Suggs and Jaden Springer didn’t dissapoint. Kentucky coach John Calipari and coaches from Tennessee, Kansas, Clemson, Iowa, Missouri, Florida, Tulsa and UNLV were attendance.
Suggs was as good as advertised showcasing his vision and ability to get to the rim. Springer was everything offensively, defensively and in transition.
Isaiah Crawford silently had one of the best performances of the summer on the UAA circuit during the late morning hours of Sunday. When most were packing up there things and headed to the airports, Crawford was dropping buckets on Louisiana Elite.
Crawford finished a stellar weekend with a 34-point performance–a UAA season high–on 13-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds and two blocks.
The game before against New Heights, Crawford finished with a double-double scoring 13-points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Crawford is a smooth slasher on the wing and a great offensive player around the rim. He is extremely patient and allows the game to come to him. He doesn’t force his shot and plays within the offense, as evidence by 53-percent shooting percentage from the field throughout the first two sessions.
Scoopman TV 
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