New Mexico Showdown Preview: ABC Open Run

The New Mexico Showdown takes place Friday, February 18th, and runs through Monday, February 21st. The event, hosted by ABC, features 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade teams from around the Southwest United States. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to stop into the new ABC facility before the event tipped off. I got a chance to lay eyes on some of the up-and-coming prospects in the ABC program. During the 90 minute workout, the players were put through drills and played some 5 on 5, giving me a chance to evaluate. In this article, we take a look at some of the top players from the ABC Open Run.

Gage Conway 

Ht: 6’4

Age: 14

Favorite Player: Lebron James

Instagram: gagecon116

Scouts Take: One look at Gage and it’s easy to see that he has size and length. Easy to say any player at this age is raw, so that’s a good definition of Conway. In the open run, he facilitated between post play and playing out on the perimeter. Because of his size, you have to like his ceiling, however, the key will be his ability to increase his overall ball skills.

Melvin Robinson

Ht: 6’5

Age: 13

Favorite Player: Lebron James

Scouts Take: Robinson is a massive big body banger. A pure post, his ceiling will lie in his ability to improve his footwork. He still plays flatfooted, however, he has surprisingly good hands, and finished several plays around the rim without leaving his feet. You can’t describe him as runner, however, he did show that he was dedicated to changing ends of the floor. Development will be the key, if he can learn to play in the air, and use his body to carve out space for rebounding, ABC may have a player on their hands.

Jalil Dixon

HT: 5’7

Age: 14

Favorite Player: Lebron James

Instagram: theyluv_jalil

Scouts Take: Dixon was the first player that stood out to me at the workout. The young guard has a good frame, and he showed some shiftiness. Dixon had a sweet spin move to elude a defender and showed a tight handle during the drills portion of the workout. His skill level alone made him one of the top players at the workout.

Deon Session 

HT: 5’8

Age: 13

Favorite Player: Allen Iverson

Instagram: Deon.Hawks.58

Scouts Take: Session was one of the quickest players at the workout. He had a quick first step but also showed quickness off the dribble. In the drills, I was impressed with his handle, as he showed the ability to make clean COD’s while going around cones.

Kenneth Zamora (featured image) 

HT: 5’7

Age: 14

Favorite Player: Kobe Bryant

Scouts Take: Could easily make the argument that Zamora was the top prospect at the workout. He flashed a brilliant handle, showing the ability to get to the cup in 5 on 5 play, and handle the ball cleanly during drills. In addition to his wiggle, the young PG showed a nice touch around the rim, finishing with both hands, and showing the ability to make runners and floaters in the lane.

Jai Buck 

Ht: 5’11

Age: 14

Favorite Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Scouts Take: It’s easy to take one look at Buck and like his size, but I also liked his aggressiveness. He grabbed a terrific in traffic rebound over Conway, showing that he has the heart to win 50/50’s. The young big, has some ball skills as well, he slashed a little and did a good job of finishing when attacking with his strong hand.

Andrew Skorsgard 

HT: 5’10

Age: 13

Favorite Player: Jason Tatum

Scouts Take: Skorsgard, the coach’s son is a long athlete. He stood out most to me during drills, as he displayed a decent handle, using a herky-jerky dribbling syle. One of the youngest players at the workout, he moved well and was able to hold his own during 5 on 5 play. He will definitely have to get stronger, but without a doubt, he has the frame of a potential prospect.