Southern Jam Fest DMV Standouts-Saturday
This past weekend in Hampton, Virginia, Boo Williams Sportsplex played host to Hoop Group’s annual Southern Jam Fest. This stage is unique because it brings some of the top teams from each shoe brand circuit under one roof.
There were a number of teams from the DMV who participated, and did so impressively. Here, we’ll take a look at some standouts from Saturday’s full slate of games.
Will Thomas | 6’5 | Team Thrill Black 17U
Thomas has had a solid spring thus far, including some big time scoring performances. This past Saturday, Thomas had his share of flashy plays that consisted of him putting the ball in the basket, but the 6-foot-5 guard also impressed defensively with consistent communication and effectively jumping the passing lanes.
Ace Baldwin | 6’1 | Team BBC 17U
Since the live period ended, Baldwin is beginning to see his offer list grow rapidly. At the Southern Jam Fest, it was business as usual for the rising junior floor general. He controlled the pace of the game, threaded the needle to find teammates for open looks and broke down his match up off the dribble only to nail a jumper after creating separation.
♨️ @TheTeamBBC had it GOING in their opener today #HGJamfest@AntgotClout @yeah_ace3 pic.twitter.com/K1EH2W9Z8T
— Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup) May 19, 2018
Marcus Dockery | 6’1 | DC Premier 16U
Dockery’s sniper was fully loaded on Saturday. Premier saw a lot of zone in their games and although they struggled at first, Dockery was a big reason why they were able to create some separation. He found openings in the zone and capitalized by burying three’s anytime he had even a foot of space. The 2020 guard also attacked close-outs well utilizing one or two dribbles into a pull up jumper. This kid can score.
Colin Smalls | 6’1 | Team Durant 16U
Every time we’ve seen Smalls play this spring, he’s impressed up in a different way. His ability to shoot from outside sticks out almost immediately, but on Saturday, he stood out with his intensity guarding the ball. Because of his energy on that end, it turned into fast break opportunities for Team Durant and Smalls was often times the one finishing around the rim. It seems as if by the month, Smalls is starting to see the game much better and add the needed characteristics of being a point guard at the next level.
Anthony Walker | 6’9 | Team BBC 17U
Walker turned plenty of heads this past weekend, as he has done since the live period last month. He scored from all three levels offensively, which is an area of drastic improvement over the past three months. However it was on the defensive side where he provided what seemed like endless production for Team BBC. The long 6-foot-9 forward was blocking shots, disrupting passes in the paint and guarding pick-and-roll situations effectively.
Darrius Tilghman | 6’3 | Team Thrill 15U
Team Thrill’s 15U team is oozing with talent and high-major potential. One of those players happens to be Tilghman, a rising sophomore guard with a mature, smooth feel for the game. The southpaw did a nice job dissecting defenses and finding open teammates as well as finishing contested lay ups through contact around the rim. If he continues to develop at the pace he is on, Tilghman will be a national name by the time he’s a senior.
RJ Blakney | 6’5 | Team BBC 17U
Blakney made his debut for Team BBC this weekend and did so in strong fashion. The athletic 6-foot-5 wing had a fair share of explosive plays where he was either finishing above the rim or blocking shots off the back board. With his size and strength, Blakney adds a much needed dimension for this Team BBC team as they prepare for the second live period coming in July.