Marietta, GA – The 2031 Elite 60 Showcase brought together some of the top young prospects from across the Southeast for an invite-only event loaded with talent. Each year, there have been several young prospects that introduced themselves to the national stage via this showcase. Much of the same happened over the course of the weekend.
Landon Snyder – 6’6” SF (FL) tall wing with a smooth scoring skillset. At his best as a face-up triple threat creator where he can read what the defense gives him and create from there. Does a really good job getting to his pull-up jumper and also has a fade-away jumper that he can go to when defenders crowd his space. Can also knock down 3’s in rhythm off the catch which makes him difficult to play too far off of. Really skilled scoring wing that has several different ways to get a shot off.
LeShawn Lyle – 5’8” PG (TN) tremendous point guard with next level feel for the game. Made everyone around him better with his court vision and consistently found the open man without forcing things. Stayed dangerous as a scorer because of his shotmaking ability and never allowed defenses to completely play him as a passer. Has a tight handle and rarely turned the basketball over even when facing immense pressure. Does a great job staying under control and keeping the offense moving. You just don’t see pass-first guards of his caliber that often.
Mikael Hilliard – 6’1” CG (NC) cerebral guard with good length and really good feel for the game. Has a feathery shot from the perimeter and looked comfortable shooting the basketball when given space. Defensively he has quick hands and creates a ton of deflections with his activity. Does a good job getting to the rim in minimal dribbles and doesn’t waste much movement when attacking. Finishes well around the basket and showed the ability to make plays on both ends of the floor.
Yusuf Nalayeh – 6’2” (AL) sweet shooting prospect that had several sequences where he ran off multiple deep jumpers in a row. Is incredibly confident in his shooting ability and doesn’t hesitate to take a shot, even from extended range. Defenders were doing a good job of staying attached to him, but he didn’t need much room to still get his jumper off. Showed an underrated ability to handle the ball against pressure. Created shots for himself and others. Looks primed to grow more physically as he continues to develop.
Josiah Dempsey – 6’2” CG (GA) pure shooting guard that dominated throughout the weekend. Has a strong understanding of spacing and does a really good job getting open without the ball. Makes defenses pay for overcommitting and is always ready when his opportunity comes. Lefty also has strong court vision and showed that he can make plays for others when the defense reacts to his scoring. More than held his own defensively and made it difficult for offensive players to consistently create when he was guarding them. Strong guard prospect with a really good feel for how to impact the game.
Dayon Hawkins – 6’4” SG (GA) long and athletic wing with the potential to develop into a big 2 guard over time. Has a lot of the intangibles you like to see in a young prospect. Long arms and athleticism stand out immediately and he also showed plenty of skill with the basketball in his hands. Has good touch as a shot maker and doesn’t look limited to just finishing around the basket. Really intriguing combination of length athleticism and skill at the guard spot.
Brycen Evans – 5’6” PG (GA) fast point guard with a blazingly quick first step. Routinely blows past defenders with his speed and gets downhill before they have much time to recover. Also has a quick pull-up jumper and can shoot the basketball at a high level. His range extends beyond the high school 3-pt line which makes it even harder for defenders to give him too much space. Has good vision and does a solid job making reads out of the pick and roll. Dangerous guard because of how quickly he can create an advantage.
Brandon Emenuga – 6’5” SF (GA) athletic forward that made his mark with a high motor and good skill in transition. Does a great job running the floor and can play above the rim when he gets an opportunity. Can handle the basketball well enough to make a play from the wing in spurts and showed that he isn’t limited to just operating inside. Was excellent on the glass and consistently used his athleticism to make an impact around the rim. Also locked in defensively and stayed active throughout the event.
NGS Hoops
