Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Dallas, TX (Future150) -- On Friday night, Next Level Nationals took place on the eve of the second EYBL stop in Dallas, Texas. Some of the most talented 16U teams in the country brought their programs to the Lone Star State to take part in the loaded event. Future150 was on hand to get a glimpse of some top young talent nationally. Read on to find out who impressed us most.
John Petty, 2017 SF, Southeast Elite The 6-foot-5 wing continued his strong AAU season with a big game on Friday night against the New Jersey Playaz. He was unstoppable from behind the arc, knocking down five three's, showing off a part of his game that he has been working on developing. If he can continue to consistently shoot the basketball from the outside, he will become one of the most dangerous prospects in the Southeast.
Jermaine Samuels, 2017 SF, Expressions Elite: Currently ranked as the #9 prospect nationally in his class, Samuels didn't disappoint on Friday. The explosive wing was unstoppable attacking the basket, where he was able to convert several and-one's at the rim. Also exceptional in transition, he was able to convert everything he corralled around the rim. He is a high motor wing who, once he develops his jump shot, will certainly be pursued by almost every high-major school in the country.
Jordan Bohannon, 2016 PG, Martin Brothers: Mac Irvin Fire almost lost a close game on Friday night, in large part to the play of the 6-foot point man. An exceptional long range shooter, Bohannon was sizzling from behind the arc, knocking down shots from deep all game long. When he wasn't shooting the ball, he was controlling the offense and setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities. Currently, he holds offers from Drake and Northern Iowa, with interest from Wisconsin, Creighton, Lehigh, and others.
Zach Brown, 2017 C, South Beach All-Stars: A massive center at 7-foot-1, 265-pounds, Brown is one of the most impressive young prospects we have seen, physically. He runs the floor extremely well, is very mobile, and when he gets touches around the rim, he almost always finishes the play. On defense, he is an excellent shot-blocker, and when he doesn't block shots, he alters them. It's scary to think how good the Miami product can become in just a few short years.
Jamal Johnson, 2017 SG, Southeast Elite: One of the best pure scorers in the Southeast is the 6-foot-3 Johnson. He has a well-rounded skill set and can score the basketball by either knocking down jump shots or by attacking the rim. He gets to the free-throw line often and has excellent touch from the charity stripe. As he continues to hone his ball skills, his stock will keep rising among high major programs.
Zach Norvell, 2016 SG, Mac Irvin Fire: Norvell has taken the next step in his game and has become more of a complete scorer. he put his team on his back down the stretch in a tightly contest match up against Jordan Bohannon and Martin Brothers. He got to the rim with ease, but, as he showed on Friday night, needs to work on finishing in traffic. Once he does that, he will take his game to the next level.
Jordan Scurry, 2016 SG, Expressions Elite: Scurry has had the reputation as a shooter for awhile, but showed that he can score in other ways on Friday night. He has slimmed down a bit and has become quicker with the ball in his hands, once thought of as a one-dimensional player, Scurry has added another facet to his game, and it will pay dividends down the line.
Pat Andree, 2016 SF, New Jersey Playaz: One of the bigger surprises of the night was the sharp-shooting display put on by Andree. he led the Playaz to a solid win over a loaded Southeast Elite team by knocking down five 3s in the second half alone. At 6-foot-8 he has great size and also showed the ability to score off the bounce as well. It's only a matter of time before the talented shot-maker sees his stock take off.
Comments:
Be the first to post. Just use the form below.