Grassroots HoopFest 16U Scouting Reports: NOLA 23 & Louisiana Jaguars
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 16U team beat New Orleans Basketball Club, 64-57, in the championship game and slipped past the Louisiana Jaguars, 58-53, in the semifinals. New Orleans Basketball Club beat New Orleans Elite, 51-43, in the other semifinal game and below are a few takeaways on the top players, as well as links to coverage of the event.
- Grassroots HoopFest 17U Scouting Reports: NOLA 23 & New Orleans Bulls
- Grassroots HoopFest 17U Scouting Reports: Bo McCaleb Select & N.O. BB Club
- Grassroots HoopFest 16U Scouting Reports: New Orleans Basketball Club vs. New Orleans Elite
- Grassroots HoopFest 15U Scouting Reports: NOLA 23 & River Parish Rockets & N.O. Elite
- NOLA 23 sweeps 17U-15U Grassroots HoopFest Titles
- NOLA 23 vs. Bo McCaleb Select: 17U Championship (Video)
- NOLA 23 vs. New Orleans Basketball Club 16U Championship (Video)
- NOLA 23 vs. River Parish Rockets: 15U Championship (Video)
- NOLA 23 vs. New Orleans Bulls: 17U Semifinals (Video)
- NOLA 23 vs. Louisiana Jaguars: 16U Semifinals (Video)
- New Orleans Basketball Club vs. New Orleans Elite: 16U Semifinals (Video)
- NOLA 23 vs. New Orleans Elite: 15U Semifinals (Video)
NOLA 23
Larenz Williams — Warren Easton 2019 6'5 G/W
Williams is a prospect with tons of upside and he's one of Louisiana's top players in the class of 2019. He defends at a high level and has incredible athleticism with the skills to match. He's relentless when attacking the rim and also has range to the 3-point arc off the dribble. Williams already reports an offer from Southern Miss and most recently played with Elfrid Payton Elite on the Nike circuit.
Dandrick Green — Salmen 2019 5'8 PG
Green caught my attention last summer with the New Orleans Rising Stars and he continues to impress each time I've seen him. He has a great feel for the game as a young point guard and has tons of confidence and playmaking ability as a scorer or distributor. He knocked down some big shots during NOLA 23's championship run in the Grassroots HoopFest tournament, including a 3-pointer to put them up 56-53 with 38 seconds left in the semifinals against the Louisiana Jaguars.
Damiree Burns — Sophie B. Wright 2019 6'5 W/F
Burns is a fiery, versatile player who is one of the more intriguing prospects in his class. He spent most of his time in the paint for NOLA 23 cleaning up rebounds but he also has the skills to play on the wing and made a big impact on the offensive end as well. He ran the floor as well as anybody in the tournament to get easy transition buckets and he has a smooth shooting stroke that extends out to the 3-point line.
Jourdan Smith — Shaw 2018 6'6 CG/W
Like Burns, Smith is a versatile player and he can be effective on or off the ball. His ball handling ability and playmaking allows him to operate as a point guard in a pinch and his length and athleticism allows him to guard positions from the 1-3 spot. You can get a more in-depth look at Smith by checking out his recently released recruiting report (video).
Daelon Murdock — Helen Cox 2018 6'1 G
Murdock is a good shooter that also finds other crafty ways to put the ball in the basket. He gets defenders off their feet with pump fakes as they pay respect to his jumper and he's capable of taking a dribble and pulling up for a midrange shot or using floaters closer to the rim.
Shadon Green — Landry-Walker 2019 5'9 G
Green is a quick, aggressive guard who is much in the mold of NOLA 23 2018 prospect Vernon Simms of Warren Easton. They both do their best work around the rim off strong drives from the perimeter and are capable shooters from distance.
Louisiana Jaguars
Allen “K.J.” Franklin — St. Amant 2019 5'10 G
Franklin played with an edge and had some big buckets in the Louisiana Jaguars' 58-53 semifinal loss to NOLA 23. He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just over two minutes left to give the LA Jags the lead but they weren't able to hold on down the stretch.
Jacoby Williams — Lutcher 2020 6'3 G
Williams is a great two-sport athlete that played up for the Louisiana Jaguars. He helped Lutcher win a state title in football this past season and brings some of that physicality to the guard spot on the basketball court attacking the rim.
Kash Foley — Riverside 2019 5'11 G
Foley wasn't quite as consistent as usual but he's a reliable shooter that found ways to contribute against NOLA 23 despite his jumper being slightly off. He was solid on the defensive end and continues to improve as a ball handler and distributor.
