NYBA Primetime Showcase 2025 Standouts

The 2021 Tennessee Primetime Showcase delivered outstanding grassroots basketball, as teams from across the southeast and beyond gathered to battle on the hardwood. The talent level didn’t disappoint as there were players dazzling spectators all throughout the weekend. Let’s take a look at some of the top 2025 standouts.

Tucker Reece Whitley / 6’1 / Shooting Guard / The UN 2025 / Fayette County High School (Fayette, AL)

Instagram: tuckerwhitley

If you are looking for elite shooters, look no further than Tucker. Coming out the gate, he dropped 30-points and was absolutely lethal from behind the arc. Literally, parents and players told other coaches who were about to play Tucker’s team about him and not to leave him open. He was one of the purest shooters that I saw all weekend. His shooting ability was impressive, but what was even more impressive was his ability to create space and get open by cutting when defenders crowded him. He moves exceptionally well without the ball, which will pay huge dividends for him as he continues to develop. He has some areas of opportunities for growth, as do all players at this age. Tucker needs to get stronger as he struggled when mixing it up in the paint going after rebounds. He handled the ball well in transition but needs to continue to develop his handles so that when the game slows down into the half-court, he can still create his shot off the bounce.

I am sure those things will come as it is obvious Tucker puts in work, as no one can stroke the rock like this kid and not spend the time working on it.

I am excited to see this kid’s development over the next couple of years.

Terrion Burgess / 6’8 / Point Guard / Arkansas Hawks 2025 / Forrest City Junior High School (Forrest City, AR)

Instagram: terrion_23

Terrion made his case as the best 2025 player at the Primetime Showcase. Let me just go ahead and say that there were times when he was literally unstoppable, and teams had no answer for him. He has excellent size standing at 6’8 and was dominant in the paint even though he is listed as a PG. The givens are 1. He dominated the paint. 2. He controlled the boards. 3. He protected the rim with his shot-blocking ability. What was eye-opening was his ability to handle the ball in the open court and make good decisions in transition. He showed his ability to step out and knock down the 3.

He is extremely quick off his feet and plays above the rim, as there were moments he just put on dunk shows.

He is an interesting prospect over the next couple of years, as his development to play inside and out will factor tremendously into his projections. As a listed PG, I want to see his ability to be a floor general and play in certain concepts and actions in the half-court. At Primetime, I couldn’t get that feeling, as he was so dominant on the low block. When you see Terrion, you will probably agree that the weight room will have to be a place he enjoys being in, as getting stronger will be a necessity as he prepares for the next level.

Jeremy Jackson / 6’2 / Guard / NYBA Elite 2025 / Spring Hill Middle School (Spring Hill, TN)

Instagram: thatjaxonkid

On a team that is loaded with talent, Jeremy showed that he was not to be overlooked. He was highly active on both ends of the court the entire weekend. I have watched this team on several occasions, and Jeremy has been there, but this past weekend he truly stood out as he was impacting all areas of the game. Jeremy’s game is becoming extremely polished at this age, and he is setting himself up to be an all-around impactful player. His versatility on both ends of the court makes him a significant asset to be utilized in whatever style a team plays.

The remainder of the spring and summer will be huge for Jeremy as he continues to improve on his weekend performances.

He has a lot of skills in the tool-bucket, and the impressive thing is he knows how and when to use them all. The area of opportunity for growth for Jeremy is something that many at this age struggle with, and that is consistency. For Jeremy, that means can he provide the type of play that he gave at Primetime consistently. He has the skill set and the talent to do it, but can he week after week, bring it. I am sure I will see his squad again soon, and I will provide that answer. So stay tuned.

Joakim Dodson / 6’3 / Small Forward / Team Thad 2025 / Memphis University School (Memphis, TN)

Instagram: joakimdodson1_

This was my first time laying eyes on Joakim, and his game didn’t disappoint. He has an excellent physical profile and plays an aggressive physical style. As I watched Team Thad, I gathered that Joakim plays a huge role in this team’s success. He is surrounded by good players, but it is something about his poise and presence on the court that keeps the team clicking on all cylinders. He is highly efficient with his offensive opportunities. He is active on the boards and has a high post face-up game that is difficult for many to defend, as he can knock down the mid-range and attack the rim off the bounce. He is versatile on O and D.

