Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Birmingham, AL (Future150) -- Future150 kicked off our 2013 camp season this past Saturday and Sunday in Birmingham, Alabama with our Jr. Future150 athletes taking center stage.
Mountain Brook High School's gym was filled with players looking to shine on Saturday, and several did on the first day of the action. Here are 10 prospects who impressed us the most on the opening day of the camp...
Ladarius Marshall (2018) - One of the elite athletes in the country for his age. The 6'3" shooting guard possesses a 40+ inch vertical leap and was dunking absolutely everything at the camp. To put it simply, he was a man amongst boys. While his overall game is still a work in progress, there's no denying that once his skills catch up to his grown man frame and athleticism, he could be a top 20 overall player in his class. Explosive prospect.
Austin Wiley (2017) - Another prospect with a chance to be special, the 6'7" power forward is still growing into his large frame. He has enormous hands which he uses to snatch rebounds. Anything he catches near the basket he looks to dunk. He already is a superior shot-blocker for his age and he runs the floor extremely well. Even if he doesn't grow at all, which I doubt, he still has the tools to become a devastating small forward at the college level. Excellent prospect to keep an eye on.
Michael Barber (2018) - The power forward from Jackson, Mississippi is another high-upside prospect. The 6'4" post just turned 12 years old and has enormous hands and feet which suggest he has a lot of growth left. He used his impressive wingspan to block and disrupt shots throughout the camp. He also finished everything he got his hands on around the basket. Already plays varsity basketball at Veritas School (MS).
Mason Manning (2021) - An absolutely incredible ball-handler for a prospect his age. While he is obviously extremely young, it's hard not to be impressed with his ball skills as well as his superior court vision. He plays with a ton of passion and never wants to lose. He got to the basket at will and loved getting his teammates involved in the game.
Pauly Stramaglia (2020) - The 5'0" floor general has a chance to become a very talented prospect down the line. He has great quickness on the floor complimented by his excellent hand-eye coordination. He used his quick hands all weekend long in order to accumulate steals on the defensive end. He loves to get out in transition and is just as comfortable running his team in the half-court setting. Brother of East Tennessee State's Mario Stramaglia.
Josh Knight (2017) - The 5'6" lead guard used his muscular frame to get to the basket on Saturday, where he would finish with contact. He also would finish at the bucket with either hand efficiently. He loves to attack in transition where he finds open teammates for scoring opportunities. He also displayed great on-ball defense
Devin Carter (2021) - Another very young prospect with ball-handling skills well beyond his years. He always kept his dribble alive and got wherever he wanted to on the floor. He also is a very flashy passer who loves to have fun on the court. Extremely unselfish prospect who makes all of his teammates better by involving them into the flow of the game.
Jamal Langford (2017) - The 5'8" point guard was one of the most consistent point guards in the entire camp. He ran the pick-and-roll to perfection and threaded the needle on several passes into the teeth of the defense on Saturday. His dribbling skills are superb and he has an impressive crossover dribble. He also can score with a nice floater in the lane.
Dezmon Severson (2017) - The small forward showcased his physical game this past weekend. He used his 6'0" frame and quick first-step to get into the lane at will, where he was able to draw contact and finish on several occasions. He also has extremely good on-ball defensive skills and enjoys shutting down the opposing team's best offensive player.
Thomas Bugg (2018) - The seventh grade combo guard is a deadly shooter from the outside. He made opposing teams pay with his long range bombs from the outside. When he was crowded around the three-point line, he would take his defender off-the-dribble and used a beautiful floater in the lane to score. He also has very good ball-handling skills and his repertoire includes several moves.
Zach Willis (2018) - Although he's only been playing the game for a little over a year, it's evident that Zach has put a ton of work into his game. The 6'3" forward is a fundamentally sound player who impressed the Future150 staff with his high upside. He showed good on-ball defense and finished around the rim with ease.
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