Grassroots HoopFest 15U Scouting Reports: NOLA 23 & River Parish Rockets & N.O. Elite

The Grassroots HoopFest tournament over the Easter weekend (April 16) was the last big grassroots event in New Orleans and we'll wrap up the coverage with scouting reports for the 17U-15U divisions before the Spring HoopFest tips off on Friday.

NOLA 23 swept all three divisions and the 15U team beat the River Parish Rockets, 57-43, in the championship game and held off New Orleans Elite, 38-33, in the semifinals. The River Parish Rockets survived, 44-41, against Louisiana Heat Elite in the other semifinal game and below are a few takeaways on the top players, as well as links to coverage of the event.

NOLA 23

Shawn Royal — Country Day 2020 6'2 CG

Royal has the potential to be one of the state's top prospects in the Class of 2020. He has a sweet stroke from deep, strong ball handling ability, good athleticism and rebounds well for his position. He's one of those players that can go coast-to-coast for buckets and he did a little bit of everything for NOLA 23 from scoring to defending.

Corey Smooth — Rummel 2020 5'11 PG

I absolutely love this kid's game and mentality. He plays with excellent pace and is way ahead of the curve as a decision-maker at the point guard spot. He can score and distribute and picks his spots well when deciding whether to do one or the other. Smooth was just as important to NOLA 23's success in the Grassroots tournament as Royal and scored a team-high 27 in NOLA 23's OnTheRadar championship win on April 23.

Reggie Gause — Covington 2020 6'1 CG

Gause is a methodical player with a lot of ability and he put that on display in the Grassroots tournament two weeks ago. He's a very good shooter from deep but also attacked the rim well and finished in traffic.

Elton Lomax — John Ehret 2020 6'5 C/F

Lomax was NOLA 23's top big man in the Grassroots tournament cleaning up boards and protecting the rim and he also finished well offensively in the paint. He played his role perfectly and is a reliable player inside.

River Parish Rockets

Dylan Lorio — Hahnville 2020 5'9 PG

The Grassroots HoopFest was my first time seeing Lorio but this kid looks like an absolute baller. He knocked down contested 3's at a high rate and also blew by defenders and scored in traffic with both hands. Lorio also has a good feel for the game as a passer but his ability to put up buckets was his best attribute. You don't have to take my word for it, though, his 11-minute HUDL highlight as a freshman at Hahnville has plenty of evidence.

Dwyn Scott — Hahnville 2019 5'8 G

Scott was just coming off of an achilles injury but was able to make enough of an impact to help the River Parish Rockets reach the championship game against NOLA 23. He hit a couple of shots from deep and should make a little noise over the summer as he gets healthier.

Adonis Friloux — Hahnville 2020 5'11 F

Friloux was a scrappy presence in the paint for the River Parish Rockets rebounding, blocking shots and coming up with steals. He did a lot of the little things that go unseen and was the glue for the River Parish Rockets during their run to the championship.

New Orleans Elite

Glenn Rhone — Sophie B. Wright 2020 6'4 F

Rhone was another player in the tournament that wore his competitiveness on his sleeve, which was a big reason N.O. Elite climbed out of an 11-0 deficit to start the game. Rhone never stopped competing and stood out most as a rebounder and defender matching up with NOLA 23's top players in the semifinals. He also gave the 16U team a few minutes in their semifinal matchup as well.

Harlan Dixon — Slidell 2020 5'10 PG

Dixon is another talented prospect on a sneaky good Slidell team and he was N.O. Elite's best perimeter player against NOLA 23. He jumped passing lanes for a couple of steals, finished in transition and did a good job finding teammates for open looks.

D.J. Morton — University Lab 2020 6'2 G

Morton is a lanky guard with an interesting skillset. He has a quick release from long range and finishes in traffic better than one would expect from a player his size.

Jaden Williams — St. Augustine 2020 5'9 G

Williams knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers in the second half to give New Orleans Elite some life and the confidence he shot them with leads me to believe there's more where that came from.

Grassroots HoopFest 15U Scouting Reports: NOLA 23 & River Parish Rockets & N.O. Elite

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