ELITE60 Showcase (Middle School)

NGSHoops hosted the Inaugural “Elite 60 Showcase” this past weekend at Summerour Middle School in Norcross, Georgia. Prospects from North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi were in attendance and competed at a high level. I detailed a few prospects that I was able to see emerging from the pack. August 20, 2022

Solomon Bratton | 6’5” SF (GA) 2027
This young wing out of Atlanta (GA) has all of the tools to become a high level recruit one day soon. Already stands around 6’5” and has good ball skills. At this stage, there aren’t many in his division that can stay in front of him. He’s skilled and athletically can get above the rim. Be on the lookout for him in the very near future.

Omauri Chaudry | 6’2” PG (GA) 2027
Chaudry probably was the most high school varsity ready guard in attendance. He has great size, skill and basketball acumen. His left handed jump shot is a thing of beauty and he is an adept ball-handler. Against pressure defense, he doesn’t get sped up and he creates exceptionally well for himself and for his teammates. It’s rare to see players this young who elevate the play of their teammates. He’s a primetime point guard prospect.

Amare Jackson | 6’4” SG (GA) 2027
Jackson had one of the best motors in attendance. At times, it felt like he was defending multiple players at the same time. His activity allowed him to come away with a ton of steals, blocks and second chance points. He started the day out with multiple dunks in his first game and made a living getting to the basket from the perimeter.

Erick Dampier Jr | 6’6” HP (MS) 2028
It’s not much of a secret that Dampier is a tantalizing prospect. At the tender age of 12 years old, he’s already 6’6”, can play above the rim, has a solid form on his jump shot and he was a dominant defensive player throughout the event. While he does have great genetics, it’s clear that he has work ethic. It’s not that often that kids with this size at his age also have the level of skill that he possesses. Dynamite prospect out of Mississippi.

Ryan Wingard | 6’4” SF (TN) 2027 (Featured photo)
One of the best long term prospects in attendance was Ryan Wingard. He’s got great length, good instincts and already possesses better athleticism than some top level high school players. He’s a threat to shut the gym down with a big dunk. Loved his willingness to play pick and pop to knockdown jumpers from the outside. Most players with his combination size and youth tend to just hunt for dunks, but he showed a well rounded game.

Brielen Craft | 5’7” HG (GA) 2028
It’s arguable that Craft had the most impressive weekend of all of the point guards when you consider his age and size. While he isn’t undersized by any stretch, he dominated both of his games with pure skill, basketball IQ and will. He knocked down a blistering 8 three-pointers in his 2nd game of the day while handling constant full court pressure. As he continues to grow and mature physically, he’s going to be a handful for a long time.

Henry Robinson | 6’7” HP (FL) 2027
Robinson is another high level prospect that could start piling up scholarship offers the day he sets foot into a high school campus. He’s 13 years old, near 6’7” and was making plays in the open court as if he was a seasoned vet. He had the most memorable dunks on the day with an in game dunk through a defender and a windmill in the dunk contest. From the perimeter, he knocked down a three-pointer in rhythm and showed some nifty moves off the dribble. He has all the makings of a future star. Excited to see his growth.

Nasir Anderson | 6’1” CG (GA) 2027
Anderson started the day off with a deadly crossover that was finished off with a layup through contact. He’s a left-handed combo that is in attack mode from start to finish. If he gets a head of steam, you can assume he’s either going to score at the basket or drop a nice pass off to a cutter or an open shooter. He’s got pretty good size for his position and is only going to get stronger.

Riley Bryant | 6’2” SG (AL) 2027
One thing that I loved about Riley was his demeanor. No matter what the game looked like, he never wavered in his approach to the game. He picked his spots and slowly but surely heated up as the games went on. His ability to create off the dribble and make shots from long range is impressive. It won’t surprise me if he develops a reputation as one of the better shooters in his class. 

Christian Dixon | 6’1” SG (GA) 2027
Dixon is a very deceptive athlete. He’s quick with the ball and excels at creating an angle to attack the paint. If he decides he wants to get to the basket, he’s going to do so at will. Offensively, he can score from the outside, has a nice floater and finishes really well around the basket. Once his athleticism kicks in, he has all of the tools to become a scoring machine.

Abel Trotman | 5’10” CG (GA) 2027
Trotman is one of the better pure scorers I’ve seen in his age group. He scores the ball in so many ways from so many different spots on the floor. He makes jumpers, finishes at the rim and he is an unselfish player. You can see the confidence in how he carries himself on the floor. Don’t be shocked to see some big scoring outbursts from him in the future.

Caden Earl | 6’0” CG (GA) 2027
Simply put, Caden Earl puts the ball in the basket. He has a tremendous first step and routinely blows by his opponents off of the dribble. His jump-shot has a high release point and he comfortably knocks down pull-up jumpers all the way out to about 20 feet. His footwork is also impressive for a player his age. At times, he confuses defenders with his ability to score from the mid-post area as a guard. Keep an eye on this kid.

Brock Bonner | 6’6” PF (GA) 2027
This was my first glimpse of Bonner and he didn’t disappoint. He’s currently standing around 6’6” and has a chiseled frame. He attacks the glass with a quick second leap and finishes exceptionally well with his left. A towering prospect that has all the makings of a double double machine. He showed some glimpses of what he can become and had several scouts in the building buzzing.