I stayed in Atlanta for another week to catch the Nike EYBL first session. I spent many hours in the gym on Friday & Saturday, so I could make other moves on Sunday. I broke-down what I saw from the EYBL teams & players from the Southwest Region. Let's dive in!
Drive Nation 16’s go 3-0 going into Sunday.
The 2025 group made it to the championship game last season at Peach Jam and started EYBL session 1 with a flawless record going into Sunday. Point guard Jordan Lowery has been productive with his efficient scoring. Aggressive and looking to make plays for himself and others, while defensively as an on-ball and team defender, he’s been adequate. Lowery uses his IQ and has good timing on ripping opposing guards and getting into the passing lanes. I was also impressed with guard Leroy Kelly IV. Can play on and off the ball and is a dependable shooter from deep. Not much of a sample size with his 3-point shooting at the circuit but the shot looks clean and you think it’s going in when he releases it.
ProSkills 16’s Also Flawless Heading Into The Final Day
Premier wing Hudson Greer is out with a leg injury but this team flashed their depth.
A lot of the talk after Friday night was ‘25 Cooper Flagg’s 52-point performance vs ProSkills and listen… It should be the talk because I haven’t seen something like that in a long time and honestly never from a sophomore/rising junior. However, ProSkills 2025 group got the win. Guard Kayden Edwards was huge in that matchup. He constructed a 27-point performance as he displayed prolific 3-point shooting (38%), quality passes off the live dribble and adequate on-ball defensive play. Big fella Amari Reed has been a beast in the paint. Looking to block any shot at the rim, collect any missed shot and dunk it when he’s five feet in. Impressed with his tenacity and sense of urgency on the defensive end. Reed is also shooting over 80% from the field in three games.
One more to note is Jaylen Lawal. A good glue guy for this club. He defends the opposing team’s best perimeter player no matter the size, he gets downhill and finishes and just does the dirty work that amounts to winning.
Kayde Dotson Shines for JL3
Beaumont United’s own in 2024 guard Kayde Dotson showed out in front of numerous coaches this weekend. Known to be someone that can knock down shots from deep, but now he’s showing more comfortability with his handle and ability to attack defenders. Getting paint touches, defending with physicality and shooting an efficient 54% from three in three games. Stock has risen.
Also wanted to note forward Chris McDermott play as well. Active inside, finishing over length and taller defenders and someone that rebounds out of his area. Shooting a whopping 73% from the field.
Kameron Williams….
Man seeing the shooting exhibition ‘24 Kameron Williams displayed in Liv-On’s win vs Houston Hoops. Standing at about 6-foot-8, Williams is a big-time shooter that has deep range. His game is simple, moves and relocates off the ball, not bothered by heavy contests when he launches and showed to be an adequate switchable defender. High majors will start getting on this one soon.
Also wanted to highlight guard Jared Harris. Fantastic in transition, a quick twitch athlete that just moves differently. Still can improve with his efficiency in the half-court setting, but I’m seeing improvements with him in operating in tight spaces.
Mr. Justin Beggs Everyone
Justin Begg continues to perform no matter the setting. Been efficient with his scoring, knocking down shots from deep but also getting into the paint and boasting plus floater game. He’s quick off the dribble, he shows leadership on the court and is showing he’s a no-brainer Division 1 prospect. Received an offer from George Mason on Saturday.
Tre Johnson has been struggling some this weekend so far. Shot isn’t going in with the accuracy we are accustomed to, but you see the smoothness in him creating his own shots. I think it’ll be sooner rather than later that we see the No. 1 player in the country, Tre Johnson.
Team Griffin Goes 2-1 Heading Into Sunday
After taking a thrashing from Team Thad on Friday night, Team Griffin bounced back on Saturday and collected two wins. Kansas State commit David Castillo, albeit not shooting it well, still garners so much attention which allows for clean looks for his teammates. Still like his shot creation and playmaking upside. The front-line of Luke Gray, Dylan Warlick & Darkaun King have been good too. All three can step out on the perimeter and attack, as Gray uses his broad frame to carve space inside. Warlick throws his body around and can create space on drives with pump-fakes and spin moves. Also knows how to use the rim to protect himself from shot-blockers. King is a high IQ forward that can handle, pass and shoot. Plays below the rim, but he really knows how to play and is crafty with his off the bounce creation.
