Zachary Lyon:
Future150 Regional Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball: NC, SC & VA
Birmingham, AL (Future150) -- The Birmingham Storm Elite (AL) came into Future150 Main Event Birmingham as one of the most talented teams in the country for their age division, and left as champions after breezing past the Central Carolina Force (SC) 69-38. Who impressed us in the 14U age division?
Future150 Main Event Birmingham 14U Honor Roll:
GaQuincy McKinstry, 2021 PG, Birmingham Storm Elite (AL): The most exciting player in the division just may have been the 6-foot floor general. He crushed countless dunks on the fast break, whether he was doing it with one or two hands. He's a flashy playmaker who loves to make plays in traffic. There's definitely a 'wow' factor to his game, and it's going to be fun watching him start to make waves in the city of Birmingham in the future.
Jourdain Dishmond, 2021 PF, GroundUp South (LA): One of the best finds of the entire event, the 6'7" post had an excellent tournament showing. The lefty has an excellent motor and never gives up on plays. He already shows an impressive drop-step baby hook over his left shoulder that proved impossible to stop for defenders. It's easy to envision him as one of the best big men in Louisiana over the next few years.
Ty'Sean Dawson, 2021 PG, Capital City Vipers (SC): The strong, 6-foot lead guard is proving to be one of the best young prospects in the state of South Carolina. While splitting time between the Vipers 14's and 16's, he was impressive in both divisions with his play. He's at his best when he's attacking the rim and gets to the free-throw line at a healthy clip.
Tyler Rice, 2021 5’11” PG, Central Carolina Force (SC): Rice has very rarely disappointed in front of the Future150 staff, and this weekend was no different. Using his great ball-handling skills and smooth playmaking abilities, he was an extremely tough cover on offense. Heading into his freshman year, it’s safe to say Rice is at the very least a low-major prospect with plenty of upside depending on his growth and strength development.
Rok Taylor, 2021 SF/PF, Birmingham Storm Elite (AL): The 6'4" post has been on the Future150 radar for over a year now, as he was dominant at Super60 in New Orleans last May. Since then, the big man has started to move his game to the perimeter, if only slightly. He's a high-motor prospect who is one of the most active prospects his age. While football may be his long-term future, he's also a very talented basketball player.
Javon Ruffin, 2021 SF, NOLA23 (LA): While the 6'3" wing isn't exactly tied down to a specific position just yet, he certainly was the most productive member of his team in Birmingham. He's very good when attacking the rim, rebounds well on both ends & is a lengthy defender and shot-blocker as well. If we had to make a projection, we'd say that he ends up as a very effective shooting guard/small forward in the 6'5" range down the road.
DaVeon Thomas, 2021 SG, Central Carolina Force (SC): Thomas has improved so much throughout the past year or so. Now standing nearly 6’1”, he is more than capable of scoring from all three levels and rebounds the ball extremely well for a guard. He had his takeover moments throughout the weekend where he gets hot and can’t be stopped. Thomas has to be taken seriously as one of the best guards in South Carolina in the 2021 class.
Brooks Barnhizer, 2021 SF, Birmingham Storm Elite (AL): Barnhizer had some very impressive performances during pool play, scoring from all three levels and at some points being nearly impossible to stop. He has good size for the wing at 6'3" considering he's not even in high school yet. Depending on growth, Barnhizer definitely tracks as a D1 prospect and a possible nationally ranked prospect.
Jalen Brown, 2021 SG, Memphis Wildcats (TN): The type of prospect who can get complacent on the floor since he's so much more talented than his peers, it's an interesting scout when watching the 6'2" guard. He's very smooth with the ball in his hands and has no trouble blowing by defenders off-the-dribble. He's also capable of knocking down shots from deep and defending. When he's engaged in the game, very few prospects in the Southeast can check him.
Camren Hunter, 2021 PG, Team Jah's Elite (AR): One of the toughest point guard prospects in the region, the 5'10" floor general was impressive as a bucket-getter in Alabama. More specifically, in a big game against NOLA23, he dropped 34 points, doing so in a variety of ways. He got to the rim with ease, dropped 3-point baskets and got to the free-throw line whenever he wanted.
Jordan Boston, 2021 PG/SG, NOLA23 (LA): The 6-foot combo guard was an electric scorer over the weekend, racking up high point totals with ease. More sculpted than last year, the physical combo guard is a standout on both ends of the floor. As he continues to improve his ball skills, he could develop into a very impressive point guard prospect in the future.
Miles Kelly, 2021 G, Hoop City Thunder (GA): A standout from Future150 Main Event Atlanta a few weeks back, the 5'8" combo guard again did damage at Main Event Birmingham. It's very clear that he's about to hit a growth spurt, where his frame is going to catch up with his game. Right now, he's a highly skilled offensive player who can get baskets from mid-range and 3-point land.
Kendall Rosser, 2021 SF, Memphis Bulls Elite (TN): One of the best overall prospects on the weekend was Rosser. He was scoring early and often and using his length to gather steals and blocks on the defensive end. Much of his offensive game consisted of slashing the lane and finishing over the top of the defense, along with knocking down plenty of mid-range jumpers. Memphis may have a future gem in the making with Rosser.
Taye Fields, 2021 SF, Auburn Raptors (GA): A 6-foot wing prospect who competes on both ends, he was the most consistent scorer that we viewed for the Raptors 14's over the weekend. He was most successful when he was slashing to the rim, and worked tirelessly to make plays on the defensive end as well.
