Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Houston, TX (Future150) -- Future150 staff camped out at Channelview High School Saturday watching some of the brightest young stars in the entire southeast.
Teams from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, and New York all had prospects who shined on the first day of action. Here is who caught our attention...
2017 Jarred Vanderbilt - 6'6" SF Houston Elite
The brightest young star at the event was the Houston native. The 6'6" shooting guard is a no-brainer top 10 prospect nationally in his class. The smooth lefty has guard skills and he specializies in handling the ball, getting out in transition, and slashing to the basket. He's young for his grade, and it's absolutely scary picturing the prospect he can become in the next four years or so.
2017 Chris Giles - 6'1" CG Houston Elite
Chris is a power guard who is another prospect who is without a doubt one of the top 10 guards in his class right now. He can play either the point guard or shooting guard position, and he specializes in using his athleticism to get to the rim. What we love about his game is his ability to create off-the-dribble, where he finishes plays with his textbook jump shot.
2018 Isaiah Lewis - 6'2" PF Louisiana Legends Select
We found a future gem in the Louisiana prospect. He's a long and athletic 6'2" forward who plays the power forward/center position for his team right now, but he has the skills to transition to a three over the next few years. He runs the floor very well, has a solid back-to-the-basket game, and possesses the skills to use to implement a face-up game as well.
2018 Cedrick Basile - 5'10" SF D-Gib Hoops
A very athletic shooting guard/small forward, Cedrick's best basketball days are well ahead of him. He is a very active defender who accumulates several steals per game. He has great end-to-end speed and he finishes at the basket well with either hand. He is also a solid mid-range shooter, and he is good at getting into passing lanes on defense.
2018 Antonio Burks - 5'10" SG Team Ramey
One of our favorite prospects to watch this weekend was the Renaldo Balkman clone. Not only did he have the physical appearance that mimicked the former NBA player, but he has a jack-of-all-trades game to match. He does several things well, including running the floor, has solid ball skills, is athletic, and he loves to rebound the basketball.
2018 Torrence Watson - 6'0" SG Team Ramey
Torrence is a high-upside prospect playing with the St. Louis based program. He is a tall and athletic guard prospect who shined with his outside shooting. He uses his long limbs to get into passing lanes and was very disruptive when Team Ramey was pressing teams this past weekend. If he continues to develop his ball skills, watch out!
2018 Quindell Johnson - 5'3" CG New Orleans Revolution
One of the main reasons we love watching the young New Orleans guards is because of the toughness and energy they play with. Kendell was a relentless defender who was disruptive all weekend long. He also showed good ball-handling skills and a good jump shot from the outside. He also has excellent form on his jump shot.
2018 Kendell Johnson - 5'2" PG New Orleans Revolution
Kendell's twin brother is a point guard built similarly to Khalid El-Amin, the former Connecticut star. He possesses a stockier build and has good quickness to go with it. He has good ball-handling skills, loves to penetrate to the basket, and has very good court vision. Don't let his build fool you, Quindell will make you pay if you do.
2018 Kadon Lewis - 5'8" CG Rytes Warriors
We loved the passion Kadon played with this past weekend. He willed his team to baskets in late game situations with his energy and enthusiam, especially on the defensive end. The southpaw has extremely good ball-handling skills, and had several defensive prospects on skates this weekend. While his jump shot is a work in progress right now, you can't teach the intangibles he brings to the table.
2018 C.J. Washington - 6'1" SF Rytes Warriors
The small forward prospect is the prototype for a player whos impact on the game won't always be found in the box score. He plays aggressive defense, is a capable rebounder, passes well, and can shoot the basketball. While he may be overshadowed by some of his talented AAU teammates, his value wasn't lost on the Future150 staff.
2018 Nayshon Kane - 6'2" SF New York Rens
The 6'2" small forward did his damage by playing physical basketball this past weekend. Physically, he is deceptive. He has the look of a power forward/center, but has the ball skills and nimble feet of a small forward. He gets baskets in the paint and he loves rebounding the basketball and finishing in traffic. Plays with the physicality of a true New Yorker.
2018 Joseph Foucha - 5'9" SG Louisiana Legends Select
Joseph is a power guard who loves to attack the basket. He has decent ball skills, but his calling card is his slashing ability. He plays physical defense and he scores baskets in transition with ease. As long as he continues to grow, he will remain a very solid Louisiana prospect on the wing.
Comments:
Great tournament