Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Birmingham, AL (Future150) -- The 16U division in the Birmingham Main Event has always been a jumping off point for a number of talented prospects in the Southeast, and this year's edition was no different. A very talented NOLA23 (LA) team made the trek to Birmingham and brought home the championship behind a trio of talented wings. A number of other players had big weekends as well though, so read on to see who turned in impressive performances:
Jourdan Smith, 2019 SF, NOLA23: A do-it-all type wing, Smith showed why a number of high-major programs are currently courting the 6-foot-7 prospect. With great size for the perimeter, the ability to put the ball on the floor, and the ability to defend multiple positions, Smith is an above-average jump shot away from being a potential top 50 player in his class.
Kyree Davis, 2019 PG, Memphis Kings: Davis is a heady lead guard who is very creative off the dribble. He was more of a distributor than scorer, but did enough offensively that defenses had to account for him or else get beaten by his ability to put points up by getting to the rim.
Darryl Drewery, 2019 SF, Faith Lions: A big wing prospect that plays hard and was very impressive going to the rim, Drewery had an impressive Saturday. He will need to improve as a shooter, but was one of the higher upside prospects in the tournament.
Kendon Knight, 2020 SF, Flatline Ballerz: Knight is a wing prospect with good size and the ability to handle the ball. He makes very good passes and hit a couple of threes as well. He's hearing from a couple of division one programs, and for good reason. At 6-foot-5, he is a highly intriguing option for low-majors.
Charlie Russell Jr., 2019 SG, NOLA23: A big wing who was one of the better scorers in the 16U division, Russell first stood out when he opened the weekend up with a big outing where he put up points on all three levels. He looks the part and it will be interesting to see where his recruitment ends up in the coming years.
Simmie Jones, 2019 PG, Memphis Prep-Red (TN): At 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, Jones clearly has D1 size and scoring ability. What really made him stand out though was his competitiveness. On Saturday night in an overtime contest, he knocked down his fourth three of the game at the buzzer to send his team to Championship Sunday. He will be an interesting guard to keep track of moving forward as he looks like a very good D2 player with upside.
Donta Jackson, 2019 PG, Louisiana Jaguars (LA): A defensive menace at 6-foot-2, Jackson forced a number of turnovers and took them coast-to-coast for easy layups. He has a good first step and uses his frame to wall off his man from getting to the rim. One of the better defenders in the 16U division this weekend for sure.
Khalid Zhafar, 2019 G, Faith Lions (LA): The slippery scoring guard was the catalyst for his team during their game on Saturday night. He scored the ball well from the perimeter and got to the basket using his wiry frame and quick first step. Once he puts more muscle on his frame, he will become even harder to stop.
Mike Cobb, 2019 SG, Pro Vision Elite (AL): A talented shooter, Cobb knocked down a number of threes throughout the weekend. Despite standing at just 5-foot-9, he is able to get his shot off over defenders and is a dangerous marksman. He should be a nice small college player in time.
Dee Topps, 2019 PG, Alabama Celtics (AL): A quick and physical point guard prospect, Topps mixed getting his teammates involved with getting into the lane and scoring at the rim. An energy giver, he made sure to get the ball to the right guys at the right time and clearly knows how to control an offense.
Demarcus Gordon, 2019 PF, Memphis Bulls (TN): A highly touted football prospect, Gordon proved to be a force on the hardwood too. Using his great hands and footwork, he got good position on the low block where he was able to finish through contact or draw fouls. His ability to draw attention from opposing defenses allowed his team to make it to Championship Sunday.
Drew Bobo, 2019 SF, Bama Sting (AL): An athletic and powerful wing at 6-foot-3, Bobo was at his best when slashing to the rim on Friday night. He also showed that he can knock down mid-range jumpers and hit a three as well. He may be a nice option at the small college level.
Harvey Davis, 2019 SG, TNA Heat (AL): Davis had a big shooting night to help his team advance on Saturday. The 5-foot-11 guard knocked down 5 threes en route to the victory and did a good job of running the offense at times as well.
C.J. Smith, 2019 PG, Alabama Flames (AL): A talented scoring guard, Smith put up points on all three levels with ease throughout the weekend. At 5-foot-11, he has a decent first step that kept defenses honest and was able to kick out to his open teammates when defenses collapsed on him.
Preston Whittington, 2020 SF, ARG (TN): A crafty and capable ball-handler with some wiggle to his game, Whittington is a very good finisher around the rim and has shown advanced body control. At 6-foot-2, he may ultimately end up playing shooting guard, but he is an interesting perimeter option coming out of the greater Nashville area.
Ty'Sean Dawson, 2021 PG, Capital City Vipers (SC): Playing in two age groups this weekend, Dawson was one of the more intriguing prospects to come out of Birmingham Main Event. A 5-foot-11 lead guard who's very well built, Dawson showcased intangibles that few players his age possess. He got to the rim with relative ease and hit a number of jumpshots as well. The future is very bright for this South Carolina prospect.
