Final weekend had a nostalgic really feel to it as a result of it’s been some time because the trade had excessive degree grassroots video games in July in Las Vegas. From The Sportsradar Showdown to the Las Vegas Huge Time, and Elite 64 Summer season Championships, the gyms with filled with faculty coaches.
Let’s recap what I noticed and hand-out some evals.
Larry Johnson, DeMarco Johnson Shine With The Cali Stars
Premier gamers of their revered class, Larry Johnson (2024) and DeMarco Johnson (2025), suited up with the Cali Stars on the Elite 64. It’s attention-grabbing watching Larry Johnson play. A right-handed guard that closely prefers attacking left. He thrived in transition as a ball handler, passer and finisher. Holds a fast first step and might get to the rim and end. Larry Johnson’s pull-up sport is strong and might join when the defender performs the drive. Like his size, athleticism and rim strain he fingers out. One of many shiftier guards I obtained to guage this weekend was DeMarco Johnson. Can actually break his defender down off the bounce and end across the rim in an array of the way. Extensive cross-overs, break up double groups and might simply generate his personal look. DeMarco Johnson obtained a proposal from Illinois and Virginia Tech after his performances.
Isaiah Harwell Places On Present
I get pleasure from watching the Utah Prospects group as a result of they play the correct approach. They transfer the basketball, group defend, talk and most significantly they make photographs. All had been the components of their profitable Summer season with a Adidas 3SSB Title and a championship sport look on the SportsRadar Showdown. The primary participant to notice is five-star 2025 guard Isaiah Harwell. His sport retains sharpening up every time I see him. The passing is what caught my eye, as he set-up his teammates to be in splendid scoring alternatives within the half-court and in transition, advance the ball to get simple and fast buckets. Harwell additionally exhibited his scoring prowess. Coming off a pick-n-roll and join, in isolation, or use peak and dimension benefit within the mid-post. I additionally like his offensive versatility and progress in his deal with and resolution making.
Sportsradar Showdown Evaluations
Derik Queen, 6’9 2024 PF – Workforce Thrill: Was a person amongst boys. Finest participant/performer on the occasion. Led his group to a championship this weekend. Couldn’t cease him on the block from scoring or when he’s going through up due to his superior footwork, contact, passer imaginative and prescient and I.Q. Not an entire lot that must be stated about him. Was one in all, if not essentially the most, dominant participant I’ve seen this summer time.
V.J. Edgecombe, 6’5 2024 SG – Southeast Elite: There’s an argument that he could also be the most effective 2024 participant within the nation. A legit one. Now that is probably not the case proper now, however V.J. is a participant! Athletic guard with highly effective finishes. Can create and rating, embraces enjoying protection and is disruptive as an on-ball and group defender. He performs with an edge, and has polished up his sport immensely since my first viewing of him final September.
Jamie Vinson, 2024 6’10 PF/C – Southern Assault: Speak about enchancment, Vinson has found out easy methods to constantly be productive on the ground. A stretch massive that’s a dependable shooter as a pop-trail man. He has strong size to his body and that permits him to change photographs on the rim or when he’s closing out on a shooter. He nonetheless may get harder and get his motor up in bigger spurts, however his presence is exhibiting extra in video games than it has been prior to now.
Dillon Battie, 2024 6’6 Tweener – Workforce Trae Younger: Can influence video games with out even scoring the ball. Athletic, powerful 4/3 tweener that’s a succesful, switchable defender, above the rim finisher and an improved ball handler that appears to assault and rating on the rim from the wing. Taking pictures remains to be within the works and wishes enchancment, however he’s a extra snug shooter in comparison with the previous.
Modou Thiam, 2025 6’5 Guard – NBA Academy: I just like the lefty two-guard’s sport. Succesful shooter from the surface, holds high quality size and vertical pop. Confirmed off on-point passes and good reads when driving to the cup. I imagine there’s upside with the playmaking down the highway.
Khaman Maluach, 2025 7’1 C – NBA Academy: The massive fella was a rim deterrent. Any shot within the paint, he was trying to reject. Cellular, high quality vertical athlete that communicates effectively on protection and is ok guarding ball screens. Offensively has some methods to go, however was efficient as a finisher on the dunker spot and as a lob risk.
Efeosa Oliogu, 6’6 Wing – Canada Elite: Huge time athletic wing that could be a terror when he can get a sniff of the rim. Robust finisher off two toes that embraces contact on drives and attracts fouls as a result of he can hold a defender on his hip. He can hit the open three or mid-range pull, which permits him to have the ability to get to the rim and rating as a result of the defender can’t give him an excessive amount of area.
Sir Mohammed, 6’6 Wing – Workforce Curry: Son of former NBA participant Nazr Mohammed. Sir Mohammed is an enormous, playmaking wing with a powerful body. Makes use of a mixture of drives, drive to post-ups to get to his spots, survey the protection and make a play. Can thread the needle on passes, zips the ball to his teammates and as he improves as a shooter, I believe his sport can open up much more.
Flory Bidunga, 6’9 C – Indiana Elite: Athletic, lefty massive man that’s fast twitched. Seems to be to dunk every little thing,can catch every little thing in his space, block something he may. The general skill-set remains to be a piece in progress, however Flory nonetheless is a hard-working athletic finisher that’s probably the greatest gamers in 2024.
