Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Pocono Summit, PA (Future150) -- The Future150 East Coast Camp brought out a slew of talented prospects in the classes of 2018-2022 from several states in the region. Led by strong performances by Wes Butler & Jeff Planutis in the all-star game, the all-star list was littered with several future college players. Check out who impressed us most over the weekend.
Jeff Planutis, 2018 SG, Hazleton Area (PA): It's amazing that the 6'5" wing prospect currently only holds a single division one scholarship offer (Mount St. Mary's). He's an extremely impressive athlete who can rise over the top of helpless defenders for dunks at the drop of a hat. However, he's more than just an athlete, as he can score from all three levels with ease and has all the tools to be an effective college player down the road.
Wes Butler, 2019 PG, Reading High (PA): The reigning state champion saved his best for last on Sunday afternoon, lighting up the all-star game with a terrific performance, scoring 30+ points, including the game-winner as time expired. Known as a terrific defender and rebounder for a guard, his scoring ability is beginning to really blossom now that he's learning to become a leader on the floor.
Travis Gray, 2020 SG, Henninger (NY): The player with the highest upside in the camp was the 15 year old 6'5" wing. He's just scratching the surface of his potential. When he's engaged, he's so hard to stop, due to his ability to score on all three levels with ease. When he's playing with a chip on his shoulder defensively, he's tough as well. Right now, he sure looks like a high-major recuit in the future.
Da'mir Faison, 2019 SF, Hazleton Area (PA): The 6'5" wing continues to make progressions in his game. While he's a very talented slasher and rebounder from the wing, using his 6'8" wingspan, he's clearly been working to develop his perimeter shooting, which he showed at camp. As long as he continues to improve his ball skills and shot-making, there's no doubt he'll eventually playing at the division one level.
David Hill, 2021 G, St. John Neumann (PA): One of the most talented young guards in the state of Pennsylvania, all signs point to the 5'11" Williamsport native being a division one recruit down the road. He's smooth with the ball in his hands and can score from all three levels. He's also a sneaky athlete who gets off the ground quickly.
Philip Byriel, 2020 F, MMI Prep (PA): Measuring in at 6'8", the highly skilled stretch-four man has the looks of a future division one prospect. He showed nice footwork around the rim and finished well with both hands. He also has a nice mid-range jump shot with ability to stretch the defense out to the three-point line as well.
Travis Elmore, 2018 F, Pocono Mountain West (PA): The 6'5" forward is an interesting prospect. He spent last season primarily as an inside player for a perimeter-loaded high school team. However, over the course of the past AAU season he's shown perimeter skills at his disposal. He showed some of those skills again at East Coast Camp. A very talented and battle-tested player.
Quincy Ballard, 2019 Post, Cicero-North Syracuse (NY): A massive prospect who measured at 6'8.5" with a size 17 sneaker, the big man is only in his first year of playing organized basketball. While being pretty raw on both ends of the floor, he's already showing just how impressive his ceiling might be. He finished around the rim, and even showed range out to the three-point line. With a lot of work over the next year, he can play at the division one level.
Josiah Burns, 2018 G, Pocono Mountain West (PA): One of the most impressive scorers in Northeastern Pennsylvania this coming season will be the 6'0" combo guard. When his shot is falling, he's hard to stop. He can get it going from the perimeter or when attacking the basket, where he's very good at getting to the line. The next step for him will be to learn how to get others involved in the offense.
Jack McFadden, 2021 G, Maine-Endwell (NY): The 6'4" guard has a very high ceiling. He has solid ball skills and is surprisingly shifty for a kid his size. He can knock down the long jumper, or hit the mid-range as well. He's got excellent vision and a natural feel for the game, and was one of the best prospects in camp when it came to moving without the ball. Very bright future for the New York guard.
Nick Cham, 2020 G, St. Mary's (NY): The surprise of the weekend was the 5'9" point guard, who was an electric scorer at the camp. He showed an efficient shot from the perimeter and the ability to create looks for himself in the mid-range area. He's also a very talented passer who made several 'wow' players throughout the weekend. It should be a big high school season for him at St. Mary's (NY).
Lee Mosley, 2018 F, Pocono Mountain West (PA): The 6'4" forward prospect was tenacious on the glass over the weekend. He's so good at finishing around the rim using both hands, and backs down from no one. He has solid athleticism, playing above the rim on the break. It's also important to note that he only turns 17 in October, making him ridiculously young for a senior.
Khai Pugh, 2019 PG, Fayetteville-Manlius (NY): One of the best natural talents in the gym was the 6'1" point guard prospect. He showed deep range on his jumper, slashed well, and finished around the rim using both hands. He has some impressive athleticism at his disposal as well, several times tracking down players on the break and blocking them from behind. Once he learns to play a little less 'wild', he's gonna be a very, very good player.
Jordan Davidson, 2018 G, Piscataway (NJ): The 6-foot guard showed off a pretty perimeter shot from deep. He can got hot quickly and has pretty mechanics and gets good lift on his shot. He also showed that he can get to the rim and score as well. A high academic prospect, D3 schools should be circling him on their recruiting reports.
Rontavious Sallywhite, 2020 G, TPLS Christian Academy (VA): A quick and fearless combo guard, he makes up for his lack of size with his ability to take and make big shots. Has range past the three point line and made a couple of nice passes. However, he needs to be more of a pure point guard and get stronger as he grows and matures.
Julian Thomas, 2020 SG, Bethlehem Catholic (PA): The 6'2" wing is a power guard who not only can create on the perimeter, but he's a bruising prospect when working downhill toward the rim as well. For a guard, he's a very talented rebounder and takes pride in playing tenacious on-ball defense as well.
Andrew Vayda, 2020 PG, Hazleton Area (PA): The 5'11" point guard is a solid perimeter prospect. He makes all the right plays, and never forces the issue. We really loved how well he finished around the rim using his off hand, and he always made the right pass. When his jumper is falling, he has all the tools at the guard spot, just needing to work on consistency.
Will Melson, 2018 G, Bethlehem Catholic (PA): The 6-foot guard is a skilled and entertaining combo guard prospect. While he certainly can run the offense, he also can get hot as a scorer as well. Not only can he knock down shots from deep, but he's also able to use his ball skills to work for offense off-the-dribble as well, and is skilled when finishing around the rim.
Jaiden Lynch, 2018 G, St. John Neumann (PA): The 6-foot guard is a model of consistency. While his game may not be flashy, he always gets results. He's a lockdown defender who takes pride in putting the clamps down whoever he's matched up against. He's also able to score from the mid-range and from the perimeter. Solid showing by the talented guard.
Kam Jones, 2020 PG, West Genessee (NY): The strong 5'10" lead guard is fearless when attacking the rim. He knows how to use his body to finish through contact around the rim against much bigger defenders. He has solid ball skills and is also a talented defender as well.
Everton Browne, 2022 PG, The Harvey School (NY): The youngest prospect in the camp named an all-star selection, the 5'9" guard is a very talented kid. The New York native shot the cover off the ball throughout the weekend, and also demonstrated excellent playmaking ability as well. He more than held his own against much older competition.
Orlando Herrera, 2018 Wing, John A. Ferguson (FL): The 6'3" wing prospect played with a relentless motor over the weekend. He made countless plays on the defensive end where our staff was left in awe. On top of being an excellent defender, he showed an ability to score on slashing drives to the rim with relative ease. Overall, a great weekend for him.
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