Hoop Mountain Junior Elite Showcase Part I
The 2010 Hoop Mountain Junior Elite Showcase took place this past Friday and Saturday at the Orlando Sports Complex. This event brings together the top middle school basketball players in the state to compete against one another. With the NCAA mandating that players in 7th grade and up are “recruitable athletes”, it is now never too early to take a look at these prospects.
Friday was filled with training sessions designed to improve offensive and defensive skill sets and position play. Saturday was filled with games as the 120 players were broken down into teams of ten to give the players a chance to show off their ability in a 5 on 5 setting.
In Part I of our event review, we evaluate the first half of the standouts in the 2014 class. Tuesday’s Part II of our review will conclude the 2014 class and on Wednesday we will take a look at the rising 7th and 8th grade prospects that were in attendance.
Grayson Allen (6’0 - 2014 - Jacksonville): High basketball IQ with nice athleticism, handles ball well, takes smart shots, range to three, alert for steals on the defensive end and for open teammates on the offensive end.
Joel Berry (6’1 - 2014 - Apopka): Everything you could want in a player at this stage of development, scores well in traffic, hits open jumpers, finds open teammates, plays hard on defensive end, rebounds, plays under control, makes good decisions, and is a very good athlete.
Rohan Blackwood (6’4 - 2014 - New Port Richey): May have been leading rebounder at camp, always around the basketball, scores well off put-backs, midrange shooter, multiple efforts on the glass and in the lane on each possession.
Derrick Burns (5’8 - 2014 - Titusville): Solid, strong, good athlete, scorer from mid-range and in, handles the ball well, good rebounder for his size, fast in open court and pushes pace.
Jon Childs (6’6 - 2014 - New Port Richey): Long and lean, moves well for a guy this size, has a decent touch from fifteen feet and in, rebounded well despite lack of strength, effective shot blocker.
Lance Crawford (5’9 - 2014 - Davie): Heady point guard that does a good job keeping his head up at all times on the dribble, solid ball handler that passes well on move, finds open teammates, moves feet well on defense and has quick hands.
Kobe Eubanks (6’4 - 2014 - Fort Lauderdale): Very good frame and unbelievable athletic ability, very good scorer and above average shooter, solid ball skills for his size, can lead a fast break off of his own defensive rebound.
John Garcia (5’9 - 2014 - Miami): Point guard handled the ball well and didn’t try to do things he wasn’t capable of, made good decisions and kept his teammates involved, knocked down game winner at the line with no time left on clock.
Michael Gilmore (6’6 - 2014 - Jacksonville): Long, active and runs the court well; good shot blocker, decent post moves when not over-matched physically, active on the glass at both ends of the court, bright future.
James Grubb (6’2 - 2014 - New Port Richey): Good size, successful in getting out in transition, rebounded well at both ends of the court.
Austin Harrell (6’1 - 2014 - Gainesville): Aggressive, tough offensive player with range to three and the ability to go by people and finish, good rebounder and defender.
Adonys Henriquez (6’1 - 2014 - Orlando): Made the most of his opportunities when there, knocking down open shots, scoring on the break, or hitting the open man for two points. Very smooth and under control, has a very high basketball IQ.
Jace Hogan (6’3 - 2014 - Palm Bay): Finishes everything midrange and in, great touch around the basket, works the glass, runs the floor, plays hard.
Marshall Holmes (5’11 - 2014 - Tampa): Plays hard, quick, and under control, at his best going to basket and finishing with either hand or with floater, hits open man, moves feet quickly on defensive end.
Isiah Jackson (6’5 - 2014 - Gainesville): Very long, gets up and down court quickly, good rebounder and shot blocker at defensive end, showed flashes of perimeter skills by hitting a couple of open threes and going coast to coast for a score, will need to work on those perimeter skill and get stronger to reach his full but vast potential.
Qwentez Keels (5’10 - 2014 - Titusville): Solidly built athlete, gives maximum effort, had several rebounds, drives for scores, and points on the break.
Chase Litton (6’5 - 2014 - Tampa): Active and aggressive on the boards and on the defensive end. Solid offensive skill set and a very smart all around player.
Nick Marder (5’10 - 2014 - Stuart): Solid athlete with nose for the ball and solid basketball skills, excelled in transition either after a missed shot or making a steal, good rebounder at both ends as he gets up quickly.
Blake McClain (6’4 - 2014 - Jacksonville): Excellent rebounder with great strength, big frame carves out space, shot blocker with good hands and feet, always around the ball and finds a way to score.
Hayden Mosely (5’9 - 2014 - Lake Mary): Hard-nosed player that gets things done, works hard on defense, pushes the ball, alert to pass into post, finds teammates on break.
Lee Norwood (5’9 - 2014 - Jupiter): Made positive plays most of the day, was alert to pass to post, scored in traffic and had a nice baseline drive, rebounded well for his seize and ran the floor, does all the little things.
Hunter Osceola (5’9 - 2014 - Hollywood): Tough, hard-nosed point guard, good with the ball, great court vision, works hard on the defensive end, knocks down open shots.
Elie Richard (6’1 - 2014 - Davie): Strong, muscular prospect that plays hard and backs down from no one, at his best in open court or getting to rim and finishing, good passer, physical defender, improving shooter
Lance Tejada Jr. (5’10 - 2014 - Orlando): Heady point guard, very adept with the basketball, runs the pick and roll well beyond his years, can pull up and hit mid-range jumper off the dribble. As poised a point guard as you will find at this age.
Isiah Thomas (5’10 - 2014 - Tampa): Quick, shifty point guard, good with the ball, great vision, and the ability to get in the lane and break down the defense, doesn’t look to score but can, quick defender and alert for steals.
Dmitri Thompson
(6’4 - 2014 - Orlando): Outstanding athlete that runs floor, scores in traffic,
and will try to dunk on anybody in his way, great mid-range shooter and a
long-reaching shot-blocker.
Mitchell Wilbekin (5’11 - 2014 - Gainesville): High basketball IQ, very good shooter from beyond the arc, handled pressure, has the ability to make teammates better, rebounds well for size.
Tyrell Williams (6’5 - 2014 - Miami): Long, runs floor, and challenges everything at defensive end, good rebounder at both ends with pretty good touch around rim, showed some skill tossing in a jump hook.
Marquel Willis (6’2 - 2014 - Orlando): Tremendous athlete, finishes well at rim in both full and half-court, very good rebounder, active defender, a little raw offensively but has a huge upside.
Troy Willis (6’3 - 2014 - Leesburg): Strong rebounder that attacks rim, runs court well, had nice baseline drive for score, tough inside presence.
