Jack’s 15U Southern Standouts
The Hoop Group Southern JamFest was this past weekend, and being a guy who covers Virginia high school and AAU basketball it is one of the biggest and best tournaments of the year that I cover. With shoe company team and other great programs coming from all over the east coast to compete with teams in our backyard, it is always one of the most entertaining weekends of the summer for us.
We had all five of our Prep Hoops contributors from Virginia and Maryland in attendance, so we’ll have all sorts of coverage from the event this week. With that being said, I will be breaking down some of my standouts from not just Virginia, but all teams. Here’s a look at the 15U standouts that I saw.
Efton Reid | 6’11” C | Team Loaded VA 15U
Reid is looking like one of the best prospects in the state so far in his young career, and he showed all of that as he was named MVP of the 15U division after leading Loaded VA to the championship. At 6’11”, Reid is doing things that many players his size can’t do at any age, let alone as a rising sophomore. He has great hands and feet, a good feel and understanding for the game on both ends of the floor and a skill set that includes the ability to score in the paint with both hands and a jumper that extends to the three point line. He’ll be a guy that will be recruited at the highest level moving forward.
Jason Nelson | 5’6” PG | Team Loaded VA 15U
Really, any of the starting five and more for Loaded VA 15s could be mentioned as a standout, but a lot of that came from Nelson setting the tone and getting others easy shots. After leading Varina to a state championship as a freshman, Nelson continues to show that he’s a guy that despite his size, is a big time performer against the best of the best. He controls the tempo, handles pressure, sees the floor well and is able to make open shots on the perimeter and finish over bigger players in the paint.
Mike Gray | 6’2” G | Team Loaded VA 15U
Gray is the dog of the guard group for Loaded VA, as he has an energy and toughness about him that you can’t teach. The 6’2” combo guard can really score the basketball from all over the floor, and he’s a guy who scores it in bunches when his team needs him to. He can shoot the rock off the catch from deep, but also has a free flowing handle that allows him to break down defenders in isolation situations, and he’s a good finisher through contact and in traffic.
Christian Moore | 6’0” PG | Boo Williams 15U
Nicknamed “The Microwave,” Moore is a guy who can score it in bunches and did a lot of that in helping BWSL get to the Final Four before falling to Loaded VA. He comes off the bench and is the perfect sixth man, because he’s instant offense once he steps on the floor. He’s a lights out shooter from deep with a quick release and good footwork, but he’s also patient and smart with a killer pump fake that allows him to attack closeouts and score or make plays for others in the paint.
Justin Taylor | 6’4” G | Team Loaded CVA 15U
Mentioned as one of our “Top freshman shooters in VA,” Taylor showed why as he was lights out for Loaded CVA in a close loss to Philly Supreme. He finished with 23 points, and hit 5 three-pointers, but he did a little bit more than that as well as he showed that he can be a secondary ball handler and playmaker as well. With his length and skill set, he has a chance to be very good as he develops.
Tyrell Harris | 6’6” F | Higher Level 15U
Harris is one of four freshman that played on varsity for Potomac this season, but he was limited by injuries for most of the high school season. We saw the potential moving forward however, as he put up 18 points and likely had a double-double in a loss to BWSL Pettaway. The 6’6” forward was active on the glass on both ends, defended in the paint and finished out to 15 feet.