Jaylon Brown, 2021 PG, Tuscaloosa Rams (AL): A high-volume scorer, don't be fooled by his height. The muscular point guard is fearless when attacking the rim, whether he's doing so in the half-court or transition setting. His compact frame also helps him big-time on the defensive end of the floor, where he accumulated several steals over the weekend.
Jaylan Thompson, 2021 SG, Jackson Pride (MS): The 5'8" wing showed off a sweet shooting stroke during game play on Saturday, drilling several long range bombs for his squad. He's already got a solid build and makes smart plays on the offensive end. And just remember, if you give him any room to shoot, he'll take no second thoughts of knocking it down.
Savion Jones, 2021 PG, AUSA Rampage (AL): A sturdy point guard prospect, he was very hard to stop when working downhill at Main Event Birmingham. He loves to attack the basket and takes pride in his defense as well. Right now, he's most successful when he's working in transition, where he showed he can rack up points quickly.
Jalen Pettway, 2021 SF, TNA Heat (AL): One of the more skilled eighth graders we viewed in Birmingham, the 6'2" small forward is a long and lanky prospect who is very active on both ends of the floor. He's very good when operating around the rim, where he showed that he can score with ease out to 12-15 feet. He also uses his long arms to his advantage on defense.
Mason Rothwell, 2021 PF, Tennessee Future (TN): The athletic 6-foot-5 forward was the go-to scorer for his team over the weekend. In two games where he impressed us, he scored 17 & 13 points respectively, and he did so by knocking down 3-point shots and finishing around the rim. He not only has good size, but his skill set projects well heading into the future.
Caleb Rawls, 2021 C, We Got Next (MS): The big man already has good size at 6'4", and he didn't disappoint with his production level at Main Event Birmingham. He's a productive big man who works hard on both ends of the floor to get position. On the defensive end, he makes life hard on opposing bigs as well.
Prince Okojie, 2021 F/C, Team Jah’s Elite (AR): One of the best rebounders in the division, Okojie used his length and strength to dominate the glass on both ends and muscle in some tough baskets at the rim. If he hits another growth spurt and continues to work on his back-to-the-basket game, Okojie has a solid chance of being a very intriguing frontcourt prospect.
Trakalab Welch, 2021 PF, TCF Jayhawks (MS): Welch was a standout performer at last year’s Future150 Birmingham Main Event, and this year was no different. He was running the floor well, grabbing rebounds, blocking shots, and getting to the line on command throughout the weekend. He has continued to improve his post game, and his stock is definitely on the rise after a solid weekend.
Kendell Martin, 2021 PG, 615 Elite (TN): Martin is quite an undersized floor general at his age, and it was easy to see that this weekend, but he still made plays and found ways to score. He has a beautiful stroke on his jumper, and if the defense gave him any room beyond the arc, he made sure to make them pay for it. As a rising freshman, Martin has a solid skill set but is lacking the physical attributes. If he can grow at least a few more inches and hit the weight room, he becomes a lot more intriguing.
Jaylon Reid, 2021 C, CBG (TN): Another undersized prospect, Reid still found ways to score in the paint with his great upper body strength and footwork. He ran the floor well and controlled the defensive glass despite usually giving up a few inches to opposing frontcourt players. He was getting to the line and knocking down his free throws, which was also encouraging to see if he continues to play in the post moving forward.
Nick Jennings, 2021 SG, Rocket City Pride (AL): One of the more intriguing prospects in the 14U division, Jennings had some big time performances throughout the weekend including a 20 point game in a tough loss to Jackson Pride during pool play. Standing at 6’0”, he already has solid size for the two-spot. Now he needs to continue to work on his game and develop his frame in the weight room.
Adonis Davis, 2021 G/F, Central Carolina Force (SC): Davis impressed at the Future150 All Southeast Qualifier Camp in Alabama a few months ago. This weekend he continued to show off his versatility and was easily one of the best on-ball defenders in the age division. Built like a running back, Davis is tough to stop when putting his head down and going straight to the rim. If he grows a few more inches and continues to develop his wing skills, he is going to be a huge problem.
Cedric Williams Jr., 2021 PG, CBG (TN): Williams was a standout performer at the Future150 Atlanta Main Event Tournament just a few weeks ago, and he came into this weekend with high expectations. He continued to impress with his high IQ, court vision, and scoring abilities from all three levels. Williams has a swagger to his game that many coaches love to see in their point guard. We will continue to keep a close eye on Cedric as his middle school playing days come to a close.
Kelvin Hughes, 2021 G/F, East Georgia Panthers (GA): Hughes was one of the more productive players in the 14U division as he was always helping his team out in one way or the other. Even when he wasn’t scoring, he was still helping crash the glass or playing great defense on the opposing team’s guards and wings.
Devin Collins, 2021 SG, Team CP25 (AL): Collins was one of the most impressive shooters in the age division knockng down jumpers from short, mid, and long range on a consistent basis. He stands just under six foot, but he definitely has some upside if he hits another growth spurt, could be a very tough match-up problem down the line.
Brayson Edwards, 2022 SF, Alabama Flames (AL): Playing an age division up, Edwards was a solid rebounder and was efficient when taking shots around the rim. He showcased a nice mid-range jumper and held his own against opposing wings very well, considering he was a year younger than mostly everyone he went up against.
Comments:
1