On defense, he gets after it, and he can defend multiple positions.

Right now, he can guard every position depending on the matchups at this age.

As he gets into high-level high school play, he has the capacity to defend the 1-3, as he continues to work on this area of his game. I was thoroughly impressed how he got after it on the defensive end but make no mistake about it; he knows how to produce on offense as he finds ways to score. His area of opportunity for growth is his ability to expand his game more to the perimeter. He can handle the rock in the open court, but I would like to see him continue to develop his play in half-court situations on the perimeter. Now, as I always do, my disclaimer is Joakim may very well be highly efficient in his play on the perimeter in half-court situations, but the conditions in which I saw him at Primetime was his dominant play on high post catches, transition, and offensive boards.

Jevon Guess / 6’5 / Forward / Gametime Dynasty 2025 / Chapel Hill School (Indianapolis, IN)

Instagram: snm.vonnn

This was my first time laying eyes on Jevon, and all he did was drop 26pts in the first game I saw him. If you are talking about first impressions, he made a very good one. No one at Primetime in the 2025 class posted as hard as Jevon did on the low block. He was not only working establishing position, but he was putting in work on every post catch. The team literally had no answer for him, as face guarding to double teams did not work. He has good footwork and has a go-to spin-move that was difficult to defend. He has a good-size body that will develop as he begins to hit the weight room more.

As he gets stronger and begins to truly understand how to use his body on the low block, he will be even a greater force to deal with.

Jevon is an impactful player as he asserts himself in the paint and at the rim, and defenders feel his presence. His area of opportunity for growth is his left-hand usage. Many times he had opportunities to convert at the rim if he used his left hand to finish. As he continues to develop, I am sure the usage of the left to finish will be added to the toolbox.

Carter Webb / 6’0 / Guard / Intensity-615 2025 / Rocky Fork Middle School (Smyrna, TN)

Instagram: carter.bfl

Have you ever been watching a game, then at the end, when you look at the stat sheet from the game, you see a player that has scored 20 or more points, and you are wondering when did that happen? Well, that happened to me when I was watching Carter play, and I was left at the end of the game looking at a stat sheet that said Carter had poured in 20 points. I was scratching my head as to where did all those points come from. Then when I started to replay the game in my mind, I began to see how quietly Carter had produced. He can literally get it done from all areas on the court.

The intriguing thing about Carter is that he has the skillset and the ability to be more aggressive on the offensive end, which is somewhat a scary scenario for future defenders.

One thing about Carter is that he seems to always be in the right position to be productive with the ball in his hands. He is a reliable player for a coach to have on the floor. He has a balanced floor game, and as you can see, can score the rock. His area of opportunity for growth is his strength and his desire to be more of a threat on the offensive end. I definitely would like to see Carter assert himself more, as the tools are there.

Kenton Smith, Jr. / 5’9 / Point Guard / Team Stark 2025 / Gateway Christian School Homeschool (Memphis, TN)

Instagram: kjdadonnn

One of the top 3 PGs in the 2025 class at Primetime was Kenton. That isn’t something to be taken lightly, as the class had some extremely talented floor generals in this tourney. Outside his cerebral mindset, approach to the game, and speed with the ball in his hands, Kenton has many tangibles on the court. His ability to create opportunities for teammates was an immediate eye-catcher, as he was finding teammates on time and on target so that all they had to do was finish at the rim or make the open J. His playmaking ability was never questioned, and if he plays as he did at Primetime all the time, then that ability should never be questioned.

He is a major contributor for Team Stark and, in my assessment, is the Alpha male on this team and everything starts with Kenton.

He is what makes this team go. When you look at his individual game in the context of his production in the scoring column, he gets it done. Being a gifted ball-handler puts him in opportunities to get buckets off the bounce, and he is absolutely lethal from behind the arc. He is an excellent rebounder from the guard spot, which only benefits his team as he can push off the board and get in transition faster. His area of opportunity for growth is, like many at this age, his physical profile. He has to get stronger, as his style of play and getting in the paint will impact his body as he goes to the next level.

This is round 1 of the 2025 standouts at the 2021 Primetime Showcase in Nashville TN, stay tuned for round 2.