#PHATownShowdown 17U Day One Top Performers

The #PHATownShowdown converged in the A on Memorial Day weekend, and it was sizzling with talent. Memorial day officially starts summer, but it got hot inside the gym, where some of the best in the Southeast came and put their talent on display. The Day One Top Performers were worth the admission, and here is a look at a few…   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Aaron-Smith.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468093 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Aaron-Smith-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Aaron Smith (6’5/SF/2023)   Team: TSF Elite 2023 Instagram: aaronn25_ Twitter: @aaronsmith25_   Aaron started day one with a strong performance on the offensive end of the court and didn’t look back the rest of the day. He set the tone of what those in attendance could expect when it came to his game. He was aggressive from the jump and showed his ability to score from behind the arc and off the bounce. <blockquote> He had a strong 12pt first half which included 9pts from behind the arc. </blockquote> When RDC Lakers made the adjustment coming out of halftime and looked to run him off the line, he hurt them off the bounce with strong drives and finishes at the rim. When he got to the paint, he was balanced and played off two feet with incredible explosion at the rim. He has positional size, and along with his handles and ability to space the floor and create off the bounce, he will be a player that can make the transition to the next level and possibly contribute early. In the match-up against RDC Lakers, he finished with 23pts.   Offers: Alabama A&M and Columbus State   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Kaleb-Johnson.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468094 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Kaleb-Johnson-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Kaleb Johnson (6’6/Wing/2022)   Team: RDC Lakers Instagram: yalvul Twitter: @Yalvul   Kaleb was a ’22 player looking to improve his stock as he looks to make his way into a program at the next level. I had a chance to see Kaleb compete a couple of times on day one as he was matched up against some competitive teams and individuals. In every game, he was locked and loaded and delivered on the offensive end of the floor. He scored in a variety of ways and had strong drives to the cup that created fouls as he found himself at the line often. <blockquote> He had his talent and potential on full display as he impacted both ends of the court. </blockquote> Offensively, he simply has a knack at scoring the rock and is at his best when he is slashing to the rack. He played inside-out and was productive in both scenarios. Defensively, on his squad, he is a versatile defender as he showed that he could guard multiple positions. His ability to crash the boards and start the break allowed him to put pressure on defenses early and often. He finished with 18pts against TSF Elite.   Offers: Player did not list any offers in the questionnaire.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Patrick-Screws.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468095 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Patrick-Screws-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1385946" first="Patrick" last="Screws"] (6’47/C/2023)   Team: Auburn Raptors 2023 Instagram: patrickscrews Twitter: @PatrickScrews   The first thing that stood out for me when I watched Pat play was his hands. He handled and controlled tough passes and secured rebounds forcefully. Maybe that comes from his talent on the gridiron, as he is a highly sought-after player on the football field. Even though he is a beast on the gridiron, he is just as dominant on the hardwood. <blockquote> He has size and is extremely physical on the low block. </blockquote> He is patient on his post catches, and when he did get the ball on the block, teams rarely had an answer for his ability to score the rock. He carves out a lot of space in the paint and clogs driving lanes. He contests and blocks shots as he causes problems for ball-handlers looking for paths to the basket. He scores in the paint with touch and finishes thru contact and was one of the best back-to-basket bigs I saw on day one. Against Savannah Select 2023, he finished with 14pts but impacted the game far beyond what the stat sheet shows.   Offers: He currently holds no offers.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Mekhi-Sherman.