This past weekend I was in Minnesota for the Nike EYBL Session #4 and I got a very good dose of solid basketball all weekend. I began my weekend watching mostly 16U teams and I was able to catch some serious talent while I was there.
One of the more intriguing prospects I saw all weekend was DJ Williams 6’7” (Simeon Career Academy, Chicago) of Meanstreets 16U team and this kid can flat out dominate at times. Williams has all the tools you want in a superior wing player, long arms, good at changing directions, has a smooth stroke, and likes to get into the paint as well. Displays a very high basketball IQ for his age, and is an above average passer for his size. Watching him play you can tell he is still getting used to his body a little bit but still gets up very easily. Right now has offers from Depaul, Illinois, and SMU, with interest coming from many more.
Another long prospect with some serious potential is Howard Pulleys’ John Warren 6’5” (Hopkins High School, Minnesota) who just looked the part the second I looked at him. Warren has a knack for getting in the paint and finished with his left hand and also dishing once he gets there as well. On multiple occasions Warren got into the lane and because of his long arms he was easily able to pass out of double teams for wide open teammates. Simply knows when to pass the ball. Screens very well, and uses a head fake that got just about everyone I saw. More than able defender just needs to stay a little lower. Rebounds the ball pretty well for his size however needs to be more aggressive overall if he wants to take his game to another level.
Kaj Days 6’7”(Racine Park High School, Wisconsin) of Wisconsin Playground Elite 16U team is a young wing who I think can be a force in the future with a little work in a few areas. The first thing I noticed about Kaj is that he rebounds everything, and it’s not by luck either. Days uses his strong lower half to bull his opponents out of his way. Displays solid hands as he caught the ball multiple times with his left hand alone. Looks like he has some growing to do yet which is good because I think his natural position is playing down low where he can abuse people however he does look like he could potentially move to the wing if need be down the line.
Malcolm Porter 6’ (De La Salle High School, Minnesota) of Portland Fast 16U team left people wanting more as he displayed all the tools necessary to be a bonafide point guard. Showed on multiple occasions that he has superior defensive instincts picking off ball handlers crossovers and taking it back for an easy bucket. It’s evident that he has the bloodlines of his father because he is just so smart at such a young age on the court. Not physically imposing at all on the court but his game does all the talking. Right now Malcolm is working on his mid range jump shot and his 3 ball to take his game to the next level. When that happens he will be tough for anyone to guard.
The Family Detroit 16U was arguably the best 16U team I saw all weekend long and it’s no wonder why with the talent that they line up with.
It starts with the 6’9” wing Trevor Manuel (Sexton, Michigan) who is an absolute stud. i couldn't believe how naturally he moved for his age and his height. Manuel just looks the part already even at such a young age. He is a very long athlete who has a solid touch from just about anywhere on the court. Manuel is a very solid free throw shooter who just has a knack for positioning himself on the offensive end. Is a force on defense as well as was displayed in his matchup versus Meanstreets’ Dj Williams. very solid hands and gets up very easily, very smooth athlete.
However the talent was even close to stopping there. Bakari Evelyn 6’1” (Southfield Christian, Michigan) can do whatever he wants offensively. He is a true point guard who sets his teammates up at will however at one point I saw him hit 5 consecutive threes in the second half. Just a savvy guard who has a knack for making big plays when it counts. If he can continue to add quickness and put on just little weight he will be even more of a headache to deal with than he already is. Evelyn already has serious interest from Butler coming his way with much more to come.
The Family Detroit 16U team also had another true point who has just recently joined them, Munis Tutu 6’ (La Lumiere, Indiana), originally from Windsor Canada, does everything you want a natural point to do. On multiple occasions Tutu set up Evelyn beautifully for wide open three’s. Displays great open court vision, smooth ball handler and is a great set up man. Scrappy defender who is in your face. Right now Tutu is working on getting stronger and his shooting touch. This kid will have serious interest coming his way if not already.
The last player the truly stuck out to me was the crafty offensive wing Eric Davis 6’3” (Arthur Hill High School, Michigan). Davis simply knows how to score the ball whether thats in a half court setting or using his above average defensive awareness for a steal and an easy bucket he is always making plays on offense. Shoots at a very high level from mid range. Shows an good IQ and can possibly be a point at the next level if need be. If Davis can add some strength he will be able to avoid being bullied by bigger guards. Does not back down, shows good fight. Davis already has offers from Illinois, Iowa State, MSU, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
Mac Irvin Fire’s 16U team showcased the much hyped Zack Norvell Jr. 6’4” (Simeon Career Academy) and he did not disappoint. Tough to really nitpick at this sophomore because at such a young age he plays with such awareness and confidence. Simply put Norvell has range out to 24 feet. Whether he should be always hooting out that far is for others to debate. Norvell Jr. has long arms making it easy for him finishing around the basket. Norvell Jr. does a pretty good job at finding open teammates as well. Needs to “dig in” a bit more on the defensive end.
Here are some of my top 16U teams from the Nike EYBL Session:
1.) The Family Detroit
2.) Meanstreets
3.) K. C. Mokan
My favorite 16 and Under players :
1.) DJ Williams-Meanstreets
2.) Trevor Manuel-The Family Detroit
3.) Malcolm Porter- Portland Fast
I then traveled over to see some of the 17U’s and again there was elite talent all around. I started my 17U watching with a very interesting matchup between Boo Williams and Texas Titans. Both teams had stacked rosters in terms of talent but a few kids really stood out to me.
