Top Five Local Backcourts from Southern Jam Fest
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It’s time to unpack what we’ve learned from an eventful weekend down at Boo Williams. Here is a closer look at the top-five local backcourts who performed best down at Southern Jam Fest. #5 | Boo Williams 16U The depth…
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Continue ReadingIt’s time to unpack what we’ve learned from an eventful weekend down at Boo Williams. Here is a closer look at the top-five local backcourts who performed best down at Southern Jam Fest.
#5 | Boo Williams 16U
The depth of the backcourt for Boo Williams 16’s is impressive. Etienne Strothers Etienne Strothers 6'1" | PG Menchville | 2023 State VA and Justin Boggs are big, athletic guards who play with aggression on both ends of the court. They can both score from all three levels and share the ball. Robby Matos Robby Matos 5'9" | PG Blue Ridge | 2023 VA and Samuel Brannen Samuel Brannen 6'0" | CG King’s Fork | 2023 State VA can both play at a high level as well. Matos is a defensive sparkplug who is lighting quick and anticipates well. He is fearless when attacking the rim despite his relatively small stature. Brannen is a skilled guard who can shoot from three but also mixes it up nicely inside the arc.
#4 | Team Takeover 17U
Knasir McDaniel Knasir McDaniel 5'9" | PG Paul VI Cathlolic (VA) | 2022 State #126 Nation VA gave the fans an incredible show en route to a sensational run at Southern. The shifty, ultra-quick, and skilled playmaker played with good tempo and facilitated offense at a very high level. McDaniel did not budge defensively either. He stayed solid at the point of attack and exhibited ideal toughness. Dylan Williamson Dylan Williamson 6'0" | CG Good Counsel | 2022 State MD had some nice moments as well as a result of his ability to score, but also defend.
#3 | Team Melo 16U
Rieco Hellams Rieco Hellams 5'7" | PG Good Counsel | 2023 State MD proved to be one of the top stock risers of the weekend. Good Counsel’s budding floor general was outstanding for Team Melo. Hellams is a compact guard with excellent ball-handling skills. He pressures the ball relentlessly on the defensive end and plays with tenacity at all times. Carlton Carrington Carlton Carrington 6'4" | CG St. Frances | 2023 State #84 Nation MD closed out his spring on a strong run of play. The growing 6-foot-3 guard is shooting the ball with confidence. Carrington knocked down three timely shots from downtown to help his team fight back in the championship game against Team Final.
#2 | New World 15U
Jaeden Mustaf Jaeden Mustaf 6'4" | SG OTE | 2024 #51 Nation GA is one of the most aggressive guards to come through this area in recent memory. It’s rare to see a guard prospect at the 15U level dunk the ball repeatedly in traffic, but that’s exactly what he did despite nursing an ankle injury. Mustaf along with his teammates Devin Minor and Jamari Hodnett were key contributors for their team, who finished as runners-up in the top 15U division.
#1 | Team Takeover 15U
The future of PVI’s backcourt is in good hands with Ben Hammond and Tavarres Riley. Hammond is a true point guard in a similar mold to his predecessor, Dug McDaniel. He plays with great pace, gets paint touches, and is a very good ball distributor. Hammond will also take charges and muck up the game defensively with his positional awareness and general scrappiness. Riley on the other hand is a bonafide bucket-getter. He can make shots from the perimeter but is also very good at getting to his spots in the mid-range. Riley seeks out contact on his drives to the rim and can finish through it. These two were nothing short of outstanding for Team Takeover in their run to the 15U championship.