Global Grassroots Pre-Draft Camp 2028/2029 Standouts

Global Grassroots had players from across the Southeast gathered in Albertville, AL, at their Pre-Draft Camp. I dropped my immediate takeaways; now, here are the standouts from the 2028/2029 division.

Jaylence Byrd (4’9/Point Guard/2029)

School: N/A

Instagram: J_byrd777

Twitter: N/A

Jaylence was one of the 2029 kids in this division but stood out as one of the best PGs. He has a nice package as a floor general and was confident in showing it. He impacted games on both ends of the court, a component that coaches look for from leaders on a team. His on-ball defense caused problems for ball-handlers as he was aggressive in defending the rock.

If he directly didn’t get the steal, his on-ball pressure led to mistakes that led to turnovers.

Offensively, he played well, showing his youthful arsenal. He is a developing guard that can facilitate and can score the rock. One of the most noticeable aspects of his game is his ability to change speeds. He has a hesitation move that froze defenders. Opportunities for Growth: With all players at this age, JB needs to continue working on his overall game. He is not too young to begin working on separation moves off the bounce as well as when he is getting his shot off.

Elizabeth Cady (4’9/Combo Guard/2029)

School: N/A

Instagram: Nataliepcady

Twitter: N/A

Elizabeth was one of the few girls at the camp, that took advantage of the stage of competing with the boys. She did not back down from the boys on either side of the court. She had a good balance between facilitating and scoring, but the strength of her game was facilitating.

She maneuvered thru the defense, making her way to the paint, where she made good decisions, involving teammates with timely dishes.

She pushed the rock in transition, taking advantage of little to no transition defense, and often got to the rack finishing thru contact. Opportunities for Growth: As it is with all players at this age, Liz has to continue working on her overall game, and one specific area in which she must improve is her perimeter shooting and her form.

Khalil O’Neal Luster (6’3/Center/2028)

School: Belmont

Instagram: jlust_cbc_finest

Twitter: @KhalilLuster

Khalil was one of the few in this division that was above 6’0. As you can imagine, he was dominant in every facet of the game when it came to the paint area. He even got out and handled the rock in the open court, displaying his handles and passing ability. He showed good court awareness and vision and made good decisions with the ball in his hands.

He has good size at his age and a skillset he can use as a foundation to grow upon.

Opportunities for Growth: Outside of his continued development with his overall game at this age, agility work is an area that Khalil has an opportunity to improve on as he prepares to enter the 7th grade.

Khiyon Jones (4’5/Combo Guard/2029)

School: N/A

Instagram: Imkhiyoncarnele2029

Twitter: N/A

Khiyon is small in stature but one of the bright young talents at camp. One thing that separated KJ from the pack was his vision and passing ability. He played with his eyes up and was constantly in attack mode. He kicked the ball ahead, getting the ball up the court faster with the pass than the dribble, often leading to easy buckets for his teammates.

He was a highly competent player in the open court, as he was in control of the flow of the games every time the ball was in his hands.

Getting out in transition benefited him as being a small guard right now allowed him to play in space, often against defenses not set up and ready to defend. Opportunities for Growth: He has to continue working on his all-around game. I wrote down finishing and his pull-up J as two things he needs to work on in my notes. To be fair, after I wrote those two things, he showed his ability to do both. So I would say that as he continues to work on his overall game, keep striving for consistency in his play.

Mayson Demond Moore (5’2/Small Forward/2029)

School: Westwood Elementary School

Instagram: maysonmoore29

Twitter: N/A

Mayson was a player that gave his heart on every possession while out on the court. He is a developing young player that has a passion for the game, and it showed in his play on both ends. As he got into the flow of the camp and the games, he showed that he could knock down the trey ball and score off the bounce.

He had several moments where he showed flashes of what he is capable of doing on the court.

Currently, in the 2029 class, he has some time to work on his game and turn the potential into reality. Opportunities for Growth: As Mayson continues to work on his overall game, it is important that he takes time to work on his speed and agility; both will be beneficial in his development.

Stay tuned as more is coming from the pre-draft camp.