The first of three articles of top performers at the 17U level from this weekends Swish N’ Dish Tournament. With all the competition converged in the Milwaukee area, there was plenty of competition for each of these spots.
Arafan Diane – 2026 – C – Team Iowa United 3SSB
It’s easy to say that Diane was the most dominant player of the entire tournament. At 7’1” in addition to his very powerful build, there are few players at the high school level nationally who can match up with him. He was tremendous throughout the weekend including scoring 21 points in the championship game victory. Even with his tremendous size, he is very agile moving the paint, has great hands, and shows some promise with his jump shot.
Cade Dirkse – 2026 – PG – Chapman North
The point guard had one of top games of the tournament knocking off Team Herro in the platinum bracket. He led all in the win scoring 23 points. His offensive ability was clear from the start off the game as he got Chapman North an early double-digit lead. Dirkse showed a good ability create for himself with his shot making both in the mid-range and outside. He moves extremely well with the ball in tight space being able create space and quickly get into his shot. All game he was playing with great intensity including also taking a charge. Down the stretch of the win, he came up in the clutch of a tight battle hitting all his free throws to take the win. While he does have some division two interest, plenty more are going to want to look his way.
Yusef Gray – 2026 – G – Power 5 3SSB
Gray was consistently one of the top scorers of the entire tournament. Even with all the talent of the Power 5 backcourt, the Iowa State commit still found a way to have multiple twenty plus point games helping his team get all the way to the championship game. He has good size and strength in the backcourt to consistently get himself into the defense finishing at the rim and all around the paint at a high rate. Gray also consistently locked in defensively on the perimeter.
Jaden Hardiman – 2026 – SF – Jay Academy
Not only did Hardiman impress throughout the entire tournament but also had one of the best games. In a tight quarterfinal’s matchup, the wing score 26 points to get Jay Academy to the platinum semifinals. Hardiman was easily one of the bounciest players of the entire tournament. Not only is he extremely athletic with several dunks in that game alone, but also showcased great shot making ability. From both the mid-range and three, Hardiman was creating well off the dribble. A very fast rising recruit in the 2026 class.
Azon Juarez-Quinn – 2026 – SF – Davis Brothers Elite
The versatile wing had one of the top scoring performances of the tournament scoring 32 points in a single game. He could not miss spotting up from the outside hitting five threes in that one game but also used his long strides to get into the paint and free throw line often. The 6’5” wing was also a standout on the defensive using his great length, energy, and athleticism to defend one through four. He also made a huge defensive play at the end of a win Friday with a key steal ripping the ball right from an opponent.
Jaali Love – 2026 – SF – Midwest Renegade
There is much to like from the game of Love as he showed a lot throughout the entire tournament getting the Renegade all the way to the platinum semifinals. He stands at 6’7” with plenty of length and explosiveness. A true two-way player with his defensive versatility and growing offensive skill set. Love was scoring the ball in a variety of ways, posting up, in the mid-post, cuts and rolls, mid-range jumpers off the dribble, transition, and driving to the basket.
Noah Maniscalco – 2026 – G – Wisconsin Legends
A newer name on the radar who turned in some huge performances throughout the tournament. The guard proved to be one of the most skilled scorers of the entire tournament. He hit five threes in a single game with his quick release and pure jumper but is much more than just an outside shooter. The guard moves very well with the basketball to be able to create his own shot and was scoring it effectively from the mid-range too. The junior is a smart guard with good feel that needs to be on colleges radars.
Colin Stack – 2026 – C – Full Package
The game of Stack has continued to greatly develop which showed on Friday when he helped his team knock off Team Herro. In this impressive win, the seven-footer scored a game high 26 points. Stack got off to a very quick start scoring his team’s first 8 points. Even against plenty of size of the Herro frontcourt, he was still able to get inside and finish with improved strength and mobility. He has continued to develop into a very consistent three-point shooter too, hitting three of them in that win including a crucial one down the stretch with two minutes to play. It wasn’t just his offensive ability but also his ability to alter so many shots around the paint.