Prep Hoops Next is in Kansas City, MO this weekend for the “Midwest Basketball Recruiting Intel and PivotLife Prospects ELITE 80 Showcase.” The event is set to host a little more than 100 of the top prospects in the midwest as we will learn who is NEXT in this region. PHN was able to catch up with the event director, Ace Webb, to learn more about the event and what kids will get out of it.
“The goal of this event is to give kids from Kansas City a platform for exposure but we also are bringing in kids from other states and other regions to see what the culture and basketball is like here in Kansas City and then vice versa for Kansas City kids to see where their game is at against other top prospects from bordering states.”
This weekend will provide a lot of exposure for some of the top up and coming kids in the Midwest and Ace that PHN is able to cover the event.
“It is going to be awesome to give these kids exposure, Webb said. “The kids will get exposure all over social media so different kids’ names will now really be out there for people to know.”
Webb has been to a lot of different events before but he is excited that he is going to have a different type of feel.
“I don’t want it to be an event where we just roll the balls out and let the kids play. When the camp is over, my goal is to have every parent and every kid feel like they got better at basketball. I want these good basketball players to become great basketball players.”
There is going to be a plethora of talent in the gym but Webb gave us a few names to keep an eye on during our time in the gym and broke down their game.
2026 Jermel “Mel Mel” Thomas: “Thomas is coming all the way from New York. He is that old school New York guard coming back into that new school as he can give you the flashy plays. His game does have a lot of substance as it is not all flash. He can score but I think the best ability he has is his court vision. He can see incredible angles, he can find people who might not even know they are open and I think that is one of the best parts of his game. I think he will bring a lot of buzz and highlight worthy plays to the event but he is also going to show kids that you need to be working on your fundamentals too.”
2025 Avian Webb: “He is pretty much one of the premier point guards in the midwest right now. A lot of people have compared his game to Trae Young as he can shoot from really far away from the basket. He can score consistently but he can also attack the basket. He is another player that is really good at playmaking. Right now he is more known for his scoring but he is a really good playmaker and I think that type of stuff comes out at these types of events.”
2025 Isaiah Sealy: “Sealy comes from Arkansas, is 6’5 right now and finishing above the rim. He plays strong and already has the positional size to play at the highest level. He has point guard skills, he has a shooting guard build, scoring ability, playmaking ability, can guard any position, play any position 1-4 and he is only going to get better.”
There will also be a trio of brothers coming down from Iowa who play with the Martin Brothers that will be guys to watch. Naef and Bilal Yusuf are twins from the 2026 class and Fami Yusuf is in the 2027 class.
Stay tuned for more from Prep Hoops Next!