Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Biloxi, MS (Future150) -- With the second weekend of the live period set to kick off, the Future150 staff will be headed to the Gulf of Mexico to take in the action at the 2013 Gulf Coast Hoop Fest.
For college coaches and media alike, there will be no shortage of future college basketball talent on display in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Future150 will be there to report the daily happeninings of the event.
Here are a few storylines we will be watching tonight through Sunday...
1. Can Chris Chiozza continue his red-hot play?
The 5'11" point guard is having as good a beginning to the AAU season as any prospect in the country, and the college coaches have taken notice.
After a standout performance at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest last weekend, the Team Thad lead guard reeled in offers from Butler, Southern Cal, and Tennessee this past Monday and Tuesday.
Currently ranked #55 in the Future150 national rankings, Chris has the looks of a top 25 prospect right now, and we expect him to shine again this weekend.
2. Will Kevon Looney continue his domination on the AAU circuit?
The Milwaukee Running Rebels small forward was the breakout star of AAU season last year, going from unranked to a top 15 recruit in several publications rankings.
Currently, we have him sitting at #7 nationally in the class of 2014, and in a class where there isn't much room separting the top of the pack, a big summer could push the 6'8" forward into the top five in our rankings.
3. Which team will bring home the 16U title in Biloxi?
Perhaps the most loaded field in the entire Gulf Coast Hoop Fest is the 16 and under bracket, where you could pick names out of a hat for who you believe can win the title Sunday.
Dwayne Bacon and Corey Sanders are both national names for the Florida based Showtime Ballers, and each has reeled in division one offers this spring.
The Arkansas Soldiers guard trio of Kevaughn Allen, K.J. Hill, and Adrian Moore are as powerful a backcourt you will find at the grassroots level, and they helped lead their team to a 2013 Real Deal In The Rock title two weeks ago.
The Alabama Dream Team Xpress could also make some noise with a big time talent of their own in Alabama native Danjel Purifoy, a top 25 talent in the 2015 class.
4. Can Zach Johnson continue his quest to becoming a household name in 2015?
The 6'2" shooting guard has been a household name in Florida for a little while now, but that secret is beginning to leak to the rest of the country.
He is coming off a big weekend at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest, where he played solid ball for his Team Breakdown squad. So much so, that it resulted in a scholarship offer this week from USF and coach Stan Heath.
While he may be overshawdowed at times by higher profile teammates, there's no denying that Zach is a big time prospect, especially in the sophomore class.
5. Will Leron Black return from injury this weekend?
A consensus top 20 prospect in 2014, the small forward's recruitment has risen to a different level over the past month. If not for an ankle injury suffered three weeks ago, he would have been the most sought-after prospect at the entire Pittsburgh Jam Fest last weekend.
Now, the basketball world is waiting for the White Station High School (TN) star to return to action, perhaps as early as this weekend in Biloxi. This week, he met with Florida, Ohio State, N.C. State, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech.
John Calipari was planning to watch him in Pittsburgh before the injury. Does that mean the UK staff could be headed to the Gulf Coast Hoop Fest to get a look at the Memphis star? Time will tell. Stay tuned.
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