Battle of The Magic City: 2025 Standouts
2021 grassroots basketball season is underway, and teams from across the country gathered in the historical city of Birmingham, AL, to test their talents in the Battle of The Magic City. There were loaded teams with top talent everywhere you…
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Continue Reading2021 grassroots basketball season is underway, and teams from across the country gathered in the historical city of Birmingham, AL, to test their talents in the Battle of The Magic City. There were loaded teams with top talent everywhere you turned, and for me, that was magic.
Where do you start when in a gym and there is talent screaming, “Look at me?” There was only one real option and that was to settle down and enjoy what was before my eyes. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if that is the case, there was a lot of beauty at the Battle of the Magic City.
So let’s get right into it. Here is some of the top talent in the class of 2025 that I was able to behold.
Salim London
6’2 / SG / Alabama Fusion / Bumpus Middle School (Hoover AL)
Instagram: yung.kid.leem_
One of the smoothest players was this lefty wing at the Battle of the Magic City. Salim has the potential and all the tools to be a star. He was so impressive in so many different ways on the court. He has a real knack for scoring and did it from all levels. Showed a tremendous pull-up jumper off the dribble that was extremely difficult to guard. He is a big-time Iso Scorer that is shifty and has the handles to get him to his spots on the court. I am incredibly high on Salim as he did it all on both ends of the court. He defended well, contested shots at the rim, rebounded nicely from the guard spot, and not to mention that he is a marksman from behind the arc.
He has a good feel for the game and showed that he can make players around him better.
We will be hearing a lot from Salim as long as he continues to put in the work to be one of the top players in the state of AL in a couple of years. Opportunities For Growth: Just in case Salim does not grow anymore or only grows one or two more inches, he will have to continue to improve his handles for the next level. He has to continue to work on his body’s physical aspect, which includes quickness, lateral movement, and physical strength, which will come as he begins to put work in the weight room.
Cameron Sparks
6’5 / Forward / AOT / Baylor School (TN)
Instagram: _cameron.24_
There was a lot of talk surrounding Cameron throughout the weekend. Many was saying that he will end up being a football guy, but make no mistake about it; he is an absolute beast on the court. He literally was dominant on the offensive end. Scoring at the rim and doing so by making some very athletic plays. He is extremely explosive off the floor and has a quick second jump that makes him even more difficult to deal with. He has a tremendous physical profile, which will continue to develop, as you can already tell that he has been spending some time in the weight room. At times, he was just physically imposing and imposed his will and his size on defenders. There was a lull in his activity at times, but that has more to do with the talent that is around him, and give Coach Savage his due for keeping everyone happy on that team, as he has some studs across the board. Because of his athleticism, Cam is versatile on both ends of the court. At the current stage amongst his peers, his size helps him creates his own shots, and on the defensive end, he can match up against bigger guards and post players.
Cameron was one of the most explosive players at the Battle of The Magic City and will be a force to reckon with this spring and summer.
Opportunities For Growth: When making a projection for Cameron over the next couple of years, it will come down to this, will he grow anymore. Let’s just say that he doesn’t, then we will need to see Cam’s handles expand and his cerebral posture improve from a perimeter standpoint. I did not see much from his jumper from the perimeter, but that is not to say that he cannot knock down the perimeter shot. That is just to say that he played to his strengths when I was watching him, but I will be watching more of him this year to see if he can knock it down outside the paint.
John Preston Lash
6’5 / Small Forward / Team Charlotte UAA / Charlotte Christian School (Charlotte NC)
Instagram: John_lash6
He is listed as a SF, and I am aware that many say we are in an era where basketball is positionless, but I would say that John is a Point-Forward. When you talk about a player getting it done in a multi-faceted of ways, then John is that guy. At this stage, among his peers, he can play inside and out and effectively play either way. Had probably one of if not the best IQ’s amongst the 2025 division players at the Battle of The Magic City. When it comes to his physical stature, he is physically mature and uses his body well to make plays off the bounce and in the paint. He handles the rock well and is highly deceptive with the ball off the bounce, which kept defenders guessing. Not only can he get his own shot, but often he was moved to the PG spot in which he showed his versatility to facilitate and create for others. He has excellent instincts on both ends of the court, and I was genuinely impressed with his ability to play passing lanes with active hands on the defensive end. He works extremely hard on the boards and often kept possessions alive for his teams by hitting the offensive boards.