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468096 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Mekhi-Sherman-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Mekhi Sherman (5’9/PG/2023)   Team: Pistons Elite 2023 Instagram: themekhisherman Twitter: @MekhiSherman4   Mekhi was one of the best players I saw, standing under 6’0. He is an ultimate competitor and showed up when the lights were bright. In a highly contested match-up against Zaytoven Elite, he showed just about everything that was in his toolbox as he carried his team and pushed Zaytoven to overtime. <blockquote> He is a hard-nosed PG on both ends, will pick up the ball-handler full-court, is a prolific passer, can score at all levels, and is a big-time clutch performer. </blockquote> His team lost to Zaytoven, and after the game, I had a chance to speak to him and asked him why didn’t he take the last shot in regulation, and his answer showed me his unselfishness and basketball IQ. Many will say get the ball in the hands of your best player as that is the person you want taking the last shot, and that isn’t a point of debate here, as what was done at the end of regulation was the ball got to a player that had the best look. What was even more impressive was Mekhi’s leadership to dap up his teammate, who missed the potential game-winner. He scored at all levels, thrived in transition, and facilitated the offense. He doesn’t have any offers currently, but there is a program that could benefit from having Mekhi on their campus after his high school career. He finished with 29pts in the OT loss to Zaytoven Elite ’23.   Offers: He currently holds no offers.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Yosef-Goulbourne.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468097 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Yosef-Goulbourne-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Yosef Goulbourne (6’0/PG/2023)   Team: Zaytoven Elite 2023 Instagram: flayoo_ Twitter: @flayoo   One of if not the best PGs on day one was Yosef. He is a defender’s nightmare as he is a threat with the ball in his hands, and the ball was in his hands the majority of the day for Zaytoven. He is absolutely dangerous as the ball-handler in ball screen action and is just as dangerous when getting to the rack. He gets it done from behind the arc and can also lean on a very reliable in-between game. His greatest asset is his handles, as he uses them to get to his spots on the floor where he is the most productive. He is shifty, has excellent body control, and controls pace. <blockquote> His ability to create for himself and his teammates makes him such a force to reckon with offensively. </blockquote> I would like to see more of his tenacity on the defensive end of the floor. He showed it in spurts but to be the caliber guard that I am sure he desires to be at the next level, that dog on D more consistently will increase his stock. In the OT win against Pistons Elite, he finished with 23pts.   Offers: Gordon State   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Evan-Daniel.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468092 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Evan-Daniel-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Evan Daniel (6’6/F/2023)   Team: Tony Delk Basketball Academy ’23 Instagram: luv_evan Twitter: @evan_hoops   Let me just get to this right out the gate. I do not know why Evan is sitting on ’0’ offers. I will look to speak to ED and see what is going on because he is a talent that is definitely a next-level caliber player. He could have easily been Day One’s MVP if I was handing out those types of awards. I got to see him in action twice, and he kept getting better as the day went on. Yes, he is left-hand dominant, and this will need to drastically change as he will need to develop his ability to go right as he looks to land at the next level. However, on day one, as much as coaches told their players to force him right, he punished them off the bounce, GOING LEFT. <blockquote> He scored at all levels and is fully able to play either on-ball or off-ball. </blockquote> When he transitioned to handling the PG responsibilities during the second game I watched him play, he was one of the best iso scorers throughout the day. He has positional size and can hurt teams in so many ways, as he showed on day one. In the match-up against Black Diamond Basketball, he finished with 15pts.   Offers: He currently holds no offers.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Elijah-McCray.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1468098 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/PH-Elijah-McCray-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1441889" first="Elijah" last="McCray"] (6’1/PG/2023)   Team: Bama Elites 2023 Instagram: elijahm1_ Twitter: @ElijahMcCray9   Elijah is a downhill attacking guard that embraces physicality. He is a steady and productive presence for his squad and impacted the stat sheet in numerous areas. His team struggled offensively in the match-up I saw, but Elijah was very efficient with his offensive opportunities. He showed in the match-up against RDC Lakers that he is a score-first PG, and that could have been a result of the struggles from his teammates that forced him to be more aggressive in looking for his offense. <blockquote> He has a strong frame and is difficult to contain off the bounce because he is not bothered by contact off the bounce. </blockquote> When he gets to the paint, he is either converting or getting fouled and heading to the line. As effective as he was in getting to the paint, he kept defenders honest by hitting the trey ball when they started to sag off of him. He literally had to manufacture points throughout the day, as it was hard for Bama Elites to find scoring. Elijah is a talent to keep an eye on because he has some intangibles that could really help a program at the next level. He finished with 27pts against RDC Lakers.   Offers: He currently holds no offers.   Stay tuned as more is coming from #PHATownShowdown.