Southern Jam Fest: 17U Stock Risers
Over the weekend, one of the best events annually took place in Hampton, Virginia at the Boo Williams Sportsplex. Southern Jam Fest is always a can’t miss event and it lived up to that reputation once again. I’ll break down…
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Continue ReadingOver the weekend, one of the best events annually took place in Hampton, Virginia at the Boo Williams Sportsplex. Southern Jam Fest is always a can’t miss event and it lived up to that reputation once again. I’ll break down some of the prospects who helped boost their stock in the 17U bracket.
Justyn Fernandez | 6’6 | DC Premier ’22
No way I can start this article without Fernandez as the headliner. The 6-foot-6 guard/wing has been on a tear this spring and high majors are taking notice. Yesterday within a four hour span, Fernandez received offers from Virginia Tech, VCU, Radford and Norfolk State. Expect that list to continue to grow quickly as I’ve had a couple of A-10 programs reach out with heavy interest. Fernandez’s ability to score from all three levels at his size is intriguing, but it’s his explosive athleticism that puts him over the top of many competing prospects. That size and athleticism also make him into a versatile option defensively. Couple that with his effort level and what you have is a can’t miss MM to HM prospect.
Cameron Whitmore Cameron Whitmore 6'7" | PF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State #30 Nation MD | 6’7 | Team Melo ’22
Many who had seen Whitmore play prior to this spring knew that his lack of offers for an athlete of his caliber was due to the AAU season being canceled last year. Now the 6-foot-7 forward is taking full advantage of the stage and programs are blown away with his explosiveness at both ends around the basket. His mindset in the open floor is to put his defender in the rim if they dare try and contest him throwing one down and defensively, he’s going to protect the rim at a high rate considering his size. He continues to make strides with his jumper and throughout the last month, Whitmore has shown growth as a passer and playmaker for others. He put together a productive weekend with plenty of highlight plays that generated two more offers to his collection from Illinois and Pittburgh.
Justin Taylor Justin Taylor 6'5" | SG IMG Academy | 2022 State #156 Nation FL | 6’6 | Team Takeover ’22
Taylor was spectacular this weekend as he helped lead Team Takeover to a runner-up finish against a legendary Team Final squad. The 6-foot-6 guard/wing is a polished prospect who tortured teams coming off double pin downs for catches at the top of the key. His shot preparation and footwork are both college-level ready and his stroke is as fluid as I’ve seen. Taylor is by no means a one-trick pony. He operated off 1-to-4 dribbles and got to his spots within the mid-range area, scored in the pinch post in face-up scenarios and converted with strength around the basket. Taylor has locked in visits with UNC, Syracuse and Indiana while other programs such as Virginia Tech and Virginia continue their due diligence with the Charlottesville native.
Rodney Rice Rodney Rice 6'4" | CG DeMatha | 2022 State #89 Nation MD | 6’3 | Team Durant ’22
Rice is one of the most natural scorers you’ll find in the DMV and it was on display all weekend. He capped the event off with a 33-point outing in a win over Philly Pride where he operated off the bounce, broke his man down in isolation and hit big time shots from three and mid-range. Where Rice was particularly good was from the free-throw line. It’s an aspect that often times gets overlooked, but all scorers of Rice’s ilk should be guaranteed points at the charity stripe and Rice made the opposition pay every time. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has a core group of schools that he’s focused on currently including Maryland, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Alabama, UConn and Georgetown.
Christian Watson Christian Watson 6'6" | SF St. John's | 2022 State #121 Nation MD | 6’7 | DC Premier ’22
I was glad to see Watson step up in many ways this weekend against top-tier competition. The 6-foot-7 wing boasts a perfect blend of size and length for his position. Where he caught many eyes was with the aggression and his approach as both a playmaker and scorer. Especially in the open floor, Watson looked extremely comfortable leading the break and operated at a high level in transition. In the half court, he played with a good pace and utilized a quick first step to blow by his defender, remain balance as he stopped on a dime and knocked down looks from 15-to-17 feet with regularity. Watson was also a determined defensive rebounder. The St. John’s (DC) produce has 14 offers in total with South Carolina and Penn State being the most recent. It wouldn’t surprise me if he received one or two more high major offers in the next week or so.
Devin Ceaser | 6’1 | New World ’22
Ceaser is a straight up hooper that really sets the tone for this New World team. A blur in the open floor, Ceaser has built a reputation as a scorer since entering the high school scene, but it was his playmaking that caught my eye most. He consistently got into the paint, forced the defense to collapse and made the right read in finding open teammates for quality looks at the basket. This doesn’t mean Ceaser wasn’t still torching defenses with his scoring. When he wasn’t dishing in transition he was finishing with craft or over the rim with one or two hand flushes. New World eventually came up short against a very good Team Loaded VA bunch, but Ceaser refused to go out without a fight as he finished with 27 points. Still criminally under recruited to this point, Merrimack is the program showing Ceaser the most attention.