PassionSZN Kickoff: 15U Stock Risers

<p>The Prep Hoops Passion SZN Kickoff this past weekend in Winter Haven, Florida was packed with talent and high energy games.</p> <p>I took in 20 games and here is a look at my top stock risers in the 15U division.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-4 G/F [player_tooltip player_id="1163412" first="Tong" last="Tong"] – KA Nightmares</strong></p> <p>Tong had 17 points and certainly showed out as an interrupter down low against BlackTop Basketball on Saturday. He has nice size, energy, pure athleticism and instincts on the attack. Bishop Kenny has a bonafide talent to work with this fall.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-0 G Devin Hirshman – Heart N’ Hustle Elite</strong></p> <p>In a scrappy win over Norcross Heat, Hirshman did his thing as the lead guard for Heart N’ Hustle Elite. He posted 12 points and really turned on the jets in the second half with smart takes to the rim and multiple trips to the free throw line. The IMG product has a high IQ and plays with poise.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-2 G Arkese Parks – G1 Sports</strong></p> <p>It was not surprising to find out that Parks is also a football player. He was the most athletic prospect I watched in the 15U division hands down. A blazer and leaper, Parks recorded 11 points for G1 Sports in a victory over the South Florida Spartans. The Wharton guard gets things done going downhill.</p> <p><strong>2024 5-10 G Jayden Pettyjohn – KA Nightmares</strong></p> <p>Strength and burst are both on the side of Pettyjohn. Alongside his high school teammate Tong at Bishop Kenny, the pair played well off one another. Pettyjohn had 12 points and simply plays hard and doesn’t slow down.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-4 G/F Connor Mohr – Heart N’ Hustle Elite</strong></p> <p>One of the best spot-up shooters I saw in the 2024 class, Mohr doesn’t need much room to get off his solid deep ball release. He scored 12 points against Norcross Heat, all coming from deep. Mohr certainly is a name to keep an eye on.</p> <p><strong>2024 5-8 G Optavis Oliver – KA Nightmares</strong></p> <p>The third piece of the fast paced and athletic KA Nightmares group was Oliver. He netted 12 points in the win over BlackTop Basketball and led the charge with confidence. An undersized but speedy guard, Oliver is well on his way at Palatka.</p> <p><strong>2024 5-11 G [player_tooltip player_id="1055777" first="Derek" last="Delgardo"] Jr. – G1 Sports</strong></p> <p>Just in glimpses, you could see the true potential of Delgardo Jr. He is shifty, confident with the ball and can finish with both hands. The Leto guard scored nine points in the win over the South Florida Spartans and pushed the cause on the break with good passes. He is a true playmaker.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-0 G Max Gonzalez – SSA Soldiers</strong></p> <p>Gonzalez didn’t slow down in a one-point loss to Norcross Heat. He played hard, rebounded well for a guard and was aggressive getting to the basket. I like the potential from the Lake Worth Christian product. </p> <p><strong>2024 5-6 G Glenn Matiba – Norcross Heat</strong></p> <p>Whenever Norcross Heat needed a bucket in a back and forth tilt with Heart N’ Hustle, it was Matiba that made it happen. He proved to be very crafty down the stretch with an 11-point outing. His effort level was fun to watch as he grinded it out with lay-ins and takes.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">15U: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHPassionSZNKickoff?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PHPassionSZNKickoff</a> <br /> <br /> 2024 Bishop Kenny forward [player_tooltip player_id="1163412" first="Tong" last="Tong"] with the nice take here for <a href="https://twitter.com/KA_Nightmares?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KA_Nightmares</a>. He is a gifted athlete who is just scratching the surface. <a href="https://twitter.com/PHCircuit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PHCircuit</a> <a href="https://t.co/KWyss9bvPE">pic.twitter.com/KWyss9bvPE</a></p> — ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakePerper/status/1391202695856406530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>