Hustle SZN Kickoff: 2026 & 2027 Standouts Part 1

Spring is here and that can only mean one thing. It's Circuit Season! The Prephoops Circuit is upon us. I will be covering and providing exposure for the Hustle Region Circuit. The Hustle Region Circuit consists of AAU Programs from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. The circuit features 10 stops including the Hustle Region Final in Irvine July 15th – 17th. Stop number one got underway this past weekend in Seal Beach California, with the Hustle Season Kickoff. The event which took place on Saturday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 3rd featured 46 teams ranging from 15U to 17U. Although this event was a high school event, it had several middle school standouts. In this article, we take a look at the top Middle School Players From that Event. <strong>Jax Madden</strong> <em>6'2 PF Clutch Elite 2026</em> - Madden is one of those types of players that can affect the game even when he's not scoring. His size is his biggest asset, but I liked that he competed and looked to protect the rim and rebound. His skill set is still developing, and he was adjusting to playing against bigger, stronger players, however, I thought he did a good job of finding buckets. Madden was able to get out in transition and score or get put-back buckets around the rim. He played mostly in the post, but he has the frame of a potential wing prospect. <strong>Curtis Coleman</strong> <em>6'1 SG Hard 2 Guard 2026</em> - Coleman played a little better every game I saw. He has good size, however, he spends the majority of time on the perimeter. Coleman was able to slash to the basket and score. He also showed a nice mid-range game, knocking down a few jumpers from right around 15 feet. <strong>Jayden Gray</strong> <em>6'0 SG California Select Gold 2026 (featured image)</em> - It was odd watching Gray play against older kids this weekend. I'm so used to him looking physically imposing on the court, it was good to see how he faired against bigger stronger players. The one thing that didn't change was his effort and defense. Gray was able to get a bunch of steals playing in Cali Select's pressure defense. He was out in transition a bunch and showed some improved athleticism despite missing his only dunk attempt on the day. <strong>Mason Magee</strong> <em>PG California Select Gold 2026</em> - When you hear the term, that's what they look like. Magee comes to mind. Despite playing up, he had one of the more complete frames at the event. The PG was good on the defensive end and controlled the pace of the offensive side. He's going to need to improve his 3 point shooting, however, he already has a signature shot. The PG loved to get into the lane and finish with his high arching floater. He was the catalyst of a Cali Select squad that went undefeated against 15U competition. <strong>Jeremiah Profit</strong> <em>6'3 SF Gamepoint IE 2027</em> - The last game of the event featured Select and Gamepoint, and I gained an entirely new respect for Profit. It wasn't his best game shooting, but he played hard. The forward competed for boards winning more than his share of in traffic rebounds. Profit also used his size as a deterrent around the rim. He showed why he has a chance to be one of the top stockrisers heading into the summer. <strong>Jocori Bartlett</strong> <em>5'10 CG Gamepoint 2026</em> - Bartlett was a pleasure to watch. He's an unselfish passer, that showed a willingness to make teammates better. He displayed good vision and threw a couple of dimes for easy buckets. He liked to drive to score and mixed some bullying along with a little wiggle.