MD/DC Roundtables: AAU Opening Weekend

With the return of AAU, the roundtable makes its return as the crew tackles questions every week pertaining to the action from the previous weekend. The first live period took place over the weekend while Adam, Houston and I were all in different states to find prospects. 1. Who was the biggest stock riser of the weekend for you? Giacubeno: 2023 NJ ShoreShots F Tyler Tejada made serious noise this weekend at Spring Jam Fest. The 6-foot-7 New Jersey native caught plenty of eyes thanks to his versatility and activity on both ends. Offensively, he was a guy who filled the lanes in transition and ran with purpose. On multiple occasions in the game that I saw against York Ballers, Tejada finished above the rim and can be considered a lob threat in these situations as well. He was utilized in pick-and-pop scenarios where he quickly gets his body square on the catch and smoothly gets his shot off. Defensively, his athleticism comes into play when guarding multiple positions. He holds his own on the perimeter against guards following ball-screens, makes sound weakside rotations to alter shots at the rim and rebounds the ball outside of his area. https://twitter.com/TheHoopGroup/status/1513665512806436888?s=20&t=aQ3_NLhIRIpYH1Gh2uxKLw Ayalew: Jamie Kaiser - played a key part in all 4 of New World’s wins in Indy. Showed his versatility by playing multiple positions and made played on both ends throughout the weekend. Wilson: It has to be Solomon Ball right? What Ball did this past weekend in Orlando for Team Melo was sensational. He helped lead them to a 4-0 record while averaging 20.0 points per game. Ball missed 11 games this year for St. James during the high school season because of an injury but he made sure to return with some resurgence during the first live period this past weekend. Since the weekend, Ball has earned offers from Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Providence and Illinois.   2. Who was a prospect that you didn’t know going into the weekend that caught your attention most? Giacubeno: While Tejada could've been my answer for this question as well, I'll go with 2024 Team Selfless guard Caden Bell. Playing with the 17s, Bell showed a unique confidence for his age particularly as a scorer. The 6-foot-1 guard played both on and off the ball. He has a tight handle, operates well against pressure and makes good decisions as a playmaker. Bell's shot is the type that when you see him release it, you think it's going in. He has good mechanics, gets good rotation and doesn't allow longer defenders to disrupt his release on closeouts. Look for Bell to garner significant college attention moving forward. Ayalew: Darnell Thomas - spearheaded a gritty comeback win for VA Playmakers 16’s on Friday Night. A fundamentally sound guard with size and toughness. Wilson: There has been talk in the 757 this year about Xavier Brown after a strong senior season at Jamestown and this weekend in front of college coaches, he proved that he can play at the scholarship level after talking with people. I did not see him play this year nor did I see him this weekend but I heard plenty of good things and saw a lot to like on film about the 6’2 lead guard. Brown still has a decision to make about seeing if he will stay in the 2022 class and go to college next year or reclass to the 2023 class and take a prep year. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Bamgboye-Luke-Head-Shot.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1424496" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Bamgboye-Luke-Head-Shot-300x224.png" alt="" width="300" height="224" /></a> 3. Of all the prospect from opening weekend, who do you think is primed for the biggest boost in their recruitment over the next 3-4 months? Giacubeno: I'm going to monitor the recruitment of 2023 Mount St. Joe/Team Durant forward Amani Hansberry closely. For a while, high major programs battled with the fact that he's a bit of an undersized big, but after his productive junior season where he showcased his versatility, that narrative is changing. He recently took an official visit to Penn State and the Nittany Lions should be a serious contender for Hansberry when it comes down to it, but Villanova extended an offer over the weekend. It's no secret that once Villanova decides to seriously get involved they usually don't lose, but there's still a feeling out process moving forward with Hansberry to see how aggressive they'll be. Villanova offering also catches the attention of other high major programs and blue-bloods, so that's a major reason why us at Prep Hoops Maryland will also be keeping a close eye on him as the summer months approach. Ayalew: It has to be Luke Bamgboye. He has physical tools that can’t be taught and untapped potential. Wilson: We have entered a new territory in college basketball recruiting where high school prospects are not the highest priority anymore because of the transfer portal, one time transfer policy and extra covid years. Because of all that, offers are not going to be thrown out like they used to. In years past, I think there would be a handful of guys that would fall under this answer but if I had to pick one, I think it could possibly be Isaiah Coleman. Coleman started to get serious college consideration last summer but he is another Team Melo product that had some serious numbers this past weekend in Orlando at the EYBL. Coleman averaged 21.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this past weekend which has me thinking a lot of college coaches will be buzzing his phone over the next few months.