The first part of two part of names to know from the 17U level of this past weekend’s Grassroots Showcase. All of these players had impactful tournaments at the Kentucky Expo Center and have the tools be on plenty of college coaches radars.  

Gilbert Aluga – 2026 – G/F – 3D Empire

Aluga is a physical 6’6” wing with a strong build who made a ton of winning plays throughout the weekend. While he showed a versatile scoring ability, his great impact went much further with his positional size, energy, and versatility. Aluga showed the ability to defend both guards and forwards very effectively as well be a force on the glass rebounding at a very high rate. He scored it with his physicality and good footwork inside but also with strong drives to the basket as well to also hitting some threes.

Tyson Busch – 2027 – PG – Racine Truth

It was another strong tournament following Swish N’ Dish for Busch which included leading his team to a blowout win as part of a 3-1 weekend. He showed a good ability to both score the ball as well be a true floor general. Busch handles the ball well, plays smart with it reading the floor, and impressed in multiple games with his passing ability. Whether he was on the attack or out on the perimeter, the point guard passed the ball very well with good vision. As well to that, Busch can also really shoot the ball from the outside.

D’Angelo Perkins – 2027 – G – ALL IN Hart

Perkins was one of the top scorers of the entire tournament. This included games of 24 points and 20 points. He moves well with the ball in his hands as a skilled playmaker being able to create for himself. The guard shoots it especially well in the mid-range quickly pulling up off the dribble in addition finishing it efficiently all around the paint. As well, Perkins shot it well spotting up from three with a pair of them in his 20-point outburst.

Jayden Phillips – 2027 – PG – Power 5 Brelove

The play of Phillips was key on Sunday leading Power 5 to a tight win. This was with not just him leading his team scoring 15 points but also with all his point guard tools. Phillips shot the ball well from the outside hitting a trio of threes in the game doing so both off the dribble and catch. He also plays well with the ball on the attack with his strong handle and burst of speed where he created well for his teammates.  

Chris Retic – 2027 – SF – Jay Academy

It was another standout weekend for Retic following his breakout performance at Swish N’ Dish. He continued to make plenty of plays with his size at 6’7” along with his skill set and athleticism. The athleticism of Retic was showcased with 4 blocks in a single game which also included a thunderous dunk flying down the lane off a cut. Much more than just an athletic wing, he is also a good shot maker who can make plays off the dribble. Scholarship level coaches need to be look Retic’s way.

Sam Teachout – 2027 – C – West Michigan Premier

Teachout is an intriguing big man. This is highlighted by the fact that he has great size standing at 6’11”. Additionally, Teachout still moves well even at his size and showing growing skills. He showed an ability to score the ball posting up with good footwork and can also put the ball on the floor. Plus, he played with good energy both as an interior defender and hitting the glass. As Teachout adds strength and continues to grow to his game, his is a junior post to track.