T.O. Barret Eval
Wanted to highlight T.O. Barrett due to him being a high major prospect from Oklahoma, although Mokan Elite is based out in Kansas. Barrett has translatable toughness and strength. He hasn’t shot it great from deep in three games but you can tell he’s a better shooter than the numbers have shown this weekend. He embraces contact on finishes, can make shots off of hard close-outs and is a physical defender. Impressed with his overall game.
Quick Hit Notables
2024
David Punch, 6’7 PF - Drive Nation: Has been the leader offensively for Drive Nation. Inside/out scoring and still able to nab rebounds and alter shots due to his plus length.
Divine Ugo, 6’3 PG - Houston Hoops: Skilled guard that has shown good poise and shot making ability. Three point shooting has been accurate and he shows good passer feel.
Amier Ali, 6’8 SF: Houston Hoops: Wired scorer that can make tough shots. Uses length to rise to and connect off the dribble. Like his off-ball movement as well. Creating opportunities for himself to score.
Jacob Hudson, 6’3 CG - JL3: Lefty that’s shifty off the dribble. Can get to the rim and finish with either hand, keeps defenders at bay using hang-dribbles and knows how to change speeds. Had a strong season this past year with ISchool. (Lewisville, Texas)
Ashton Simmons, 6’2 PG - JL3: Attacking guard that gets paint touches and puts pressure at the rim. Was more of a facilitator these past two days, as he’s generating clean looks for his teammates.
Cam Patterson, 6’4 Guard - ProSkills: Guard with long arms and can create off the dribble. Like his defensive switchability, handle and scoring upside.
Jalen Shelly, 6’8 Wing - ProSkills: Wing-guard with great size. Lefty that checks a lot of boxes with his blend of positional size, handle and shooting upside. Hasn’t put it all together yet but once he does, he can heavily impact games on both ends.
2025
Jeremiah Green, 6’2 PG - ProSkills 16U: Hasn’t shot it great but Green is fast with the ball and can't be stopped by one person to get where he wants. Defending hard and causing disruption on the opposing team’s point of attack.
Jaden Toombs, 6’9 C - Drive Nation 16U: Jaden knows how to be productive. If he’s not scoring, he’s rebounding, blocking/altering a shot or deflecting a pass. Effective post scorer that can stretch to the mid-range area and shoot.
Kellen Robinson, 6’2 PG - ProSkills 17U: Robinson mix of power and skill with his strong frame allows him to more than hold his own at the 17U level. Although ProSkills 0-3 going into Sunday, Kellen Robinson has been a bright spot.
2026
Dakari Spear, 6’3 Guard - Drive Nation 15U: Lanky combo guard with a strong basketball family lineage. Capable jump shooter from outside but knows how to use his length to finish in traffic.
Trent Perry, 6'4 Guard - Drive Nation 15U: Athletic guard with big-time length and athleticism. One of the best freshman in the country and currently the best player in 2026 in Texas.
Austin Goosby, 6’4 PG - Drive Nation 15U: Big guard that’s a plus decision maker. Poised coming off ball screens, he can get downhill and boasts an advanced stop-and-pop game for his age.
Seven Spurlock, 6'6 Guard - ProSkills 15U: Seven, coming off a successful season at Frisco Memorial and USA Basketball Mini Camp in Houston during the Final 4 is continuing his fine play. Also one of the best players in his class, Seven has good positional size and strength and can handle it under pressure. Bullies his way to the rim (shot 78% from the field) and showcased his strong passer vision and accuracy.
Cameron Lomax, 6' PG - ProSkills 15U: Heady guard that gets to the paint. Lomax gets to his spots, can finish vs length and is a capable shooter.
Silas Rodrigues, 6’4 SG - Houston Hoops 15U: Hoops 15U have struggled as a team, but Silas’s game has been a bright spot. Shooting from deep, flashing his handle and some shot creation, Rodrigues strung together a 27-point game vs Nightrydas on Saturday.
Nasir Price, 6’3 PG - Houston Hoops 16U: Price is one of the best players in his class. A guard with plus length and good positional size. Shooting it well overall (53%) and I thought he used his length well on the defensive end.
