We took in all three days of the 2024 Fantastic 40 spring warm-up event in Gibson Park, Fla. and today we take a look at some of the under the radar standouts from the event.
With NCAA member schools focusing their recruiting efforts on the transfer portal for the month on April, the NCAA decided to move its spring live weekend to May (17-19) for the 2024 recruiting calendar. Travel teams are still attending events in April to warm up, get acclimated and to decide roster fits.
Twenty-six travel teams, both shoe-sponsored and independent, descended on Gibson Park in Miami to participate in the Fantastic 40. Our colleague Rodger Bohn will focus on stock-risers and top performers from the three-day event, so we decided to give a rundown of some under-the-radar recruits (from a national perspective) that had a good showing.
O'Neal Delancey, Gibbs (Tampa, Fla.) 6-2 2027 CG
The Florida Rebels EYBL have a terrific talent level on their 15u club and their backcourt has a chance to be special. We evaluated and mentioned 2027 point guard Cayden Daughtry of Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) during the Tarkanian Classic in December, so we decided to spotlight his backcourt mate Delancey. He made a huge splash during the high school season and was terrific at the Fantastic 40 as well. Sprinting into a pull-up jumper or stopping smoothly to hit a mid-range J is a lost art, but that's what sticks out about Delancey's game like a sore thumb. He can shoot in traffic or set up the right play on a 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 advantage. He was particularly effective in a highly-competitive 79-72 win over Jet Academy 15U on Saturday afternoon, finishing with 21 points. In fact, he and Daughtry (who is more of a lead guard) combined for 54 points. Plenty was expected of Delancey coming into the 2023-24 high school season and he delivered for Gibbs, finishing as the second-leading scorer (15.4 ppg) behind 2025 guard Jacob Daniels for a team that won the Class 4A state crown.
Myles Fuentes, Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) 6-1 2027 PG
This cat-quick guard made a big impression at the event for All Ball 17U with his court savvy and play-making ability. While Fuentes' rep is growing nationally, he's well known in the Sunshine State after starting on a Riviera Prep team that captured the Florida Class 3A state title and finished No. 17 in the FAB 50 Southeast Regional Rankings. Fuentes already has plenty of high school experience, and international FIBA experience, as he started as an eighth grader for Riviera Prep and also plays for Puerto Rico's 16U National Team. That combination of experience and savvy stands out even when playing up, as he can thread the needle and makes the right decisions under duress. Look for him on the UAA Rise 17U circuit this year with All Ball (FL). His older brother, fellow Riviera Prep starter Mason Fuentes, is a 2026 point guard who is a blur with the ball and gets in the key at will. The travel team the brothers belong to is coached by their father, Joseph Fuentes.
Myles Jones, Gateway Charter (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 6-3 2025 SG
Good all-around athlete is having a terrific spring so far for Team Knight NB 17U. Jones has an improving jumper to combine with his D1 athleticism. He finishes well around the basket through contact, plays at rim level and is a capable defender to boot. Jones also gets after it on the glass and just needs to shore up his handling and dishing skills to take his recruitment to the next level.
Cam McKinney, LA Premier Prep (Downey, Calif.) 6-6 2027 WF
This Oakland native made a terrific impact for Arizona Unity 16U and has a bright future in the game. McKinney really got in a stance on the defensive end and can guard the wing or eat space inside. McKinney's skill level is improving and his move to SoCal was intended to put him on a good training regimen with the goal of taking his game to the next level. He already has the frame, motor and desire.
Jaion Pitt, Canyon International Academy (Glendale, Ariz.) 6-8 2025 PF
This Toronto native has a productive season in EYBL Scholastic League play and is using this travel season to expand his offensive repertoire. Pitt has an old school forward's game, but at the Fantastic 40 was successfully using his triple-threat game to keep defenses honest and create lanes for himself and teammates. Pitt, the third leading rebounder in the EYBL Scholastic, is pretty confident in the progression of his game and is hearing from schools all over the country. The consensus Top 75 prospect is hearing from Michigan St., Oregon, among others, and fields offers from ASU, OSU and CAL, among others.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores