By Jordan Divens

The Howard Pulley Invitational's 17U action will stream LIVE from FloHoops this weekend, May 6-8!

Nine teams will participate this year: Howard Pulley, Minnesota Phenom, Minnesota Suns, Minnesota Ice, KC Run GMC, Team Rush, Minnesota Preps, All Iowa Attack and Minnesota Powerhouse.

Howard Pulley and KC Run GMC are the clear headliners for this year's event, but they won’t face off until playoff action takes place on Sunday, May 8. Among the Minnesota AAU teams, keep an eye out for All Iowa Attack, which lay claim to a pair of successful North Carolina alumni, All-American point guard Marcus Paige and NBA champion Harrison Barnes.

In Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (NEYBL) standings, Howard Pulley is the only undefeated team left with a record of 7-0. They are led by Gary Trent Jr. (2017 6-6 SG), who is currently second in the EYBL in scoring with an average of 22.7 points per game. KC Run GMC has just one loss this season, and are tied with We R1 and Team Charlotte for first place in the Under Armour Association (UAA).

KC Run GMC are paced by a balanced attack from seven players who average five or more points per game, but only one who averages double figures. Guard Darien Jackson (2017 6-2) is their leading scorer with an average of 14.5 points per game; their leading assist man, guard Jacob Gillard (2017 5-10), is currently fifth in the UAA with an average of 4.6 assists per contest to go along with 9.6 points; and Mitch Ballock is almost averaging double figures with 9.9 points per contest. Two more intriguing prospects to watch on KC Run GMC include forward Bol Bol (2018 6-10) and wing D’Shawn Schwartz (2017 6-6). Bol, the son of former 7-7 NBA center Manute Bol, is a highly regarded big man with outstanding length and athleticism. Schwartz is the team's second-leading rebounder with 4.8 rebounds and 7.8 points per game.

Howard Pulley stud Trent Jr. holds 13 Division I offers: Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Minnesota, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas Tech. After Trent Jr., Howard Pulley boasts five additional players averaging six or more points per contest. Howard Pulley’s back court options are also solid. Brad Davison (2017 6-4) is second on the team in scoring with 14 points per game. Tre Jones (2018 6-2), brother of former Howard Pulley star Tyus Jones, is a talented young point guard with offers from Duke, Arizona, Baylor, and Minnesota. The Panthers are also solid in the paint with big men Daniel Oturu (2018 6-10) and Theo John (2017 6-10) averaging 6.4 and 5.6 rebounds per game, respectively.

This year’s Howard Pulley Invitational has a bit of a buzz around it as Howard Pulley enters the event undefeated and confident.

“Our coach loves this team, but I know there were a couple of really good teams that I didn’t see, so I would say we are in the top five of all time,” Jones said when asked where this Howard Pulley team ranks in program history. Trent Jr. also carries very lofty expectations for Howard Pulley: “I want continue to win, we are 7-0 in EYBL play and at the top of the standings. My goal in the EYBL this season is to win the Peach Jam.”

Tune into FloHoops May 6-8 to catch the action and see these top teams compete this weekend!