He is a steady presence for Team Charlotte and seemed to be the player that held things together.
He has enormous potential, and I will be watching him throughout this year, to monitor his development from tourney to tourney. Opportunities For Growth: As usual, I preference this portion by letting readers know this comes from when I was viewing the player. So with John, I am not saying that he is not, but I definitely want to see him more consistent from beyond the arc. Also would like to see him take advantage of the opportunities to post up smaller guards when he has those opportunities.
Amir Taylor
6’6 / Power Forward/Center / Georgia Stars / Snellville Middle School (Snellville GA)
Instagram: Iam.kingmir
I had to save a spot for the big boys in the paint, and Amir was one of the top post players at the Battle of The Magic City. While I was watching Amir play, a lady sitting behind me, after Amir made a bucket, said, “he looks like a big baby.’ So as I started to watch Amir, I started wondering, is this another Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis in the making. To opponents, they may have felt that they were guarding the real ‘Big Baby’ because Amir was physically imposing and owned the low block. He impacted both ends of the floor, was difficult to contain on offense, and impacted shots on the defensive end. It was good to see Amir’s ability to leverage his size to put him in situations to be dominant in the paint. I was impressed with his ability to face up and take his opponent off the dribble. As he continues to expand his skillset by adding tools to his toolbox, Amir’s test will be how he matches up with other elite Centers across the country. One thing is for sure, and that is Amir’s game is ready for the challenge, and as he continues to put in the work, he is only going to get better.
Amir can put his imprint on every game that he plays this spring and summer, and with his size and talent, there isn’t a reason why he should not.
Opportunities For Growth: I would like to see Amir step out and make the perimeter jumper and ultimately expand his range to beyond the arc to stretch the floor. As he begins to spend time in the weight room, we will start to see a stronger and more physically low post player. As with all low post players at this age, I want to see Amir incorporate guard skills during his workouts as he continues to develop over the next couple of years.
Jamal Chretien II
6’3 / SG / Houston Hoops Blue Chips 2025 / Homeschool (Houston TX)
Instagram: Jmash_24
HHBC has a playmaker on their squad with Jamal. He is a lefty slasher that gets it done on the offensive end. He gets you off the bounce with a quick first step, and if you go to sleep defending him or just leave your hands down, he is scoring from behind the arc with deep range. Jamal is a significant contributor for HHBC but put him with any squad, and he is going to produce. He is a gamer who knows how to use his quickness off the bounce, making it difficult for defenders to keep him out of the paint. At this age, I am confident that this will continue at the next level, and that is his ability to shoot over smaller guards.
You would think that an offensive weapon like Jamal would tend to conserve energy on the defensive end, but that was not the case; he competed on both ends of the court.
Jamal brings a lot to the table now and will at the next level. Opportunities For Growth: Jamal has to get stronger. With HHBC, he has an excellent PG that runs the show, but I would like to see him step into that position more and run the team.
Meleek Thomas
6’2 / SG / FCAA / First Love Christian Academy (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Instagram: Meleek.Thomas
Meleek was the ultimate competitor at Battle of Magic City. If the remainder of the spring and summer will be anything like what he showed in AL, then his stock is definitely on the rise. He has all the tools on the offensive end. He can get to the basket off the bounce and finishes extremely well at the rim. He is an unselfish player as he often created open teammates off of his dribble penetration and made the right decision dishing the ball out. His length helps him defend on the perimeter, and he plays just as hard on the defensive end as he does the offensive end.
His C&S is consistent from behind the arc, which makes him a difficult cover.
Meleek can play in virtually any scenario and can handle the P&R action. Opportunities For Growth: The weight room will be a massive benefit to Meleek’s game as he competes against others on an elite level. I’d like to see him split some time at the PG spot and facilitate more because as I was watching him, his hidden treasure is his ability to make others around him better.
