ONCE AGAIN, the NYBA organization based out of Nashville, TN, brought high-caliber basketball to the grassroots platform with #TheMainEvent. The two-day weekend event provided a camp on Saturday for grades 6-12, then a high-level game, with some of the nation’s…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inONCE AGAIN, the NYBA organization based out of Nashville, TN, brought high-caliber basketball to the grassroots platform with #TheMainEvent. The two-day weekend event provided a camp on Saturday for grades 6-12, then a high-level game, with some of the nation’s top rising talent, along with activities throughout the event on Sunday. Players from as far as TX came to participate and show what they bring to the game. Some players immediately caught my eye, and here is the first round of players that stood out.
Keegan Keeton / 5’2 / Combo Guard / North Alabama Elite 2028 / Carbon Hill Jr. High (Carbon Hill AL)
Instagram: keetonkeegan
I’ve had the opportunity to see Keegan earlier this year, and after seeing him this past weekend, I can tell that he has been working on his game in the lab. He looked a lot faster than he was the previous time. Coming off of a broken shooting hand within the past 2-3 weeks, he shot the ball ok from deep and had several nice floaters in game action. His effort and defense throughout the day were impressive. The last time I covered Keegan, I talked about his elite-level shooting from behind the arc. His technique is still there, and you can tell he is still that elite-level shooter despite recovering from a broken hand. His catch and shoot still looks good.
He is a highly confident shooter from deep.
Opportunities for Growth: I still want to see Keegan continue to work to get his shot off the dribble and to gain more confidence in handling the ball in the open court in traffic and against pressure.
Lincoln Cosby
Lincoln
Cosby
6'0" | WF
TN
/ 6’2 / Guard / NYBA Elite 2027 / Mill Creek Middle School (Nolensville TN)
Instagram: lincoln_cosby
Lincoln is a player that if you follow me, always finds his way into my event coverages if he is in attendance. He continues to get better every time I lay eyes on him. One of the first things that I noticed from Lincoln is that he has become more vocal on the court. That may not seem like much to you, but I am starting to see him become an alpha male, not just through his physical ability but also through his vocal ability. As usual, and something that he should expect as he gets the spotlight on him more and more is other players that he match up against, coming at him on both ends of the court. This happened throughout camp, but he stayed poised and was extremely productive in the scoring column. He shows that he is maturing as a person and a player, and his game is right in step with the maturation process.
One of the things that I noticed that Lincoln is developing mentally is knowing who is on the court with him and how to put them in situations to be successful.
He is understanding who is around him and how to play with who is on the court with him. This can be difficult at times because Lincoln is an unselfish player. He is often surrounded by players that defer to him, which puts him in a situation where he has to be aggressive with scoring opportunities. Opportunities for Growth: Continue to work on his explosiveness off the dribble and his explosiveness in attacking the rim as he goes up in the paint.
Austin Hill / 4’10 / Combo Guard / D5 Global 2029 / UME Prep (Dallas TX)
Instagram: austin_ap_basketball_2029
Austin was one of the youngest and smallest players at camp but was one of the best young skilled guards in the elementary and middle school division. He has excellent vision and accuracy when dishing the rock. He is a very hard-nosed player that comes after his opponents, as he plays with a competitive edge on every possession. He is an emerging prospect with a long-term upside. Do not get me wrong, he was not just putting on a show against peers in his same grade, but he was playing against guys older than him, and there was absolutely no fear or backing down from the older guys.
He showed that he has handles and a quick first step and is a tough cover when the ball is in his hands.
He was active on both ends of the court. He will be a player that we are going to keep our eyes on over the next few years, watching his growth. Opportunities for Growth: If you follow me, you know, with players at Austin’s age, all need to continue to work on their overall game, continuing to master their fundamentals and learning how to play the game.
Taheim Elohem/ 5’8 / Small Forward / Mamba Mentality 2027 / Grace St. Lukes (Memphis TN)
Instagram: Taheim_baller35
Listed as a small forward, Taheim was one of the most versatile elementary/middle school players. His strength was in the open court and getting downhill. When he got going and got his speed up, he was coming hard to the paint. He is loaded with versatile tools, as he can handle the rock, has good court vision, makes the right passes, and is an overall player with a strong game. His strength is in the open court as he rebounded well, got out into transition, and went coast to coast quite often. He has an aggressive and confident mindset at his age.
He impacted both ends of the court and hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential.
He took advantage of the stage at the Main Event, and you will hear his name again. Opportunities for Growth: Taheim has to continue putting in work with his perimeter J.
Joshua Huggins / 6’0 / Power Forward / NYBA Elite 2028 / Goodpasture Christian School (Nashville TN)
Instagram: Joshhuggins4
If you want to talk about someone who was a huge surprise, look no further than Joshua. I wrote about Joshua before, and it was a couple of months ago, and the improvement I saw at the Main Event was phenomenal. I saw the potential a few months ago, but I saw some of the realization of the potential during the camp. He was literally unstoppable in the paint. It was as though he was a role player during AAU, but at camp, he showed that he has a lot of tools in the toolbox on the offensive end. He was a monster on the boards and showed that he could start the break and help his team get out in transition. He showed that he can put the ball on the deck and even showed his agility as he put the euro-step in action.
He played with a lot of toughness in camp, and if he continues to allow his tools to be on display, he will be a player that is going to be a force next spring and will have a lot of eyes on him.
Opportunities for Growth: Continue working on his footwork on the low block and work on his face-up game off the low-block catch. Continue to work on his perimeter J.
#TheMainEvent gave an incredible platform to many players, and part 2 of the standouts is on the way. Stay tuned.
