Jason Pratt:
Future150 Senior Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Birmingham, AL (Future150) -- The Dicks Sporting Good Jamfest was on display in Birmingham and we got a chance to see some young talent. The 2017 class was well represented by the likes of DJ Heath, Tyus Underwood and Herb Jones. Matti Sigurdarson and Stefan Zecevic were two of the top players out of the 2012 class looking to make one lasting impression hoping to their name and game to the college coaches. Lets take a look at who were the champions in age division and the top performers in the tournament.
17U/11th Grade Division:
Champion: Birmingham Storm
16U/10th Grade Division:
Champion: Tennessee Panthers
15U/9th Grade Division:
Champion: Team NOLA
14U/8th Grade Division:
Champion: Alabama Bulls
13U/7th Grade Division:
Champion: Southeast Elite
12U/6th Grade Division:
Champion: Southeast Elite
11U/5th Grade Division:
Champion: Alabama Hustlers
10U/4th Grade Division:
Champion: Team ESP
Austin Wiley-(2017 Berry Middle-Southeast Elite) 6'5" 175 lbs
Wiley is a long player who can affect the game on both ends. He is a great rebounder and knows how to put the ball in the hole from the low post. As he gets stronger and his body grows into his feet the sky is the limit.
Jermey Berman-(2013-Mnt. Brook-Bham Grizzlies) 6'4" 170 lbs
Berman is a long lanky player who is extremely fundamental. His specialty is the 3-point shot and boy can he stroke it if you leave him at any point. As his knowledge grows and learns how to score of the bounce more his game will blossum. Added weight will only improve his overall game.
Taverius Tolliver-(2015 Scottsboro-ABA) 6’0" 165 lbs.
This left-handed guard did everything for his ABA squad over the weekend. He shot the ball well from mid-range, and when he missed a short shot, he would immediately follow his shot and get the put-back bucket. Tolliver had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in one game we watched. He was also very impressive in transition, where his passing really stuck out. His electric game gave hope to his team.
Cory Thomas-(2014 McAdory-Team AL Black) 6’5" 250 lbs.
Like most young post players, Thomas spent a lot of Saturday trying to be a guard. While he does have a nice shot for a big man, he didn’t use his bigger body to take advantage of smaller players guarding him. However, he was very effective from the free-throw line area, hitting shots and passing out of double-teams to hit open shooters.
Cortlin Davis-(2014 Shades Valley-Team AL Black) 6’3" 160 lbs.
One of the players Thomas was dishing to happened to be Cortlin Davis. He shot the ball decently, but Davis used other aspects of the game to make an impact. His long arms and defensive attitude caused havoc on the perimeter, where he tipped passes and blocked shots. On the offensive end, Davis got to the rim and finished with contact several times.
Michael Carter-(2014 Shades Valley-Team AL Black) 6’1" 185 lbs
Carter spent most of the day as a trash man for his squad, as he constantly grabbed offensive rebounds. His tenacious rebounding allows him to avoid opposing players’ box-outs. Carter played very hard and performed well for his team.
Deion Dozier-(2015 McGill Toolen-Mobile Legacy) 6’6" 220 lbs
One of the most appealing college bodies we noticed this weekend was from Mobile native Deion Dozier. A stout big man, Dozier used his size to take up space and control the lane. Because of this, he dominated the boards on the defensive end. His length caused opposing players to second-guess their shot selection, too.
Joshua Chairs-(2015 Central Park-Bham Bucks) 5’5 110 lbs
Someone must have not told Joshua Chairs that he was arguably the smallest player in his age division. During his game, the freshman played like he was six inches taller and ran the game for the Birmingham Bucks. Chairs was quick as a cat and showed his shifty moves through traffic. Despite his size, the point guard was the focal point of his squad and kept his team in games.
Orlando Moore (2015 Brainered-Chattanooga Elite) 6’5 200 lbs.
Another huge freshman we had the chance to see was Orlando Moore. Moore’s long arms and jumping ability allowed him to grab several offensive rebounds. However, he was also decent from 15 feet. The lanky big man showed some ball-handling skills that were good for his size. Moore also ran the floor very well that set him up for easy baskets. To play at the next level, he will have to get stronger.
Ben Snider-(2014Ooltewah-Chattanooga Elite 6’0 180 lbs.
Snider showed off some great athletic ability between his rebounding and defense. He had a good offensive game, but the defense stuck out the most. We witnessed points during his game where he could lockdown the man he was guarding. On the offensive side, he showed a nice shot from the perimeter.
Preston Hamilton-(2015 Chelsea-Alabama Flight) 6’4" 170 lbs.
Hamilton’s team didn’t have the best game when we watched them play, but this combo forward was a bright spot. He used his length to grab rebounds and make things difficult for the other team. He showed he could score from underneath the basket to mid-range.
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