ATL HoopFest | Rising Prospects (Middle School)

Cumming, GA – Over the weekend, Next Generation Sports held its annual “Atlanta Hoopfest” tournament. Let’s take a look at some of the players that I personally got a chance to observe in the middle school division.

CLASS OF 2028
Xavier Davies – Team Bo Bell (GA) | 5’5” PG

This young point guard for Team Bo Bell is exciting to watch. His end to end speed with the ball in his hands makes him incredibly difficult to defend at this level. Add in the fact that he handles the ball exceptionally well with both hands and has a good bag of tricks off the dribble. No matter what defensive look he saw, Davies was able to create his own shot, create for others and he finished well around the basket. Expect to hear really good things about this guard over the years. 

Khalil Wells – Team Bo Bell (GA) | 5’3” PG

Wells is another guard on the 2028 Team Bo Bell roster that is exciting to watch. His defensive prowess, demeanor and ability to create off the dribble made him look exceptional while sharing the floor with other good players. If the opposing team guards have any weakness handling the ball, he’s going to take it from them and finish at the other end. His jump shot looks really good for a player his age and has a consistent release point. It’s early to tell how tall he’ll end up, but he has long arms and really quick feet. A lot to like about this kid.

Jeremiah Hunter – KE Elite (SC) | 5’5” PG

Confidence is evident when watching this kid play basketball. There weren’t many players that were successful staying in front of Jeremiah Hunter this weekend. Several players became victims of ankle breaking crossovers and quick changes of direction at the hands of Jeremiah. His ability to stop on a dime, rise up for a shot and to keep others involved is pleasing to see at this stage.

Keivay Foster – SB Ballers (AL) | 6’2” F

The potential here is intriguing. Keivay is a long and bouncy wing that dominated all weekend en route to a runner-up finish for the SB Ballers. His length and activity on defense frustrated the competition. Offensively, he’s currently playing a lot around the basket but all the tools are there to develop into a productive wing. Looking forward to tracking his development.

CLASS OF 2027

Khalid Jones – AE5 (GA) | 5’8” PG

For this AE5 team, Jones does a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat sheet. He makes the extra pass, gets a ton of deflections with his long arms and his ability to get paint touches creates scoring opportunities for his teammates once they receive his passes. He is lightning quick, shifty and shows some next level footwork when it comes to creating his own shot. 

Gehrig Felix – Triangle Offense (GA) | 6’3” F

At each viewing, Felix is improving his game. This weekend, he showed that he can impact a game in ways outside of scoring the ball inside. As a post presence, he’s a tough cover with his unorthodox ability to take contact and finish with his left. His rebounding presence is improving and he’s learning to pass out of double teams well. If he continues to improve as a pick and pop threat, he’ll be even more of a threat.

Brandon Pemberton – Huncho (GA) | 5’9” G

Pemberton is a scoring machine. Once he gets going from the outside, he’s a tough cover that can also mix it up well off the dribble. At a young age, he shows a willingness to move without the ball and it opens up the floor for his teammates to have spacing. Put this name in your memory bank. He’ll have a chance to be a really good all around player sooner than later.

CLASS OF 2026

Julian Plaza – Hoop Squad (AL) | 5’7” PG

It was hard to find another guard as dominant as Julian was this weekend. His quickness, basketball IQ, willingness to defend, passing and overall skill level was on a completely different tier than almost every guard in attendance. In every matchup, he constantly got into the paint, faked defenders completely out of position and made his teammates better in the process while dropping great passes off. Expect great things from this kid out of Alabama. His game is mature beyond his years.

Kevin Savage – Game Elite 3SSB 2026 | 5’9” PG

Despite playing up an age group, Kevin was able to run the show and produce at a high level. As a point guard, he fits the mold of what you want from your leader. He’s competitive, quick, can shoot the ball, defends hard and has a short memory when it comes to mistakes. The edge that he brings to the game is contagious for his teammates and he’s typically the catalyst behind the big runs that his team makes. 

Jayddence Ford – MPire Elite (GA) | 5’6” PG 

It’s pretty safe to assume that Jayddence Ford led the 8th grade division in scoring. His range from 3pt land and his nonstop motor created havoc all weekend for his opponents. On the defensive side of the ball, he didn’t allow his opponents to create an advantage. Constantly, he picked up ball handlers the full length of the floor and harassed them into turnover after turnover, leading to several breakaway layups. His pace with the ball in his hands was steady and despite being a big time scorer, he played very unselfish and kept everyone involved in the flow of the offense.

McCord Purdy – Wood Elite (GA) | 5’10” G

Purdy was a steady ball-handling guard for Wood Elite this weekend. He showed the versatility to do a ton of things from the lead guard position. In some games, he was the leading scorer. In other games, he was a top level rebounder, defender, passer or just led by example. An underrated aspect of his game is his strength with the ball. Against pressure and traps, he rarely turned the ball over and was able to get to his spots where he liked to operate offensively.

Kingston Whitty – Triple Double (GA) | 5’10” PG

Whitty was an efficient scoring guard that put the ball in the basket in many ways. His biggest strength at the moment is his shot making ability from 3pt land. However, he’s got some moves and finishes well around the basket even over the outstretched hands of tall big men. He has all the tools to become a standout player in the future at the high school level and beyond. His pace for the game, feel for the game and shot making skills are top notch. 

Brennan Burns – Redline Athletics (GA) | 6’0” G

Burns was an excellent all around guard prospect for Redline Athletics. He showed the ability to do a little bit of everything. His passing ability opened up the floor for his big men and his jump-shot was deadly. There were several instances where he ignited huge runs with his long range three point shots. Off the dribble, he’s got nifty moves and does a good job creating space with his body. Really solid point guard prospect.