Southern Jam Fest-17U Guards
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It was another jam-packed Southern Jam Fest event hosted by the Hoop Group in Hampton, Virginia. For this article, we’ll run down the guards from the 17U level that caught attention. Jaeden Mustaf | New World Mustaf was a dynamic…
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Continue ReadingIt was another jam-packed Southern Jam Fest event hosted by the Hoop Group in Hampton, Virginia. For this article, we’ll run down the guards from the 17U level that caught attention.
Jaeden Mustaf | New World
Mustaf was a dynamic on the ball presence for New World that provided a balanced approach of scoring and playmaking. He’s still more of a combo at this time, but he is becoming more comfortable as a lead guard who can set up others thanks to his ability to shake by his defender with regularity. He scored the ball at an efficient clip throughout the weekend and had a finish over a defender in the open floor that ignited the gym. He’s excellent in isolation situations and continues to grow as a decision maker in ball-screens.
⚠️🚫Do not jump with New World (@newworldbasketball) #HGJamFest
‼️Jaeden Mustaf (@jaeetm3) & Babacar Mbengue (@b_m_1_2_) THROWING DOWN at Southern Jam Fest #HGJamFest pic.twitter.com/WuFGKhHOSD
— Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup) May 14, 2022
Dajuan Wagner Jr Dajuan Wagner Jr 6'4" | PG Camden | 2023 State #1 Nation NJ . | NJ Scholars
No surprise that Wagner was included on this list after a weekend full of buckets. The No. 1 ranked prospect in his class nationally, Wagner put the ball in the basket however he wanted. If he wasn’t exposing driving lanes of opposing zone defenses and finishing with craft, he was hoisting three’s and knocking them down at an efficient rate. He was also making plays for others off the bounce, but it was clear whenever he wanted to take over, he would.
Isaiah Coleman Isaiah Coleman 6'5" | SF Word of God | 2023 State #59 Nation NC | Team Loaded NC
Another bucket-getter who did just that over the weekend was 6-foot-5 guard Isaiah Coleman Isaiah Coleman 6'5" | SF Word of God | 2023 State #59 Nation NC . We’ve seen Coleman sport a number of different AAU jerseys over the years, but nothing is going to stop him from going out on the floor and being a threat to drop 20+ points. He’s a volume guy who can fill it up from three both off the catch or off the bounce. Coleman had a few electric finishes in the open floor that showcased his athleticism and as he’s shown over his high school career, he has the ability to come through in clutch time. Coleman hit a dagger three with 0.5 seconds left to help lift his team over Team Takeover National.
🥶🧬Isaiah Coleman (@swaggyzayy) CLUTCH game winner for @teamloadednc to survive and advance #HGJamFest pic.twitter.com/vtf1IV812D
— Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup) May 15, 2022
Jeannot Basima Jeannot Basima 6'3" | CG John Carroll | 2023 State #200 Nation MD | Global Squad
Basima is as steady as they come in terms of production and he was once again over the weekend. The Yale commit is the ultimate slasher and has great feel finishing around the basket. He’s still very right-hand dominant, but Basima sets his defender up well with quick crossovers, step-throughs or spins to get back to his strong hand where he finishes scoop lay-ups from a number of different angles. He’s also one of the best perimeter defenders you’ll find on the East coast.
Dean Coleman-Newsome Dean Coleman-Newsome 6'2" | PG Archbishop Carroll | 2023 State PA | Gibbs Elite
I checked in on Gibbs Elite for a game over the weekend and Coleman-Newsome continued to make shots from outside at a consistent rate as he’s done every time that I’ve caught him in action. He has good size at 6-foot-4 with a strong frame. He has some ability to put the ball on the deck for one or two dribbles, but after that he’s looking to get into his fluid pull-up. He moves well off the ball and has instincts to get himself into open spaces based off other’s penetration. It doesn’t take long for him to get into his shot from three and he’s capable of shooting 5-to-6 feet beyond the line with accuracy.
Zane Adnan Zane Adnan 6'3" | CG Bullis | 2023 State MD | New World
Adnan is known for his ability to fill it up as a shooter, but he wasn’t getting as many opportunities this weekend in that sense. I still walked away impressed that he didn’t allow that to impact how hard he played. In fact, he was the definition of a pest on the defensive end guarding the ball. ’Pressure’ would be a vast understatement. He was harassing his matchup the full length of the court and on at least a couple of possessions, forced offensive fouls. Adnan was also valuable off the ball where he’d leave his man to hunt down the ball handler when his head was turned to the opposite side of the floor.
KJ Gardner KJ Gardner 6'2" | SG Springdale Prep | 2023 State MD | Global Squad
Gardner is a name that’s really starting to gain momentum since the spring began. At 6-foot-2, he has good size, athleticism and ability for a combo guard. He continues to work on his skillset of becoming more of a point guard and once he proves that over time, the offers should starting raining in. Nevertheless, you can’t deny his knack for finish around and over the rim. He had a few finishes that brought folks to their feet over the weekend. Gardner was also focused in on the defensive end and was hustling by diving on the floor for 50/50s.