PH Easter Classic Top Performers

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>Prep Hoops Easter Classic Top Performers</u></strong></p> <p>The Prep Hoops Easter Classic was literally a movie. So much talent once again in one building. So many great games with exciting performances. I remember as a young man my mother getting us all dressed up and ready to wear our Sundays best to church to hear the good word. This weekend I saw many come with their Easter Classic’s weekends best. I saw dominating performances on both ends of the floor. So many top performers, so many players with big games. Time to dive in!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1428058" first="Gage" last="Nuckolls"] | 2026 | G | Belief Basketball SharpShooters 2024</strong></p> <p>Nuckolls came out with the intent to let everyone know age isn’t nothing but a number. Nuckolls playing two grades up decided in the Prep Hoops Easter Classic with all the lights on he wanted everyone to know he belong. The SharpShooters found themselves in a lot of tough games against some physical strong opponents. In either case Nuckolls rose to the challenge. Nuckolls scored on all three levels in all his games over the weekend in the Easter Classic. Nuckolls third level was almost the parking lot where he hit multiple threes from the volleyball line near the logo. Nuckolls converted on countless athletic attacks to the basket that led to AND1 opportunities for himself and the SharpShooters. Nuckolls finished games with 30, 25, 22, and 18 points. Every point was needed for the SharpShooters. This 2026 prospect is one of the top players in his class and is showing that he may even be one of the Top 16 players and he’s only 14.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Roy Watson Jr. | 2025 | G | Mansfield Fire Elite 2024</strong></p> <p>Watching Watson Jr. play was like poetry in motion. He has a great handle that gets his defender off balance as he attacks. Once he gets them off balance and where he wants them, he uses his strength and size to get separation into his pull up. Watson Jr. possessed one of the best pull up jumpers I saw all weekend. He was great at getting to his spots and just raising up with his islky-smooth jumper. When Watson Jr. attacked or should I say “pressed the issue” it meant good for his Mansfield Fire Elite squad.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1417098" first="Kasen" last="Hastings"] | 2024 | G | DC Kings Denton 2024</strong></p> <p>Hastings game had so much maturity to it. His ability to not only create and generate offense not only for himself but for his teammates as well was beautiful to watch from the point guard position. Hastings took over the closing seconds of a games his team was virtually down ten the whole game. The last two minutes of the game belonged to Hastings. He scored in multiple ways. Hastings got to the free throw line on multiple tough drives that led to AND 1 opportunities, making all of his free throws in the process. He then knocked down clutch three pointer after clutch three pointer getting his team closer and closer. Hastings then showed off his ability to create offense for his teammates, getting them open look after open look just off his play making abilities. Hasting was one of my top five players in the Easter Classic.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Ahmad Abualneel | 2024 | F | Hard Hoops 2024</strong></p> <p>Abualneel at 6’4 showed off pure skill when I watched him play. He pulled up going left one, two shot. Going right one, two, shot. Abualneel was a threat at every position on the floor. He was taller and bigger than most players that guarded him at the position, but he didn’t use his size to dominate. He used pure skill, excellent ball handling, pump fakes. He was in triple threat every time he touched tit ready to make a play that benefited the flow of the team. He didn’t force shots or got hot and said heat check. His team found him in stride, and he dominate with his skill. When speaking with Abualneel he told me he was fasting for Ramadan. Impressive young man.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Donatae De La Paz | 2024 | F | Belief Basketball SharpShooters 2024</strong></p> <p>De La Paz value on the defensive end was on full display this weekend. The SharpShooters played strong physical and agile defense. As the guards pressed up and caused havoc on the defensive end. De La Paz cleaned up everything near or around the basket. De La Paz as he did in the opening Grind Region Kick off. Blocked six shots a game and dominated on the boards. He also showed off his skillset with his ability to knock down the three-point shot as well as put the ball on the floor to create for himself and others. De La Paz in an unselfish player. On many occasions I heard De La Paz screaming out the plays to his teammates and talking on defense. He block shots and plays defense like the players of old. All his blocks on blocked in play for his teammates to pick it up and get into some early offense. De La Paz was one of if not the best defender in the building standing at 6 foot 8.</p>