Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Cane Ridge, TN (Future150) -- The Top 20 All-Star game was the headline event during our 1st annual Future150 "The Summit" Camp. The absolute best of the best prospects who attended were hand picked by our staff to compete in the headline game, and boy was it enertaining. Here are the standouts from the game, a who's who of some of the best young talent in the country:
D.J. Tyree, 2016 PG, Pickerington Central: The 5-foot-10 point guard is really a fun kid to watch on the floor. He plays with passion and really wants to win every time he's on the floor. He uses a quick first step to get to the basket at will, and is also a capable scorer as well.
Josh Freeman, 2016 SG, Cold Springs (AL): The co-MVP of the Top 20 All-Star game was the absolute breakout star of the weekend in Nashville. He came into camp as a relative unknown and left as the deadliest shooter in the gym. It was unanimous between staff and players that he was the MVP of the weekend due to his consistency. Look for the 6-foot-5 wing to build on this camp and become a household name in Alabama.
Malik Dow, 2016 SF, Ballard (KY): The 6-foot-5 small forward uses his brute strength and athleticism to be a standout on the floor. He was a phenomenal rebounder last weekend and finished everything around the rim. He also showed that he is a very good passer on the perimeter, especially to teammates on cuts to the rim. Kansas State contacted him right after camp, and more schools will follow suit.
Kobe Gantz, 2016 PG, J.P. McCaskey (PA): The 6-foot-2 combo guard may have been the biggest surprise of the camp. He has excellent court vision and good ball skills, but what separates him from some of this classmates is his scoring ability. Whether he is attacking the rim or scoring from the perimeter, Gantz is a lethal guard with a well-rounded game.
Eli Wright, 2016 SG, Apollo (KY): The explosive athlete is about to blow up on a national level, and it's going to happen by the end of this summer. Standing 6-foot-5 and possessing elite athleticism, Wright loves to play above the rim. His perimeter game is beginning to come around and he is also a good perimeter defender as well. Look for him to enter our national rankings this week.
Adrian Moore, 2016 SG, North Little Rock (AR): The Arkansas prospect has been on the national radar for a few years now due to his spectacular athleticism, and while we saw that elite level bounce over the weekend, we came away impressed with another facet of his game. His perimeter skills are beginning to come around and he was knocking down jump shots from all over the floor in Nashville, making him a dangerous player.
Josh Hill, 2016 PF, Faith Academy (AL): Our staff has consistently seen Hill over the past several years, and we can say that he gets better every single time we see him. The 6-foot-5 combo forward is an extremely active prospect who is very effective on the glass. He thrives on contact around the rim and is capable of stretching the defense with a perimeter jump shot out to 18 feet.
Lucky Cheatham, 2016 PG, White Haven (TN): The 5-foot-11 sparkplug is a standout on the AAU circuit with Team Penny, and he possesses the flash factor of most Memphis guards. While we knew he is a very good creator on the floor, he showed us a different dimension to his game last weekend: his scoring prowess. He has a consistent jump shot and can score the basketball anywhere on the floor.
Lamar Peters, 2016 PG, Landry Walker (LA): Peters is very creative with the ball in his hands and possesses great athleticism, speed, and agility. Combine all of that together and he is a problem on the offensive end of the floor. He uses his speed and ball-handling ability to get to the rim and slash through the defense. He is yet another high-major talent from the New Orleans area.
Ray Kowalski, 2016 SG, Northside Christian (NC): Kowalski went down with an ankle injury on Sunday, but before that, he was one of the best shooters in camp. He can hit shots from anywhere on the floor, but he doesn’t necessarily need to be labeled as just a shooter. He has great size and a great body that allows him to attack the rim and keep the defense honest.
Andre Jones, 2016 SG, McClellan (AR): Jones is an elite athlete that is fun to watch. He plays above the rim and is a play-maker for his team. While his three-point shooting needs to become more consistent, he can knockdown perimeter shots, especially from the mid-range. High-major programs will know about this high-powered guard soon enough.
Lamont Berzat, 2017 PG, Landry Walker (LA): Another high-volume scorer that can erupt at any time is Berzat. He doesn’t have the best looking shot right now, but it goes in. When the 5-foot-8 guard is feeling it from long range, he is difficult to stop. He continues to be vocal on both ends of the floor, as well as being a menace on defense.
Devin Whitfield, 2016 SG, McAdory (AL): Whitfield was productive on the offensive end once again over the weekend. He can score on all three levels, but this weekend the 6-foot-3 wing was most dangerous when attacking the rim. He used his length and athleticism to finish at the goal and get easy buckets, as well as hit some outside shots.
Jordan Bone, 2016 PG, Ensworth (TN): One of the players that is set for a breakout summer is Bone. The 6-foot-1 point guard was a play-maker all weekend, as he made things easier on his teammates and scored for himself. He handles the ball well and does a great job of attacking the defense and making proper reads. His speed and change of pace make things hard on the defense. He can also hit shots from the outside.
Ashton West, 2016 CG, Blue Springs (MO): Entertaining is one word to describe the play of the Missouri guard. He is an extremely shifty combo guard who can get to the basket at will. He also showed an extremely consistent long range jump shot, making him even more dangerous on the perimeter. Very fun kid to watch play the game.
Josh Linder, 2017 SF, Veterans (GA): The amount of upside that the 6-foot-7 small forward possesses is insane. He has extremely long arms and uses them to his advantage everywhere on the floor. He is an active finisher around the rim as well as a big time shot-blocker on defense. What is even more appealing is that he can even handle the ball in the open floor for streches as well.
Seth Towns, 2016 SF, Northland (OH): The extremely versatile small forward saved his best for last at camp over the weekend, winning co-MVP honors in the Top 20 All-Star game. The 6-foot-7 wing is an excellent finisher around the rim, is an active rebounder, and can stretch the defense with his shooting ability as well. When his motor is high, he is one of the best wings you will find in the 2016 class.
Wolfgang Novogratz, 2016 PG, Poly Prep (NY): The most vocal leader of the weekend was the 6-foot-2 point guard. Whether he was directing the offense or taking control of his team's defense, Wolf was the man in charge at all times. He was an active scorer around the rim as well as a solid distributor when he needed to be. He is a gritty prospect who has put on a good amount of muscle since last summer.
Melo Eggleston, 2017 SF, St. Frances (MD): The 6-foot-7 small forward draws favorable comparisons to fellow St. Frances prospect and UNLV commit Dwayne Morgan. He is a skilled wing who has advanced skills for his class. While he is still more of a prospect than player, there is no denying that his ceiling is extremely high.
Matt Moyer, 2016 SF, Gahanna Lincoln (OH): Moyer has a ceiling that few other prospects nationally can match. At 6-foot-8 he is a skilled combo forward who can take his man off the bounce or get his opponent on his back and post up. He uses his length exceptionally well on both ends of the floor and is a fairly athletic forward. It's easy to see why Michigan and Kansas are recruiting him.
Braxton Beverly, 2016 PG, Perry County Central (KY):Few players turned in the type of weekend that Beverly did, as he attacked constantly and put up a number of points because of it. He also showcased a good jumper from the perimeter as well as fantastic court vision. With a high basketball IQ, Beverly will be one of the more highly recruited mid-major guards in the country and definetly has a chance to be a high-major.
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