Hustle SZN Kickoff: 2026 & 2027 Standouts Part 2

Bruce Williams April 5, 2022 @ 09:12 PM

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Spring is here and that can only mean one thing. It’s Circuit Season! The Prephoops Circuit is upon us. I will be covering and providing exposure for the Hustle Region Circuit. The Hustle Region Circuit consists of AAU Programs from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. The circuit features 10 stops including the Hustle Region Final in Irvine July 15th – 17th. Stop number one got underway this past weekend in Seal Beach California, with the Hustle Season Kickoff. The event, which took place on Saturday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 3rd featured 46 teams ranging from 15U to 17U. Although this event was a high school event, it had several middle school standouts. In this article, a follow-up to C/O 2026 & 2027 Standouts Part 1 we take a look at the top Middle School Players From that Event.

Chinobi Nnaji 6’1 SF Clutch Elite 2026 – Nnaji was a good glue guy that played with a high motor. He’s the type of player that never gives up on a play, getting a couple of buckets simply by running the floor and following up missed transition shots. The forward is a prospect to keep an eye on, primarily because of his length.

Jaizahn Lewis 5’8 PG IE FIre Elite 2027 – Lewis is an exciting, entertaining jitterbug PG that caught my eye while playing up in a 16U game. The jitterbug PG has a terrific IQ for the game, despite being so young. Lewis showed the ability to beat the first defender and then showed off some advanced play by delivering dimes after drawing the defense.

Aaron Banks PG Gamepoint IE 2026 – Banks enhanced his reputation as a dawg. The PG was one of the most tenacious defenders that I saw during the weekend. His matchup against Mason McGee was the best one I saw all weekend. His toughness is just one component of his skill set, as he displayed a nice handle along with the ability to get by defenders and finish around the rim. Despite the loss, Banks finished with 20 in the battle against Magee.

Logan Grayson SG California Select Gold 2026 -Grayson was the perfect fit for the stacked Cali Select squad. He was able to play off the ball and space the floor, showing that he could effectively knock down corner threes. He has good size and he wasn’t afraid to use it to help the team grab defensive rebounds.

Malachi Wilt SF Hard 2 Guard 2026 – Wilt was a glue guy for hard to guard, however, he came up huge for the squad this weekend. He played the role of defender and rebounder, but he also came up with timely clutch baskets. In the game against Clutch Elite, Williams was just that, knocking down two clutch Free Throws to give H2G the victory.

Julius Brower 5’10 PG IE FIre Elite 2025 (featured image) – I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see as much of Brower as I would have liked. the PG showed some scoring ability, getting buckets around the rim and in transition in the game I saw. On a deep and talented IE Fire Elite team, he was one of the main catalysts to help them to an undefeated weekend.

Rankings

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143 Players Ranked

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About Our Rankings

Prep Hoops Next prospect rankings have been compiled by our staff with input from high school and club coaches from across the country. Players are ranked formulaically based on their current production as well as their long-term potential as collegiate prospects. We aim to expand and update our prospects rankings several times per year to continue to maintain the most comprehensive, accurate prospect rankings in the country. Feel like we are missing someone? Let us know here and get on our radar by submitting your profile!