Jason Pratt:
Future150 Senior Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Houston, TX (Future150) -- The second day was a riveting continuation of competition at the Primetime Sports Hoop Jam Fest at the MI3 Center in Houston, TX. Bracket play started Sunday morning and it was win or go home. Here are a few of the players that stood out on Sunday with their performance.
One of the most aggressive players all weekend long was 2017 SF Omari Sampson of the Houston Takeover. He is a big-bodied wing, who is a power player and loves to get out and score in transition. He is a good on-ball defender and can guard bigger players due to his strength and size. He made his living on the offensive boards and put-backs around the rim. Sampson's infectious play generated wins.
The 2019 class was one of the more talented classes in the tournament. It featured a ton of players with massive upside. Combo forward Alexander Brown (2019) of Team Dynasty fits this billing to a tee. He's long, athletic and loves scoring around the rim. Brown's guard skills allow him to play multiple positions on the floor. As he develops his game look for him to make a splash in the coming years.
If you like watching basketball for fun, then you are gonna love watching 2017 SF Tomi Fadugba of the Dream Team. Long at athletic, Fadugba was one of the better finishers at the rim. His game kind of reminds of Ed O'Bannon of UCLA back in the day. He has that same smooth lefty action. Similarly this wing likes to score in bunches. As he gets stronger and adds weight to his frame look for his game to make a significant jump as well. Tons of upside.
Former NBA Pro Maurice Taylor of the Houston Rockets and the Michigan Wolverines has his own AAU Program called the Houston Heat. His team featured a pair of big men, including 2018 PF Jalen Flowers. Flowers is strong, smart and really skilled for a low post player. He can stretch the floor to 15 feet and make shots consistently. As his athleticism and ball handling catches up with his size, he will be able to make the transition to wing.
In the younger age groups the 2021 class had to be the more talented group. Point guard Demari Williams and PF William Lewis were two of the better players witnessed this past weekend.
Williams and Lewis also showed well at the Future150 Main Event Houston in March. Competing for the AABC SUper Stars, Williams can take over a game whenever he chooses and can score in bunches. Lewis is a monster on the boards and loves scoring off offensive rebounds. The two of them are going to be a force to contend with over the next few years.
Other Top Performers:
2018 PF Kedrick Spears, Iberville Ballers
His physical presence around the rim put him in situations where he dominated. Spears is a kid with a lot of up side. At his age he showed his skills and proved that he can score from just about anywhere on the floor. He is young, but understands how to space the floor and knows where to be to be successful on the floor.
2017 G Jalen Knott, Houston Hoopnation
He has a relaxed and laid back style, but plays strong and physical. This past weekend Knott showed how he is able to use his strength by attacking the rim and finishing under contact. He is the type of player that is going to grow all around but he displays good abilities. He also showcased his mid-range jump shot, which is something that a lot of players at his position must have.
2018 W Dedric McGinnis, Louisiana Leaders
Standing 6’4" McGinnis was able to showcase a lot of things. Perhaps the most noticeable thing was his ability to consistently shoot the 3 ball and utilize his mid-range two dribble pull-up. He is going to be a college prospect because of what he displays now at young age.
2019 SG Nick Gazelas, Air Force
Nick is a young SG that handles the ball well in open floor and knows how score. He put on a shooting clinic over the weekend and also displayed his ability to attack the rim. He has a change of speed in his game that makes him hard to guard in the half court. Using that Gazelas can get off his one and two dribble pull up off.
2018 PF Casey Collier, Swagg Crusaders
A young kid with a lot of upside, Collier showed his physical presence around the rim by using his strong body frame to rebound the ball. He displayed his ability to guard the 3-5 position. Per his dad he is projected to grow to be 6’11".
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