The Summit-Stock Risers

Over the weekend, Spooky Nook Sports was the home for Zero Gravity’s event called, ’The Summit.’ The event featured a slew of talented prospects throughout the 15-17U age groups. Adam Ayalew, Houston Wilson and myself all were in attendance, so you can expect a flood of content throughout the week. I’ll get things started on my end by taking a look at some stock risers from the games that I watched. [player_tooltip player_id="904620" first="Noah" last="Batchelor"] | 6’7 | Team Thrill ’22 Batchelor continues to put forth a productive spring and this past weekend, he was asked to fill many roles as Thrill was short-handed. There were long stints throughout games where he was playing the center position and had to battle inside defensively against opposing bigs. He did a great job of communicating and being active on that end as well. Offensively, Batchelor has been very efficient in the last two events that I’ve seen him, especially on his looks from three. He’s really learning how to utilize his shot fake to get the defender closing out off their feet. From there, he quickly finds the open space to reset himself and get his shot off with fluidity. The IMG Academy wing is by no means hurting for college attention, but his play recently has me confident that more schools may try and work themselves into the picture. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Josh-Morissette.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1194840" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Josh-Morissette-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Josh Morissette | 6’3 | Middlesex Magic ’22 Whenever I see Middlesex Magic on the schedule I look forward to the game because I know there will be demanded execution in half-court sets. Morissette was a key cog for the Magic thanks to his three-level scoring, high IQ as a creator off the bounce and overall toughness that he brings to both ends. When I caught up with Morissette after a big win over Thrill, he told me that Brown and New Hampshire have offered while other programs such as Davidson, Holy Cross, Wofford and Lafayette all continue to show interest. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Elmarko-Jackson.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1194819" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Elmarko-Jackson-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1119147" first="Elmarko" last="Jackson"] | 6’3 | WeR1 ’23 It had been almost a year since I last saw Jackson before this weekend and man, did he impress me. First and foremost I noticed the drastic improvement to his body. He’s grown to 6-foot-3 and continues to put on lean muscle. It didn’t take him long to showcase his athleticism in-game on his drives to the rim. He quickly gets off the ground off one or two feet and put consistent pressure on the defense by getting into the paint with regularity. He had multiple finishes above the rim and created open shots for himself with somewhat ease. Jackson reclassed into 2023, which should mean for a major boost in his recruitment. Cal, Ole Miss and Seton Hall are just a few of his offers, but Maryland and Miami are two programs that continue to show interest and could be on the verge of offering sooner rather than later. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Aidan-Mess.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1194829" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Aidan-Mess-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1110551" first="Aidan" last="Mess"] | 6’7 | Mid Atlantic Select ’22 Mess was flat out dominant in the game that I watched as MAS defeated Unity Legends Select as he scored 24 points, pulled down 12 boards and blocked four shots. His versatility was on full display at the offensive end as he scored on catch-and-shoot three’s, scored or distributed on catches at the high-post and operated with efficiency with his back to the basket on the block. Mess is one of the better decision makers that you’ll find in the Baltimore Metro area at his position. Defensively he used his length to disrupt shots both in the paint and on the perimeter if his man stretched out beyond the arc. He communicated well in ball screens and pursued rebounds out of his area. One guarantee with Mess is that he’s going to play with 100 percent effort each time he takes the floor. His performance this weekend caught the eyes of many and should mean for an uptick in his recruitment in the near future. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Daniel-Dormu.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1168084" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Daniel-Dormu-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> DJ Dormu | 5’8 | Team Thrill ’23 Dormu has been one of my favorite watches this spring simply because of the tenacity he bring at the point of attack. Whether it’s on defense or offense, Dormu is one of those guys who’s never afraid to get physical despite his size. Of all the teams I’ve caught this spring, Dormu is a top three on-ball defender who pressures the ball full court without fouling. Offensively for this Thrill team, Dormu takes on a different role in comparison to his high school team. Surrounded by a number of scorers, he’s expected to be a facilitator and play maker while also picking his spots throughout the course of a game. Dormu’s play this weekend was a big reason for receiving his first offer to date from North Carolina A&T.