The NYBA Basketball Development Camp ‘They’re Up Next’ In early November, I had an opportunity to attend The NYBA Basketball Development Camp. It consisted of high school and middle school students and there was a lot of talent in the…

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‘They’re Up Next’
In early November, I had an opportunity to attend The NYBA Basketball Development Camp. It consisted of high school and middle school students and there was a lot of talent in the gym in both groups. Many were focused on the high school kids, as I must admit, there was tons of talent in the building. I decided to show the youngsters some love and I spent a little time watching them put in work. I was thoroughly impressed by what I saw, and it did not take long to see who was one of the best in this group.
All quotes in purple are still commentary from Prep Hoops Next regional scout, Terry Drake.
Lincoln Cosby
Lincoln
Cosby
6'0" | WF
TN
– 2027 / 6’0 / Shooting Guard
Mill Creek Middle School (Nolensville, TN)
Twitter: N/A
Instagram: lincoln_cosby
AAU Team: NYBA Elite 2027
Lincoln was hands down one of the best players in the middle school group. He was one of the best all-around players, that showed how deep his toolkit is. He is a multi-dimensional scorer that scored at will, even when he was faced with double teams.
His length at this age caused a lot of problems for his peers on both ends of the court.
His handles are ok, but because he knows how to attack in angles he is extremely tough to defend off the bounce. His basketball IQ at this separated him from others in the middle school group, as he often just seemed to be one step ahead of the other players. He is an extremely versatile player and as he continues to develop a tighter handle, just as he will keep rising, his upsize will continue to rise. If his coaches and trainers keep him on track with his development in the gym, let me go ahead and let those in the state of TN know, you will be talking about how good this kid is in a couple of years. It can be expected that collegiate coaches from across the country come knocking on his door.
I did not have to look far, because as I was watching Lincoln, Jaylan Mitchell started competing for my attention.
Jaylan Mitchell – 2027 / 6’3 / Forward
Richland County Middle School (Olney, IL)
Twitter: N/A
Instagram: Jaylanmitchell34
AAU Team: Team Teague
It did not take much for Jaylan to get my attention as he was standing 6’3 and towering over many of his peers.
His length was just too much to handle in half-court, as he was a shot-blocking machine on defense, and if he was not rejecting shots, he was altering everything coming in the paint.
He showed that he is still figuring it out and putting it all together on the offensive end. He showed that he has been working on his back to the basket moves, but he also showed that he was not afraid to step out and take the perimeter jumper. To say that he was controlling the boards is an understatement. As we continue to follow Jaylan, and watching him against players of similar size, it will begin to make some things clear about Jaylan’s game. Until then Jaylan must continue to improve on his footwork and his outside shooting. He will continue to grow, and he will increase his stock by having an efficient and effective inside-outside game.
The irony at the moment is that we are about to go from the tallest player in the middle school group to possibly the shortest player that was in the group, and that was Aemero Gideon Lewis.
Aemero Gideon Lewis – 2027 / 4’11 / Guard
HomeSchool (Lauderhill, FL)
Twitter: N/A
Instagram: N/A
AAU Team: NYBA Elite
Even though Aemero was small in stature, he was one of the most consistent players in the middle school group.
Aemero has a nice jumper and showed the work that he has put in to being effective from the outside.
As it is with players that are small in stature, players try to take advantage of their size. Aemero, however, did not back down on either side of the court. He has a solid foundation to build upon with his skill set, which is a plus for him in the coming years. Will he get another foot in height, is a question that many will wait to see the answer. He is on our radar and will be a player that we will be following over the coming years. Some questions are surrounding Aemero, which are out of his control, but what he can control over the next few years, is his development and the tools that he can add to his toolkit.
A bright spot that we saw in this group that was leading his team from the PG spot was Trey Pearson.
Trey Pearson – 2026 / 5’7 / Point Guard
H.G. Hill (Nashville, TN)
Twitter: N/A
Instagram: Treypearson2
AAU Team: NYBA Elite
Listed as a PG, Trey has good size at the position.
His handles and his court vision set him apart amongst his peers, and he had a solid understanding of the position for his age.
Trey did not mind getting physical, as he was one of the best rebounders in the group. He plays downhill, and creates for his teammates, setting them up for scoring opportunities. He knows how to create his shot off the dribble, but has to continue to develop his right hand, as defenders will begin to sit on his left. He has the tools to develop into a good PG at the next level, but the intriguing part about his game is his ability to play off the ball with his scoring repertoire. He did not show his perimeter jumper much during camp because he lived in the paint. As he continues to develop his perimeter shot, it is going to make him a tough guard at the high school level.
Our final eval from the middle school division of this camp is focused on Trae Rideau.
Trae Rideau – 2025 / 5’8/Point Guard
Northeast Middle School (Clarksville, TN)
Twitter: @traerideau
Instagram: _.trigg
AAU Team: N/A
Trae stood out at camp because he just seemed to be more physical than all the other kids in the middle school group.
He was one of the more athletic kids and competed relentlessly. I liked his energy on both ends of the court.
If you are a PG and find yourself on the same team as Trae, who just as productive off-ball, get out in transition. One thing is for sure, Trae will run lanes as he ran the court harder than any player in both groups at the camp. He was able to get some easy buckets because of his effort in the open court. He is putting it together on the offensive end. If he continues to fine-tune his handles, shoot a high percentage from the perimeter, then bring it together with his athleticism, he has a chance to be a high impact player in high school. I always tell kids that effort gets you in the door, and Trae gets in the door at every gym. He brought it throughout camp.
I hope that you have enjoyed the recap from The NYBA Development Camp (Middle School Group). Prep Hoops Next will be in a gym near you soon…. looking for who is next!
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