Southeastern PA Grassroots Report – Week II
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[player_tooltip player_id="991188" first="Jameel" last="Brown"] of Team Final EYBL & Haverford School. Photo: Haverford School Athletics This past weekend tournaments such as the KYDA Invitational (PA); Zero Gravity PA State Championships (PA); Crossover East Coast Regional (PA); and East Coast Showdown…
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Continue ReadingThis past weekend tournaments such as the KYDA Invitational (PA); Zero Gravity PA State Championships (PA); Crossover East Coast Regional (PA); and East Coast Showdown II (PA) pitted southeastern Pennsylvania’s grassroots squads against many of the elite regional teams on the circuit.
Below is a review of prospects from southeastern Pennsylvania who played well on the grassroots circuit this past weekend.
17U (2022)
Jameel Brown Jameel Brown 6'4" | SG Westtown School | 2022 State #180 Nation PA – 6’4” / Junior / Haverford School / Team Final EYBL / Combo Guard: Brown was committed to Purdue, but recently reopened his recruiting process and the offers should come pouring in this spring/summer. Brown is an elite backcourt player and one of the top prospects in the state. He possess filthy handles, long range shooting skills, a high basketball IQ, rebounding instincts and off-the-charts athleticism. At the KYDA Invitational (PA), on a grassroots team full of star level prospects, Brown showed the unique ability to take over a game without scoring the ball on every trip.
Dereck Lively II Dereck Lively II 7'1" | C Westtown School | 2022 State #3 Nation PA – 6’10” / Westtown School / Team Final EYBL / Center: Lively II continued to show he is worthy of all the accolades by absolutely dominating the paint at the KYDA Invitational (PA). He consistently finished alley oops and 2nd chance opportunities with authority. At this pace, Lively II is going to turn Team Final into Lob City 2.0. He also flashed some mid-range game and had a few impressive passes out of double teams. At the defensive end Lively II is an intimidating shot blocker and clears the defensive boards. Despite Lively’s (and Brown’s) stellar play, Team Final finished 1-1 at the KYDA Invite.
16U (2023)
Xzayvier Brown – 6’2” / Roman Catholic / K-Low Elite / Point Guard: Brown is the text book definition of a point guard and thus a coach’s dream to have on the floor. On the break he makes all the right decisions and rarely turns the ball over. In the half-court he is poised and able to get the team into their sets. Lastly, Brown displays a good feel for when the squad needs a bucket and then can go and score the ball. He led K-Low Elite to a 2-0 record at the KYDA Invitational (PA) and has offers from Saint Joseph’s and Drexel.
Justin Edwards Justin Edwards 6'6" | PF Imhotep Charter | 2023 State #3 Nation PA – 6’7” / Imhotep Charter / Team Final EYBL / Wing: After a very impressive weekend at MADEHoops Midwest Mania (IN) where he led his squad to the championship, Edwards played well again at the KYDA Invitational (PA). TF-EYBL was a solid 1-1 at the KYDA. However, Edwards continued to be very impressive. He is an elite, lefty wing player who can get buckets in the half court off the dribble and/ or in transition. He also displayed stop and pop three point shooting ability. His defense is well above average and he appears to have good instincts for knifing through passing lanes for steals. Recently added Oklahoma State and Temple to his growing list of schools that have offered him a scholarship.
Deywilk Tavarez Deywilk Tavarez 6'2" | CG Academy of New Church | 2023 State PA – 6’2” / Shipley School / Philly Pride / Combo Guard: This winter Tavarez and Shipley had a very limited season (5 games). So Tavarez is really looking to turn some heads this spring/summer. At the East Coast Showdown II event he did just that. Tavarez killed defenses with his well-rounded skill set. In transition he is extremely versatile. He can push the rock for a bucket or to drop a dime on a teammate. He can also fill a lane on the fast break and score by slashing to the hoop. In the half court, he is deadly with the three point shot and/or he can put the ball on the deck to score in the paint.
15U (2024)
Elijah Duval Elijah Duval 6'2" | SG Martin County | 2024 #118 Nation FL – 6’3” / Msgr. Bonner / WeR1 / Point Guard: Technically, WeR1 is a grassroots program based out of Delaware, but since Duval attends high school in Pennsylvania and was so impressive this past weekend at the East Coast Showdown II event, we are going to include him in this week’s report. As long as Duval’s noticeably aggressive and explosive style of play on offense continues, the Russell Westbrook comparison will continue to be the only description that does his unique game justice. Plain and simple, Duval is a playmaker who can score the rock or set up teammates – in transition and the half-court.
Norman Gee, Jr. – 5’10” / North Penn / PA Running Aces / Point Guard: A complete point guard who scored 20+ points in several games at the Crossover East Coast Regional (PA) tournament, Gee is a prospect to keep an eye on this spring/summer. He thrived in pick-n-roll and shot the ball very well, including from behind the arc. Additionally, Gee’s stout defense was a big reason the PA Running Aces made it to the championship game of their 15U division this weekend.
Ty Mishock Ty Mishock 5'10" | PG Spring Ford | 2024 PA – 5’10” / Devon Prep / East Coast Power-Danzig / Combo Guard: After crushing it in the Philadelphia Catholic League this past winter, Mishock (8.7 ppg. & 43% from three) has used that momentum to find success on the spring grassroots circuit. He continues to play with composure beyond his years and is a dead-eye shooter from behind the arc. This past weekend, Mishock’s aggressive play at both ends of the floor helped push ECP-Danzig to a 4-0 record and capture their division’s hardware at the Zero Gravity PA State Championships.
Robert Wright III Robert Wright III 6'0" | PG Montverde Academy (FL) | 2024 State #35 Nation FL – 6’0” / Neumann-Goretti / Team Final EYBL / Combo Guard: Wright III and Team Final EYBL (3-1) crushed it at the MADEHoops Midwest Mania (IN) and kept it rolling this past weekend at the KYDA Invitational (PA) where they posted a 2-0 record. In wins over the NY Rens and Team Thrill, Wright III continued to prove he is one of the top combo guards in southeastern PA. He owns elite level quickness, ball-on-a-string handles, outstanding court vision and the ability drain the 3-ball off the dribble or pick action.