Utah-based basketball team wins prestigious Adidas 3SSB under-17 national championship

A Utah-based basketball team of rising seniors known as the Utah Prospects won the Adidas 3SSB National Championship in the 17-under division Sunday in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

While not unprecedented, it is a rare feat for a Utah-based team at the 17-under level to win one of the three biggest AAU summer all-star basketball circuit tournaments.

Jaxon Johnson, a 6-foot-8 forward who will be a senior at Alta High this fall, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

The Utah Prospects downed Georgia-based Game Elite 62-52 in the championship game Sunday afternoon.

The Prospects downed Game Elite 55-39 earlier in the tournament, then dumped TJ Ford Elite Academy 53-32 in another early-round matchup. They knocked off perennial contender Compton Magic 54-51 on Friday.

Saturday, the Prospects walloped Team Phenom United 69-35 and followed that with a 78-41 rout of Hoop City Elite to advance to the championship game.

The Prospects are believed to be the first Utah-based team to win an Adidas national tournament; a team known as Salt Lake Metro won two national tournaments organized by other shoe companies in the past.

The team also includes Corner Canyon’s Brody Kozlowski, who has offers from BYU, Utah State, Cal, Boise State and others, according to 247sports.com.

The team also includes Olympus’ Jordy Barnes, who has withdrawn his commitment to Utah State after the coaching change, and highly recruited Wasatch Academy shooting guard Isiah Harwell (a member of the 2025 class).

Julian Bowie of Pocatello, Idaho (a Boise State commit), Rich’s Trae Jolley, Timpview’s James Rust, Wasatch Academy’s Malick Diallo and Snow Canyon’s Owen Mackay also contributed to the championship run.

David Katoa of RSL Basketball Academy is a member of the team but did not play due to a torn ACL.

The team is coached by Matt Jolley, Tim Davis and Lynn Lloyd.