Hot Starts: Post Grad and National HS Prospects

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">LOS ANGELES, CA -  As the post grad and national high school teams start play, the opportunities for players to make a name for themselves begin.  A new season means new players on new teams.  Here are some prospects who had a hot start with a big weekend:</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[embed]https://twitter.com/TheSlamNJam/status/1325507880183685121[/embed]</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="939986" first="Justin" last="Gladney"] (G, NELA Prep Post Grad, 2021) Graduating Fairfax High School at only 17 years old, the young lefty took storm and dominated the court on both ends of the court for NELA Prep.  The 6’1” guard improved in many facets of his game, and showed a new killer mentality.  Gladney has excellent footwork in attacking the basket utilizing euro and hop steps to get to the bucket.  He also did a great job being a catalyst and getting his teammates involved.  On defense, Gladney wrecked havoc in the passing lanes and did an excellent job staying in front of the ball handler.  In NELA Prep’s debut win, Gladney finished with 18 pts, 6 assists, and 2 steals. School’s should keep an eye on Gladney who is extremely young at 17 to be playing post grad basketball, usually playing against guys who are usually 2 years older than him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>LaTwan Brown</strong> (G, Ron Institute National HS, 2022) After moving from Portland, Oregon to SoCal, the 6’5” wing made his debut for Coach Myles Thomas.  Brown did not disappoint as he displayed the ability to score in many facets en route to a team high 14 points.  Primarily known as a slasher with his acrobatic leaping ability, Brown showed that defenders will also guard him beyond the arc as he swished 3 three balls with confidence.  If he can consistently hit his outside shots, Brown will continue to rise up the charts and see his ranking climb.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dionte Hill</strong> (G, Underrated Talent Union Post Grad, 2021) The former San Lorenzo guard made his UTU debut vs NELA Prep and showed why he was 1st team in his division in the Bay.  Hill is a strong speedy guard who is shifty with the ball.  He uses his creative moves to freeze defenders and free up space en route to finishes at the rim.  When he is not scoring, he also displayed the ability to penetrate and create for others.  Several times on drives, Hill was able to dish to open shooters and also drop off dimes to guys under the rack for easy buckets. With more playing time in front of media and scouts, Hill will be another prospect who should see his name garner more interest as the season goes on. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Jakobe Thompson</strong> (G, NELA Prep National HS, 2021)  Moving all the way from Racine, WI, the speedy and crafty left handed guard had a huge debut in SoCal with a 22 point game. Thompson is a left handed guard who has a high IQ and is crafty with the ball.  Thompson makes the right plays and knows when to attack the rim and when to create for others.  Jakobe has good acceleration with the ball, and is not afraid of contact.  Most of his finishes at the rim were either contested and he either finished through the defender or he changed his shot and still converted.  At 6’1”, Thompson has good size to go along with skill for a next level floor general.  In Wisconsin, he was named 2019-2020 All South-East team and also took only 52 games to reach 1,000 points.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Kevin Siakam</strong> (F, NELA Prep Post Grad, 2021)  After spending most of his high school career in Virginia, the first cousin of NBA pro Pascal Siakam, Kevin, made his Los Angeles debut and showed tons of potential to be a high level wing.  Siakam stands in at 6’8” and can do a bit of everything on the court.  He showed the ability to slash and get to the rim, and also showed a nice tough from mid range.  His length and body allows him to help weak side and alter shots.  Siakam also has a surprising handle which allows him to get by guards and find a way to the bucket.  Kevin is one of those players who showed signs of having many tools on the court and if harnessed correctly, he can be a D1 basketball player. </span></p> <p><br /> Other Notable Debuts: <br /> [player_tooltip player_id="700960" first="Zek" last="Montgomery"] (NELA Prep National HS) - 15 points<br /> <strong>Kendall Burrell</strong> (Underrated Talent Union Post Grad) - 15 points<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="745431" first="Christian" last="Oliver"] (NELA Prep Post Grad) - 10 points<br /> <strong>Paul Ezeama</strong> (Ron Institute) - 10 points<br /> <strong>Nathan Meithof</strong> (Ron Institute) - 10 points</p>