The annual Bill Hensley Run N’ Slam took place last weekend in Indiana with a collection of sponsored & independent teams coming to Fort Wayne to compete for championships. This historic event is always a great one and 2022 was no different. The wide range of high quality programs & players made for tons of good action. After going through various 2023 prospects at the 17U level, we go down a notch to discuss some 2024 teams who performed well at the event.

Wisconsin Playground
PGC took home the 16U Run N’ Slam Championship, keeping opponents guessing with a multitude of weapons that they can rely on. Jaquan Johnson set the tone at PG; he was in attack mode all weekend and made things happen off the bounce constantly. Johnson is a bulky guard with quickness, creativity, and confidence who can score or find others. In the frontcourt there was some versatility with Nate Kwiecinski and Keaton Frisch. Kwiecinski has a pure outside shot and came through with some big shooting performances while also showing IQ & using his length to find inside scoring chances. Frisch opened eyes with his athleticism and activity. He’s really quick off the floor, powering home drop-off dunks and staying ready to contest shots or snag rebounds. I think he’ll be a shooting threat in time too.

Alongside Johnson on the perimeter are Stevie Clark and Cole Hansen. Clark is a unique, multi-faceted prospect who plays really hard and leaves his imprint on each game. He plays fast in transition and doesn’t mind contact when going to the basket or rebounding. In the halfcourt, he showed bits & pieces of different things with unorthodox finishes & mid-range shots as well as keeping the defense honest with his 3-point shot. As expected, Hansen provided PGC with reliable shooting from beyond the arc and then used that to setup other parts of his game.

Indiana Elite
A lot of momentum has been gained by the 2024 Indiana Elite team this spring, they had another strong showing at Run N’ Slam by finishing as runner-up. I wrote about Flory Bidunga after the 3SSB Spartanburg stop and he was tremendous again in Fort Wayne. He plays with such a high motor and has exceptional physical abilities to match, in addition to even showing some ball-handling potential in this particular event. Also garnering a lot of attention in recent weeks is Travis Perry, who runs the show for this team. When you watch him, it just feels like you’re watching a guy who will be a winning college PG. He’s tough, savvy, very skilled, and a lights-out shooter. The way he took over the game down the stretch against Indy Heat to will his team to victory had everyone talking. Cooper Koch was a nice complement to Bidunga in the Indiana Elite frontcourt, providing more of a finesse game. He stretches the floor with effective shooting but also understands how to get positioning on the interior and is capable of finishing with both hands. 

Indy Heat
The talent this group has is undeniable. Although they fell to Indiana Elite in bracket play, multiple guys played well and were able to show their full skillsets. Jalen Haralson stood out the most in the Indiana Elite game, putting up 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. At a physical 6’6”+, Haralson rebounded aggressively and flew down the court with the ball more than a couple times where he then made the correct read even while playing fast. His activity & passing made a big impact and he had explosive plays around the basket. 2025 Trent Sisley continued to show that he can be a force at the 16U level with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He’s physically prepared to compete against older guys, plays with good energy, and balances inside & outside scoring well for a young prospect.

Micah Davis and Kanon Catchings both stepped up on the perimeter for Indy Heat in the 2nd half of the aforementioned Indiana Elite matchup. I loved the intensity & fire that was brought by Davis; he did a little bit of everything by defending aggressively, showing his athleticism in transition, hitting a few open shots, and making the right play with the ball. Catchings was very efficient as a scorer after halftime. He didn’t need the ball much and took advantage of each opportunity. He was comfortable knocking down 2 3’s, ran the lanes in transition, was active off the ball, and used his length to finish inside. 

Martin Brothers
There were numerous teams that stood out with their chemistry and high IQ play at Run N’ Slam, the 16U Martin Bros were towards the top of that list. Their guard play really caught my eye during the weekend with Carson Johnson and Owen Larson leading the charge in the backcourt. They’re unassuming but have toughness, confidence in their skill, and play fearlessly. Johnson came through in some important moment throughout the event with his scoring, connecting on different jumpers with quick elevation and showing the grit needed to finish in traffic despite lacking size. He doesn’t mind sticking his nose in for loose balls, has active hands, and sacrifices his body. You could tell that the team fed off some of the plays he made. Larson has a mature build for a 2024 guard and it helps him on both ends of the court. He is extremely poised and plays with strength when the ball is in his hands; he’s controlled getting into the paint and makes sound 2-foot plays consistently. He’ll also hurt you from deep but is especially good passing the ball as he sees everything and mixes flair & simplicity well. I liked the impact he made on defense too; Larson uses his strength but is disciplined with it and has good hands.

This Martin Bros team also has size that can get a variety of things done. Matthew Noll is 6’6” or so and was very consistent shooting the ball in Fort Wayne. He’s always on balance and ready to fire away with a simple stroke and good touch from beyond the arc. Noll is also good as a cutter and can play above the rim in space. Another forward for them is Derek Weisskopf, who’s an Iowa football commit. He brings unquestioned energy in the paint and has a physicality to him that is really hard to match at the 16U level.