AAB Super Bowl: Junior standouts

Gregg Rosenberg September 22, 2020 @ 10:25 AM

September 12-13 I attended the All-Academic Basketball Super Bowl. This group goes into many cities in the US and came through to Phoenix at the Phhacility. Over 200 players were participating in this event with, according to the director, there were 188 coaches tuning in and watching online over the weekend.   Here were some of the junior standouts I viewed: [player_tooltip player_id="766840" first="Aidan" last="Mahaney"] Campolindo (CA) (Pictured) -The top PG in attendance had many special moments. He makes the game look easy from making plays to scoring it. Everytime his team needed a bucket, he got it or facilitated for his teammates. His ability to keep his dribble alive in tight spaces makes his game go. He is extremely athletic and can explode or burst into the lane and finish in traffic. His 3-ball was clicking and his pull-up off the dribble is crisp. [player_tooltip player_id="947816" first="Miles" last="Byrd"] Lincoln (CA) -A long and lean high upside wing is just scratching the surface. He can shoot the 3 and he has good ball skills. He can pull-up off the dribble from mid-range and he is a smart passer plus jumps and moves fluidly around the court. The son of former McDonald’s All-American and Villanova player Calvin Byrd is a player to track. [player_tooltip player_id="766848" first="Takai" last="Emerson-Hardy"] Vanden (CA) -A super athletic forward can fly in the open court. He has great length with a great body and plays way above the rim on the break. He rebounds the ball at a high rate and he can defend multiple positions from battling with the post players to covering out on the perimeter. Jac Mani PF 6’8 Beverly Hills (CA) -A true face-up 4-man has a pretty stroke from the perimeter. He played extremely well vs every other talented forward and made a name for himself. He has great length and blocks shots with it. He likes the mid-range jumper and has an easy 3pt stroke. He can use an up and under move with good post footwork. [caption id="attachment_1052060" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/IMG_8927.jpg?1600642085198"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1052060" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/IMG_8927-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Mani is a West Coast sleeper.[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="972412" first="Shyheim" last="Parm"] Cajon (CA) -The quintessential pure PG has a yo-yo handle and elite speed with the ball. He changes directions quickly and gets into tight spaces with his handle. He can hit the deep ball and gets into the lane to usually make a play off of it or he has a runner and floater. Aidan Braccia Sacred Heart (CA) -A smart shooting lefty was one of the more consistent 3pt shooters there with deep range. He has a quick trigger and gets high elevation on his jumpers. He makes very good passes and has a great feel for the game. He squares to basket so quickly and rises up from mid-range. He is a little thin but is skilled, smart and has real court vision. [player_tooltip player_id="827016" first="Jason" last="Parent"] Prescott -A long and lean wing is very athletic and he can shoot it. He is consistent from the 3pt line plus is polished with his mid-range pull-up off the dribble. He is a good passer and smart player. He is competitive on defense and his natural bounce is impressive. [player_tooltip player_id="936769" first="Cameron" last="Coraggio"] Horizon -Deep 3pt specialist. He has a nice high release and fairly consistent with it. He has pretty good size and length for his position. He can improve his ball handling but plays the game the right way and moves without the ball. Asher Gardner PF 6’5 San Clemente (CA) -A physical forward who is active inside. He is mostly under the rim but uses his frame and build to carve out space to rebound and score with both hands. He is crafty and smart near the hoop. He can grab out of area rebounds and plays with a huge motor.