Regional Recruiting Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Birmingham, AL (Future150) -- The 2019 Future150 Tournament Series was home this past weekend for it's fourth tournament of the 2019 season in Hoover, AL at the Hoover Finley Center which featured 11 courts under one roof. The Birmingham Main Event has been one of Future150’s top tournaments in its series due to all of the talent in the Southeast.
The 16U division was full of good teams which ended up with a championship game featuring undefeated teams, the Alabama Celtics and Midstate Elite. The game featured a ton of talented players who could score on multiple levels, but the Celtics came out on top after going back and forth with a last second three from guard AJ Hall from the left corner to win 67-66.
Let's take a look at feature players throughout the entire division below:
Jamon Reed - 2021, PG of the Alabama Celtics is a 6'4 pass first guard who is coming into his own with his scoring ability. He attacks the rim like a Jason Kidd looking to make a breath-taking play to a teammate. However, his willingness to pass allows him to get to the rim efficiently. Reed also can shoot the ball from outside, is a lock down defender with his length, and can play above the rim. He helped lead the Celtics to a 67-66.
AJ Hall - 2021, PG of the Alabama Celtics is a quick, athletic, rim-attacking guard who finishes right at the rim at 5'10. His first step is near unstoppable, and he has a will to win. He lives for the moment as he proved that to be right hitting a last second three to win the championship game over a very well coached MSE team. Hall can shoot the three ball, sees the court very well, and is a lockdown defender.
Brandon Howard - 2021, SG of the Alabama Celtics is a big bodied, 6'4 wing player who can put the ball on the floor, attack the rim, pull-up midrange, and hurt you from the volleyball line. He has unlimited range and proved so by going 7-10 from three one game, and having multiple threes each game. Howard absorbs contact well with his body when driving to the basket, but he also sees the court very well and makes great extra passes out to teammates.
Bryan Bennett - 2021, SF of the Alabama Celtics is a one man dunk contest waiting to happen. He averages multiple dunks each game as he is quick, athletic, and super bouncy. Bennett handles the ball well, gets to the rim, and doesn't need much space to elevate to put down mind boggling dunks to wow the crowd. He doesn't really shoot the outside shot as he doesn't have to, but he elevates very well into his midrange shot. Bennett also defends with high energy to create turnovers for more fastbreak opportunities. He sat out the championship game due to tightness.
Isaiah Farrior - 2021, PG of MSE is a floor general who has great success getting others involved due to his abiity to score as well. He shows extreme confidence, leadership, and passion you hope for your guards to have at the next level. He exemplified great court vision throughout the weekend, attacked the rim, and his athleticism makes him an upper echelon talent.
Spencer Mimms - 2021, SG of MSE is a sharp shooting guard who has great size and length. He's a match-up nightmare for opposing small guards which he often takes advantage of. Mimms doesn't shy away from transition as he is the first player up and down the court every possession, leading to easy fastbreak finishes. On defense, Mimms used his length, played angles accurately to stay in front of quicker guards, and contested very well to force rebounding opportunities.
Kelton Burk - 2021, CG of Jackson Pride Elite is an unselfish player who can score in a variety of ways. He attacked the rim, finished through contact, and made plays to his teammates when needed. He showed the midrange game is alive and well by pulling-up plenty of times throughout the weekend. Burk also showed he has deep shooting ability by knocking down some daggering threes. He was savvy with the ball and although he was a strong offensive player, he was a complete player who played defense and rebounded the ball well from his position.
Taveon Goode - 2021, SF of the Tuscaloosa Onyx plays long and really pulls down boards for his team. He uses his body very well to get to the rim, slashes to the basket, and pulls-up midrange. With good basketball IQ, Goode showed point guard type court vision, creating plays for his teammates. As any point guard should have, he has the ability to create one second opportunities for his team. Goode is a very skilled all-around player to have.
Devin Pope - 2021, PG of United Elite Spartans was one of the best guards in the division. He is a crafty guard who can go left, right, and change of speed is phenomenal. Pope has a tight handle to get by anyone, is long, lanky, and has a very smooth shot. His ability to score on all three levels was really impressive. He's a competitor who did everything he could to help his team get in positon to win games.
Bryson Smith - 2021, PG of Chattanooga Elite is a shifty guard with a nice handle. He used that ability to handle the ball to get to the rim time after time, finishing through contact. Smith has a nice outside shot and uses his length to take advantage of defenders, but also to make himself a great defender. He was a true leader and floor general throughout the weekend to help get teammates involved.
Jaiden Wilson - 2021, PG of the Birmingham Suns is a strong guard who countless times helped his team claw back into games and win. He's a floor general, leader, and keeps his poise no matter what. He leads by example defensively, locking down opposing guards, forces turnovers, and advances the ball very well in transition. Wilson attacks the rim hard, gets to the kill spots, and can score on all three levels. He's a very efficient scorer, and not so much a high volume shooter.
Carter Jett - 2021, PG of TNT Fury is a gritty guard who is crafty with the ball. He has a knack of getting to the paint and drawing fouls. Jett is a floor general who sees passes before they come open, and capitalizes on having his teammates run to their spots. He defends well by playing angles defensively, dives for loose balls, and has a will to win. Jett is also a knock down three point shooter when left open.
Isaiah Green - 2021, CG of the Defenders Black showed he's a quick, athletic guard who capitalizes on his speed to get up the court and to the rim. He was also shooting from midrange and outside to show he could score on all three levels. His length allowed him to be a good defender and rebounder. Green was a strong player throughout the weekend as he was one of the leading scorers for his team the entire tournament.
Remarr Rasool - 2022, PG of Georgia Explosion is a strong, stocky guard who knows how to put defenders on his hips and make them do whatever he wants. He does a great job getting into the paint to finish for himself or make a play to a teammate. He's able to shoot the three ball, but what we loved most about his game was his competitve nature. He didn't back down from anyone and was coming hard for anyone standing in his way and the win.
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