Carlandrius Robinson, 2019 SF, The Family (AL): Robinson did a good job of getting into the lane and either drew fouls or finished through contact. He's likely going to end up as a wing at the next level and could be a nice option for a small college.
Jon Micah Coleman, 2019 CF, Jaguars Elite (MS): Used as a post on Saturday evening, Coleman used his speed and quickness to make moves and score on his man at the rim. At 6-foot-2, he will need to show more wing skills, but his lanky build suggests he may not be done growing either.
Kyle Thomas, 2019 PG, GRIND (GA): An undersized, but heady lead guard, Thomas was able to put points up on all three levels Friday night. With a muscular frame, he was able to create space from his defender and knocked down a number of mid-range jumpers while also getting to the rim.
Luke Couch, 2019 SG, Alabama Go (AL): Couch is a small guard with a good handle and a decent shooting stroke. He plays with a flair and was able to get into the lane or create seperation from his defender on the perimeter. His shot has good form and has a quick release as well.
Micaiah Vaughn, 2019 PF, LODA (AL): An active big man who can help a small college thanks to his rebounding and ability to defend around the rim, Vaughn was hyper-efficient at times. He moves very well and can score around the rim, but is an undersized four man and it's unclear how much more he will grow. It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop over the next couple of years.
Timothy Chatman Jr., 2019 CG, Nashville Wildboys (TN): Chatman is a long and lanky combo guard prospect with the ability to get into the lane and finish or knock down shots from beyond the arc. It's clear that he's not done growing and is one to keep an eye on moving forward.
Geraldo Lane, 2020 SG, Rocket City Pride (AL): Lane has good size for a two guard at 6'2", and he really knows how to put the ball in the basket. He has a great stroke on his jumper, and uses his length to rip away balls out of the passing lanes on defense all the time. Long term, it looks like Lane could be a solid D2/NAIA prospect with some signifigant upside depending on how he continues to develop.
N'Kyzie Hawkins, 2019 SG, Team Grind (GA): Hawkins had one of the best performances on Saturday during pool play where he scored 31 pointd and led his team a win over a very good Nashville Wildboyz team. Even though he doesn't have the greatest size at 5'10, Hawkins is the kind of guard that you always want on the floor because of his leadership and electric scoring abilties.
Ja'Juan Hayes, 2019 G/F, Enterprise Thunder (AL): Hayes had a very good day during pool play on Saturday, headlined by a 24 point game against Jaguar Elite. At 6'3" he has good strength and was very versatile on the defensive end showing he was capable of guarding the one, two, three and even the four spot at times. Very good showing this weekend from the Enterprise product.
Heath Phillips, 2019 PG, Bama Sting (AL): Phillips was one of the best floor generals in the 16U division. He has great upper-body strength and has no problems drawing contact when slashing into the lane. He can get hot in a hurry from behind the line and on Saturday he scored 24 points while draining four three pointers.
Jamal Moore, 2019 G/F, Mississippi Spartans (MS): At 6'3", Moore has decent size on the wing. His athleticism, high motor, and solid jump shot is what impresses the most when you watch him play. He is a solid on-ball defender and is always there to make the gritty hustle plays that are much needed in order to win a close game. Moore is the type of guy that any coach would love to have as a scoring spark plug.
Janard McKinney, 2020 G/F, Savannah Blue Chips (GA): McKinney played both 15's and 16's throughout the weekend and impressed while playing both. The 6'3" wing was a killer on the glass and got plenty of his buckets off of offensive rebounds and second chance opportunities. His high motor, length, and intensity on both ends of the floor make him an intriguing prospect heading forward into his sophomore season.
Justin Brooks, 2019 PG, Auburn Raptors (AL): A fundamental floor general that has a great understanding of the game, Brooks seemed to never make a mistake when he was on the floor. At 6'2" he has solid size for a PG. He made sure he used his length to his advantage on the defensive end throughout the weekend racking up plenty of steals which led to easy baskets on the other end.
Jalen Bustamante, 2019 SG, Alabama Flames (AL): Bustamante is a familiar face to the Future150 staff as he as had some impressive performances at multiple Future150 exposure camps. The 6'1" two guard was showcasing his slashing skills, rebounding abilities, and improved mid-range jumper. Bustamante is a fun player to watch, and his growth and development over the next year will be crucial to see what level of college ball he will be playing after high school.
Amier Williams, 2019 PF, Birmingham Magic (AL): The forward prospect was impressive in terms of scoring the basketball for his team in Birmingham. In one game, he scored 22 points while doing a little bit of everything for his squad. Look for him to continue to develop his skills over the next year or so.
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