Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Atlanta, GA (Future150) -- Championship Sunday at the Future150 Main Event Atlanta was filled with heated action and five teams being crowed by days end.
In 17U gold bracket action, the Memphis Hoopers took down Heat Check by a score of 76-56. In 17U silver action, Georgia Stars Select took down Marietta Heat Red 76-67. In the 17U bronze final, Scholar Shots breezed by the FCI Warriors 67-56 to win a championship.
In the 16U championship game, Team Forrest defeated Chattanooga Elite 67-55, and in the 15U final, the Georgia Renegades avenged an earlier tournament loss to throttle Team Forrest, 69-48.
Here are some individual standouts from the last day of action...
Tajuan Payne, 2015 PG, Florida's Finest:
The 5'10" lead guard uses his open floor speed in order to have his impact felt on the game. He has an excellent first step to the basket and uses his creativity to finish at the rim or get to the line. He is also a crafty passer and sees his value rise significantly when he is racking up assists as well as scoring.
Isaac Bradley, 2014 SF, Northwest Georgia Select:
Few players were as efficient as Bradley this weekend. The wing man did many things well and was very versatile with his game. He played extremely hard with a high motor and rebounded at a high rate. Bradley also hit a couple of outside shots, along with finishing at the back with contact. He was definitely a valuable player for his team.
Andrew Rogers, 2014 SF, Montgomery Tarheels
The 6'5" forward may have been the biggest surprise of the entire weekend. He is an extremely athletic prospect who has an endless motor. He rebounds absolutely everything in his area and is also a very solid shot-blocker. Finishes everything around the rim using both hands.
Darius Jones, 2016 SG, Georgia Fury:
The athletic shooting guard is always in attack mode on the floor. He finishes several baskets each game in transition with acrobatic layups at the rim. He is also very active on the glass, where he snatches several rebounds per game on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor.
Alsean Evans, 2015 CG, Florida's Finest:
The 6'1" guard played both guard positions this past weekend, and looked comfortable doing both. He has good ball skills and didn't turn the ball over often. He also showed good slashing ability when playing off-the-ball. His shooting isn't as consistent as we want it to be yet, he has a natural feel for the game and is a promising prospect.
Devin Watson, 2015 PG, Georgia Stars:
The point guard from Collins Hill High School (GA) is the epitome of a smooth operator. He has good ball skills, but his effortless and beautiful shooting stroke is what caught our eye. He has a consistent mid-range and long range stroke, as well as excellent body control around the rim.
Justin Syphoe, 2014 SF, HESE Wolverines:
Syphoe was one of the best prospects from the “look” perspective and his play didn’t disappoint either. At 6-foot-4, the long wing used his crafty play to get to the rim and finish at the rim. Throughout the weekend, he showed the ability to finish with both hands. Syphoe used his length to grab rebounds and cause problems on defense.
John Ogwuche, 2016 SG, Team Forrest:
The 6'3" shooting guard has an impressive physique for a prospect so young. He uses his body to finish with contact at the rim and never has any trouble when the opposition wants to play physical basketball. However, he is no one-trick pony. He can shoot the ball from the outside and proved that to us this past weekend.
Martins Igbanu, 2016 PF, 3T All-Stars:
Another very promising young prospect is the Covenant Christian (GA) prospect. He is a bouncy 6'8" forward with a great motor. He rebounds the ball well and has very good shot-blocking skills. He also showed the ability to finish with both hands around the rim and step back and stroke mid-range jump shots on occassion.
Nick Egona, 2015 SF, Atlanta Select Classic:
Egona was another impressive athlete that showcased his worth this weekend. At 6-foot-5, much of Egona’s game is still raw and coming along. However, that didn’t stop him from producing for his squad. He grabbed rebound after rebound and got easy trash buckets with his high motor. He also attacked the rim well and showed off his jumping ability with several high-flying dunks. It was hard to find a better athlete than this kid.
Shaquarious Baker, 2015 PG, Georgia Renegades:
The 5'9" lefty is the glue that holds a powerful Georgia Renegades team together. He plays under control at all times, and never gets rattled. He gets to the rim at will and is a crafty finisher around the rim. He also knows exactly when to get his teammates the ball in the right situations.
Justin Ravenel, 2015 SG, Team Forrest:
The 6'3" shooting guard very quietly had a big weekend for his Team Forrest squad. he picks his spots wisely on the floor, knowing exactly when to score from the outside and when to take the ball to the basket and finish at the rim. Very good looking prospect in terms of his physique as well.
Josh Hill, 2016 PF, Georgia Renegades:
The 6'5" bruising forward was an inside presence for the Renegades all weekend long, which is what we expected from him. What we didn't expect, however, was his ability to knock down jumpers all the way out to the three-point line, which he did with regularity. If he continues to develop his overall perimeter skills, watch out!
Darrion Taylor, 2016 PG, Georgia Stars:
Darrion is a pure playmaker who always gets his teammates the ball in good spots on the floor. He has good ball skills and is smooth with the rock in his hands. He can also shoot the ball well from the outside. He has a high basketball IQ and knows the game well.
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