PassionSZN Kickoff: Day 1 Top Performers

<p><strong>2024 6-3 PG [player_tooltip player_id="1055704" first="Adrian" last="Shackleton"] – Bad Boys Basketball</strong></p> <p>The future is extremely bright for [player_tooltip player_id="1055704" first="Adrian" last="Shackleton"]. It didn’t take long to identify him as a top prospect on Friday night. Shackleton has tremendous size for a young guard – not only his height, but his strength. He has a stout lower body with strong legs that help him plant and push when changing directions. Shackleton is smooth with the ball. He’s advanced with how effortlessly he can handle, going behind the back and manipulating the defense when using ball screens. Shackleton impacts the game on both ends of the floor as a do-everything guard. He’s a very good rebounder and starts his own fast breaks. Adrian tallied 12 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks. The Cardinal Newman rising sophomore will be very popular very soon.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-6 F Khimani Hopkinson – Team Wright Tigers<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/IMG_5828.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1188056 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/IMG_5828-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></strong></p> <p>Khimani Hopkinson was active from the opening tip. He uses his length extremely well inside, able to snag rebounds over opponents and finish at the rim. Hopkinson runs the floor and can finish with authority inside. Hopkinson showcased a soft touch from the mid-range and also some ball handling as he went the length of the floor for a nice layup. Hopkinson has some ruggedness to his game when battling in the paint. Though he’s on the leaner side, he can get physical and force the issue. He had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in a 46-36 win.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-0 PG Keandre Kindell – Team Wright Tigers</strong></p> <p>Keandre Kindell came to life in the second half for Team Wright. He scored 12 of his 15 points in the frame as his toughness set the tone. Kindell didn’t back down in a heated exchange and was dealt a double-technical, but his teammates fed off the dog inside him as Team Wright erased a 6-point halftime deficit to edge Stampede by 10. Kindell is quick and shifty. His first step helps him get to wherever he wants to go. It was his jump shot that started to fall in the second half and really changed the complexion of the game.</p> <p><strong>2023 5-9 PG [player_tooltip player_id="1059030" first="Jaylen" last="Priester"] – Georgia Express 2023<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/IMG_5825.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1188057 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/IMG_5825-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></strong></p> <p>One of the lone teams from the Peach State, Georgia Express rode [player_tooltip player_id="1059030" first="Jaylen" last="Priester"] to a 63-57 win over a sharpshooting Dream Nation team. Priester poured in 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. The undersized lefty guard makes up for his lack of height with his strength and speed. Priester is like a running back hitting the hole in transition. When he sees a crease, he attacks it full speed and can get to the rack in a blink. Priester is a great finisher. He can score through contact and makes difficult lay-ins look casual. Priester is at his best when getting downhill. He had some nice passes in tight spaces in the paint. Continuing to add range on his outside shot will help Priester’s development. He hit a pretty mid-range pull-up off a jab step as his most impressive shot of the game in my book.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-4 F Arkese Parks – G1 Sports</strong></p> <p>The versatility of Arkese Parks was impressive. He’s got an athletic build and is capable of playing multiple positions on both ends of the floor. He sank two threes and showed off his ball skills as he went coast-to-coast in transition. Parks tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-4 F [player_tooltip player_id="1055703" first="Toney" last="Collins"] Jr. – Bad Boys Basketball</strong></p> <p>The inside-out play of [player_tooltip player_id="1055703" first="Toney" last="Collins"] caused matchup issues. Collins is a physical presence inside that can rebound in traffic and score up close, but he also stretches the floor with a feathery outside touch. The big forward produced 13 points and 5 rebounds.</p>