Jammin’ at the Jamboree: Middle School Edition

Keturah Hennis May 9, 2022 @ 09:05 AM

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Welcome to some of the Big House’s youthful talent! This edition has been reserved for our wonderful, tenacious middle-schoolers who work just as hard as their older counterparts. These two teams went toe-to-toe at The Big house. I almost missed this matchup! I was so impressed from afar, that I had to see this game up close. Not many were watching this game, so I was able to steal a chair and enjoy the show. These kiddos played hard, had great court awareness, and have excellent ball-handling skills! I was overall pleasantly surprised with their court IQ. This group has a great shot at becoming successful ballplayers in the future.

5’9 PG Austin Bacus (JPB/Palmer Catholic Academy)

This spunky little guard reminds me of a young Steve Kerr. Pep in his step, yet controlled when he sprints down court. Breezy, calm, and calculated as he reads the defense and unloads his basketball arsenal on his unassuming opponent.

Austin is a natural-born leader and can shoot lights out. His floater has a true hang and he executes it well. While drawing defenders on his drive, he uses his moves to dump the ball down to his bigs. He is a pretty savvy passer! Check this young man out. He definitely impresses at a young age.

Austin’s Favorite Sneaker: Kobe Lows (Any of them).

5’9 PG/SG Tyler Kroog (JPB/Pine Island Academy)

Tyler is a treat to watch. He has fundamentally sound ball-handling, and a natural jump shot that he can flat-out sink! Watching him run the floor to get open shots at first glance… he makes it look like a regular day at the office. He moves smoothly away from the ball, allowing him to come back and spot-up proper-like. I look forward to seeing this soon-to-be-legendary combo-guard dominate in the coming years!

Tyler’s Favorite Sneaker: Kyrie 3’s.

5’8 PG Nathaniel Boyer (Adidas SE/Hope Preparatory Academy)

Nathaniel has wings and loves to fly down the court! He drives aggressively and pushes the ball, sometimes just to feed the posts that run with him. He finishes strong in the paint and defends aggressively one-on-one. His long stride and attention to getting downcourt makes him an expert at starting fast breaks, as well as finishing layups. I look forward to seeing him play some combo-guard and heading up a dominant, pressing team in the near future.

Nathaniel’s Favorite Sneaker: Kyrie 7’s

6’1 PF/C Tarek Caesar (Adidas SE/Nims)

Tarek has great hands and even better footwork. He gathers well, gravitates toward the ball, and loves blocking shots. He takes criticism from his coach well and also responds to in-game adjustments quickly. During this particular game, he wickedly threw a shot off the backboard, then got a head start on the fast-break!

He also seals well on strong side and will eventually learn to time cuts and selectively post. This youngster impressed for sure when he attempted a dunk in transition. Oh yes, he did that.

Looking forward to watching him use his size and footwork to box out consistently.

Tarek’s Favorite Sneaker: Jordan Red Thunder.

Rankings

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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!