The first player that stood out was the seven footer Thon Maker (Carlisle High School, Virginia) from Boo Williams 17U. First and foremost just looking at this kid move is astounding as he moves like a wing player and stands easily at seven feet. Right now his game is built more around and inside out game due to his lack of upper body strength but once he fills out a bit more up top he will dominate. Averaged 23 points and nearly 13 rebounds a game as a freshman last year. Very smart kid who obviously has a very high ceiling. Handles the ball very well, rebounds at a high level but right now he gets pushed around by bigger, older players. With a little more time Maker will gain more strength and really take his game to new heights.
The Texas Titans 17U team had two studs stand out to me. The first was DJery Jean Baptiste 6’11” (Mansfield Timberview High), who when first looking at him looks like how Dwight Howard did coming out of high school. The kid is just a physical specimen with a cut body that looks like he just got done at the gym. Has wide shoulders that he uses very well. Baptiste uses his lower half well to get position down low, though could stand to get stronger in this category. Likes to spin right and uses his right hand effectively on hook shots. easily rises off of two feet. Does an excellent job right now at staying low as evidences by defending a much laterally quicker Thon Maker. Has good not great hands right now. Talking with him after his games and hearing him speak to his teammates made me even more of a fan as he recognizes what he needs to do to be better. Will be a force to reckon with once he gains a bit more experience playing the game, as he is somewhat new to the game. Physically imposing. Will have his choices for schools soon enough.
One more Titan that caught my eye was the sharp shooting DJ Hogg 6’7” (Plano West High, Texas). Hogg has a great eye on offense for finding open shots. He does a nice job of recognizing situations and exploiting them. Will make shots all day if left open. Made 5 three pointers in one game I watched. Has above average vision, does a pretty decent job of finding his teammates, and gives solid effort on the defensive end. If he can get a little better handling the ball I think that will help him be a better scorer overall as he will be more adept at creating his own shot. Hogg is also working on his conditioning and getting stronger. Right now just a superior offensive player with offers from Arizona, Cal Poly, Houston, SMU, TCU, and Texas A&M.
The Texas Titans had a few other players that really grabbed my attention in Tyler Davis and Alex Robinson.
Tyler Davis 6’10” (Frisco Liberty High, Texas) is a man among boys out there as he uses his big body very well. Davis does a good job boxing out and forcing players out of his way with his strong lower half. Has tree trunks for legs, and is as strong as an ox. Does a really nice job of rebounding the ball at it’s highest point and keeping it high on putbacks. Will need to improve his food speed a bit but at this stage has a very nice feel offensively and defensively.
The last Titan that I will talk about is the southpaw Alex Robinson 6’1” (Mansfield Timberview High, Texas). Robinson is a total floor general and is very crafty with his left hand. Gets into the lane and does well creating in tough angles. Is really the engine of this Texas Titans team and really makes them go. Robinson will need to get more comfortable with his off hand but other than that the kid is as legit as they come. Robinson has offers from Baylor, Georgia, Houston, N. Texas, Oklahoma St., Providence, SMU, TCU, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, and Virginia with more to coming.
Another exciting matchup that I caught was between 17U Meanstreets and Houston Hoops. Both teams were loaded with high major talent and it showed.
I got another chance to see Tyler Ullis 5’7” (Marian Catholic High, Illinois) from Meanstreets and further examine his game. Ullis again showcases his elite quickness continually beating his defender around the edge. Ullis just stays so low to the ground that it’s very tough for defenders to stay in front. Ullis is a true point who really takes on the challenge of getting everyone involved before he really gets going offensively, is always looking to make that extra pass to an open teammate. Does well getting into the lane and passing out of trouble. Needs to get better at finishing and taking less unnecessary risks as his body can only stand so much punishment. Ullis is as tough as they come though. Ullis has received a few more offers since we last spoke adding Florida, Iowa, and Purdue to his already growing list.
Charles Mathews 6’5” (St. Rita, Illinois) of Meanstreets continues to impress me with his bouncy game. Mathews can jump out of the gym and just has such a smooth overall game. His jumpshot is one of the cleanest around and has legit NBA range. Mathews could stand to be a bit more assertive at times and be a bit more aggressive but again that’s nitpicking. Mathews is already one of the premier guards in his class and if he can add strength to his frame he is going to be even harder to deal with. Simply put there is nothing this kid cannot do on the court. Mathews has offers from Depaul, Illinois, SMU, and Wisconsin.
As stated earlier Houston Hoops 17U team was no joke as well courting three top players of their own.
The first was Kelly Oubre 6’7” (Bush High School, Texas) who was another favorite of mine for the weekend. Talking to this kid was a real delight and he showed me why there is so much hype around him. He is a very smart kid who knows how to play the game. Oubre does so many things on the court its really tough to decipher what he is best at. Oubre has a lethal touch from behind the arc and rebound the ball at a very high level for his position. Isn’t overly fast but id a shift left handed player who uses his frame well. Oubre has offers from Alabama, Arizona, UConn, Kansas, LSU, and UCLA. A true gamer.
Another Houston Hoop team member that caught my attention was Justin Jackson 6’’8” (HCYA, Texas), who is along wing player adept at getting into the lane and making plays whether that be finishing with either hand or making a timely pass for an open bucket. A really smooth player who looks as though he’s not even trying at time, he makes it look so easy. Will need to add strength at the next level and could stand to improve his shot. Never makes a bad play. Jackson is currently committed to UNC.
The other Houston player that I really liked was the top ten prospect Justice Winslow 6’6” (St. John’s, Texas) who is just a very intelligent player. Never wowed me, but constantly made smart plays on the court. Whether that be baiting his defender one way to open up a passing lane or getting quick position for an easy lay in, Winslow’s IQ is just off the charts. Could stand to be a bit more aggressive on the offensive end but at the same time he does a very good job of letting his game come to him. Winslow has offers from Duke, Kansas, and UNC along with every other high major that has a chance at him.