Sunday Evening At Huge Time Was One To Bear in mind
Kiyan Anthony/Bryce James Eval
Bishop Gorman Excessive Faculty was the place to be on Sunday evening because the health club was packed to see 2025 Bryce James (LeBron James’ son) and Kiyan Anthony (Carmelo Anthony’s son) group up with Attempt for Greatness to play JSizzle (Jalen Sugg’s program). Each time I’ve seen both Bryce or Kiyan play, I financial institution on them attracting a big crowd on the court docket and this sport was no totally different. I need to take a dive on their efficiency and general sport so let’s get to it.
Bryce, who’s actually 6’4 (perhaps 6’5) however has a physique of a child that’s nonetheless rising so the present exaggeration of the 6’6 billing, I do imagine he may attain or surpass as he will get older. In any case, he began out sizzling, pushing the ball in transition and attending to the rim and finishing with finesse finishes. He splashed his mid-range sport and spot up capturing. When his toes and stability and proper, he can join on pull-ups and catch-n-shoot threes. Within the second half he wasn’t as productive offensively, because the ball strain utilized obtained tighter. His deal with presently isn’t nice versus strain, translatable size and physicality, so it limits his capacity to generate his personal look however I really feel that’s advantageous as a result of he’s higher as an off-ball cutter and spot-up man plus he has an understanding of attempting to do different issues when he’s not scoring.
Kiyan was extra assertive with the ball and excels as an out of doors shooter. Utilized dimension benefit when he may, as he used his size and improved vertical bounce to complete over smaller defenders. The skin capturing is actual as he can join from past the 3-point line and his deal with, albeit nonetheless has some methods to go with regard to being a main ball handler and be extra environment friendly attending to spots, has improved and he appeared extra snug on Sunday being the principle ball handler and initiating offense. General, an enchancment from what I noticed within the Atlanta and Dallas EYBL Periods.
With the legacies of their father’s, the limelight will at all times be on this duo, particularly once they get on the court docket. They’re each Division 1 prospects, the place their sport will get to on the finish, time will inform. I do imagine it’s not clever to closely critique their video games, because it’s not sensible to herald them as future bonafide professionals. They obtained some methods to go like a number of rising juniors do, some are simply additional alongside than others, plus the 2025 is a loaded crop and there’s a robust depth of fellows that may actually play and have a number of upside, too. So let’s simply wait and see the way it pans out for them like we do for almost all of prospects.
Now To The Recreation
I talked in regards to the sizzling begin Kiyan and Bryce had within the sport because the SFG leas was prolonged to 18 factors. 2025 Brayden Burries performed an enormous position for SFG as he’s an enormous guard that rebounds very effectively for dimension and place. He’s assertive with the ball in his fingers and will get paint contact after paint contact. His motor combined along with his ball-skills, rebounding instincts, ending prowess and passer imaginative and prescient was on show.
JSizzle didn’t hand over although and this sport was determined by just one level on the finish. 2026 Jayden Moore performed a big-part in his group’s comeback as he constructed an exceptional efficiency. A speedy guard that scored it in a number of methods. Has a big-time first step, robust floater and runner sport, succesful to streaky 3-point shooter and general, he is unselfish. Is aware of when to let his teammate function and rating, as he communicates and provides them the arrogance to imagine the subsequent shot goes in. Simply me nit-picking, I did need him to take over extra along with his scoring within the final 4-5 minutes of the sport, however I like how poised he was for a rising sophomore in a packed health club and his understanding of time and possessions is superior for a participant his age.
One participant I did need to be aware that I believed was very strong on this matchup was 2025 Bryce Cofield. A bodily wing prospect at 6’6 that completed by means of contact. He had well timed makes contained in the arc, offensive rebounds that allowed his group to get second and third likelihood alternatives when the opposition was making a run. Little issues he did impacted the result in my view.
NightRydas 16U vs Phenom United 16U
I usually wouldn’t be on the health club at 8:50pm on a Sunday, but when Cam and Cayden Boozer, Darryn Peterson and Jalen Haralson are going to be on the court docket at the moment, I’m sitting on the bleachers. NightRydas had management of the sport for essentially the most half with Phenom making runs to maintain themselves in hanging distance. Cam Boozer is one in all, if not essentially the most environment friendly and full participant in highschool basketball no matter class. Rebounding, handles it effectively for dimension, shoots it, posts up and scores, a helluva outlet passer and general passer interval. Oh, and he simply turned 16. It seems like the sport comes simple for final season’s Mr. Basketball USA. His brother Cayden performed effectively, too. He’s a powerful guard that makes use of contact as a bonus to create area and rating across the rim. He’s additionally a guard that may make defenses pay when going underneath on ball screens, as Cayden has made a reputation for himself along with his play. Alexander Lloyd I used to be very impressed by. NightRydas play quick and in transition, Lloyd is a typical goal of Cam’s outlet passes that result in finishes. Runs the ground, performs with size on each ends, could make open shoots from deep and is aware of easy methods to play off the ball. Excels in his position and performs to his strengths.
On the opposite aspect, I believed Peterson was very spectacular. An enormous guard at about 6’5 that may rating and play-make. Operates comfortably as the first ball-handler and will get to his spots effortlessly to achieve a shot he desires. He enjoys making performs for others, however understands his passing will result in simpler scoring alternatives for himself later within the contest. High level guard within the class of 2025 and one of many prime tier of prospects within the nation. There’s a lot to love with Haralson’s sport as he has good dimension, lengthy arms, and a powerful body. A play-maker on the wing. Good resolution maker coming off ball-screens, can get to the rim in isolation and general a troublesome cowl with dimension, superior deal with and really feel for the sport.
