Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Newtown, PA (Future150) -- After previous stops in Staten Island and Washington DC, Elevate Hoops 'Proving Ground III" session hit Philadelphia, where I took in action all day Saturday. With a collection of several of the best 2022 and 2023 teams in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast corridor, it proved to be a competitive environment where we uncovered several future stars while seeing several already established young talents.
Philadelphia Product Justice Williams Proves Elite Status
After spending some time with the New York Rens this year, 2022 guard prospect Justice Williams returned home to play for Team Final, with his debut being at the 'Proving Ground'. The 6'3" combo guard is an awesome talent at this stage, and is owner of the most impressive mid-range game in the class, in my opinion. A smooth athlete who is quick off-the-dribble and playing routinely above the rim, he proved that he's one of the best 25 talents in the country right now. As far as high school goes, the four schools he's considering are Archbishop Wood, Archbishop Carroll, Cardinal O'Hara and Roman Catholic.
DC Premier Athlete Darren Buchanan Jr. Emerges At Elevate
It didn't take me long to pick out Washington DC 8th grader Darren Buchanan Jr. The athletic 6'4" prospect was having to anchor Premier's frontcourt as the biggest player on the team, but it was very clear that his future is on the wing. He's fluid with the ball in his hands, is comfortable making plays from the wing, and showed nice finishing skills around the rim. As he gets more reps from the wing going forward, you should see him really start to blossom in the DMV.
Team Thrill Pipeline Looking Strong
While everyone in the youth hoops community knows about Team Thrill's 8th grade team, featuring top 10 talent Jarace Walker, I got a look at their 7th grade squad in Philadelphia, and they feature some talent of their own. As you'd expect, the Baltimore team has a stable of talented guards, but it was a young big man who caught my attention. Standing 6'3" with nice instincts already, Derick Queen has a chance to really turn into something special down the road. His production level should rise significantly over the next year, like most big men who are his size and age.
3 More Elevate Hoops Proving Ground Standouts:
Sebastian Robinson, 2023 PG, New Jersey Bulldogs: It was an impressive day for the 5'11" floor general, who is now on our radar as one of the up-and-coming guards in the region. A strong ball handler who has impressive natural instincts, he has a chance to really elevate his stock this AAU season.
Khalif Crawley, 2022 Post, We R1: After having a standout weekend at the Pangos Junior All-American Camp last month, we finally got a chance to see what the buzz is about with the 6'5" big man. A thick post with nice footwork and an impressive mid-range jumper, he's a talented and versatile big man.
Tyleel Hall, 2023 PG, New York Jayhawks: The most entertaining prospect we saw in the 7th grade division on Saturday was the 5'8" Brooklyn native, who is as flashy as they come. He's got excellent ball skills and court vision, and will always look to make unique plays that keep his teammates guessing. He's also a talented finisher.
Comments:
Be the first to post. Just use the form below.