King Keary
6’0 / PG / NYBA Elite / Goodpasture (Nashville TN)
Instagram: iamdkeary1
The previous two times that I have seen King were in camp settings, but this time I was able to see him in action with his team. He is definitely the Alpha-Male on his squad, and he was one of the top guards at the Battle of Magic City. He is a prolific scorer and does it in a multiplicity of ways.
His handles continue to be a significant weapon against defenders as he consistently keeps defenders off-balance and guessing.
I have seen it before covering King, but his ability to change speeds is one of the best that I have seen. He knows how to use his dribble to get to his spots on the floor, where he is the most effective. He is not a pass-first PG, but you want the ball in his hands because he has a good IQ and feel for the game and makes the right plays. Standing at 6’0, you would think that he would have challenges finishing in the paint, but he has a multiplicity of ways to score, as I said earlier. Opportunities For Growth: As with many his age, as you have gathered or you will see, the weight room has to be where King spends more time. As he has opportunities to compete on different levels, he will have to continue building his body and improving his strength to take bigger and stronger guards’ physicality. He has such a knack for scoring, but I’d like to see him set up his teammates more and put them in situations where they can succeed.
Jayden Cameron Bynes
6’1 / Guard / Game Elite / McEachern high school (Powder Springs, Georgia)
Instagram: jayden_bynes
I had to stop several times and get up and see where Jayden was launching his trey ball from. The more I saw him launch, the more I started to wonder just how much range this kid has because he was letting them go from deep behind the arc. He is a very intriguing player as he can shoot from deep, excels in transition, and finishes well at the rim. He is very active and energetic and could be considered a spark plug scorer.
Jayden is a player that you don’t want to get a full steam coming at you in transition because, again and again, he proved that defenders guarding him in transition often found themselves in a helpless situation.
Opportunities For Growth: It is understood that Jayden’s strength is being able to get into transition, but we all know that the game does slow down, and you have to play in the half-court. With Jayden’s ability to knock down the trey ball, I would love to see him work on his ability to score off cutting. His ability to move without the ball and get separation will make him an even more difficult cover.
Peyton Wiggins
6’1 / Guard / Steel City Gators / W.J. Christian (Birmingham AL)
Instagram: peytonpnutwigg13
There was a lot of talk around Peyton throughout the weekend. He has good size at the PG spot and was a gamer throughout the weekend at the Battle of Magic City. He is an impressive multi-dimensional lead guard and has a balanced floor game. He can facilitate, and he can score. He has enormous potential, and he flashed it throughout the weekend. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, I found out that he had been starting for the varsity team at Huffman High School (Birmingham, AL), and he was holding his own. Getting in the paint off the bounce was never a problem for this PG.
He is an incredibly smart player for his age, and his playmaking ability was amongst the top among PGs at the Battle of Magic City.
IN MY EYES, he has an opportunity to be an outstanding player coming out of the state of Alabama, perhaps one of the best if not the best point guards, and college coaches should go ahead and put this young man on their board. Opportunities For Growth: I didn’t see the consistency in his shot from the perimeter as I would like to for the caliber player that he is, but I will be following him throughout the spring and summer to see if he was just struggling at the Battle of Magic City or just taking advantage of opportunities to get to the basket, in the games that I saw him. I would like to see Peyton also continue to add finishing tools to his toolbox, as he is a player that can live in the paint.
Shelton Henderson
6’3 / Point Guard / JL3 Battle / St. Thomas More Parish School (Houston, Texas)
Instagram: shelt0n2_
Shelton flashed his athleticism throughout the Battle of Magic City. He has a repertoire of tools in his toolbox on the offensive end that demonstrated why he was one of the elite scorers at the Battle of Magic City. Not only did he set the tone for his team, but he controlled the pace of the game at times. With his ability to produce in the open court, pushing the tempo was advantageous for him and his team.
I have seen players get to the rim in transition, but Shelton attacks the rim with a vengeance.
He is extremely tough in transition, played downhill, and sought out contact on his attacks. Shelton, with his 6’3 frame, is a playmaking point guard that scored at will. Opportunities For Growth: As much as Shelton goes to the goal and seeks out contact, it is important that he builds his body to fit the level of play he will be exposed to.
This is just Part 1 so stay tuned for Part 2 as I share with you what I saw at The Battle of The Magic City.