Proving Grounds Impact Players – Passion Region

There was a ton of talent in the building at Proving Grounds as the Prep Hoops Circuit is off and running in full swing. We try our best to capture as much action as possible and want to dig in to 5 impact players that stood out throughout the weekend. These 5 players did a little bit of everything and can fill up a stat sheet in a hurry while providing strong overall balance for their team. These names mentioned below will be names to continue to monitor as the circuit moves on. Let’s take a deeper dive:

2023 Jermaine Hunter Jermaine Hunter 5'10" | PG Jupiter Christian | 2023 FL – Jupiter Christian School – Palm Beach All Star Flames – Jermaine is a shifty combo guard who has great speed and can get to the rim with ease. I saw him easily blow by defenders using quick combo moves and finishing at the rim. I like how hard he went on the defensive side as well. This is an intriguing young prospect with good upside to his overall game. 

2024 Blake Maddox Blake Maddox 6'3" | SF South Fort Myers | 2024 FL – South Fort Myers High School – Athletes of Influence – Blake is a physical wing who has a consistent outside shot and can score inside with ease. He plays with high energy and intensity on every possession. A newcomer to the Prep Hoops Circuit Blake made his presence felt early in the opening win for his team. Blake is on a team with a loaded roster but seemed to fit in nicely and was clearly an impact player for his squad all weekend long. Keep an eye out on this young man. 

2022 Timarion Bardwell – Vero Beach High School – Building Good Habits – Timarion is a lightning quick guard who can get to his spots on the floor. This unsigned senior is ready for the college level and had a solid overall weekend for his team. He is an above average scorer, ball handler and defender and was an impact player throughout the weekend. Coming off a strong senior season Timarion is poised to make his presence known on the Prep Hoops Circuit. 

2024 Chris Lopez -Downey Christian School – Sunshine Elite – Chris is a sneaky quick guard who seemed to set the tone for his squad throughout the weekend. He plays with a ton of energy and was a key piece to the teams overall success. I enjoyed watching his style of play he has a consistent outside shot and moves well without the ball. Chris played very consistent and did a nice job minimizing mistakes. 

2025 Joseph Gayle – Port St Lucie High School – Athletes of Influence – Joseph is a physical wing who had a solid showing throughout the weekend. Joseph played a key role in his team finishing the weekend 4-0. Joseph displayed good range on his outside shot and always seemed to be in attack mode on the offensive end. Joseph did a nice job of rebounding and finding the open man when needed. There is a lot to like with this 2025 prospect and I expect he will continue to build his brand throughout the summer ahead. 

For more Prep Hoops Circuit coverage follow our Twitter feed @AOIHOOPS