#PHTennesseeTop250 Standouts
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My 3rd article from the #PHTennesseeTop250 highlights a few more players that stood out… Quaylan Hampton (5’8/G/’25) School: Bartlett HS Instagram: celeb_quay Twitter: @hamptonquaylan To be one of the younger guys at camp, Quaylan made a distinct separation from all…
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Continue ReadingMy 3rd article from the #PHTennesseeTop250 highlights a few more players that stood out…
Quaylan Hampton (5’8/G/’25)
School: Bartlett HS
Instagram: celeb_quay
Twitter: @hamptonquaylan
To be one of the younger guys at camp, Quaylan made a distinct separation from all the other guards on the floor. From the moment action started, defensively, he was picking up his man full court every time and in every game. His commitment to the defensive end of the floor was astonishing, and it kept my eyes on him every time his team was in action. Q was the most relentless on-ball defender at camp, and he played as though he relished the role as someone who exists to annoy opponents. His offensive game was solid as he attacked off the bounce and created for his teammates and himself. He had a quick first step that helped him blow by his defender, and he was pushing the pace in transition every time he got the rock. Guys under 6’0 often have to do something other than be an offensive juggernaut to earn their place, and Q has found in his game what it takes to make it on the court and stay there.
From the moment action started, defensively, he was picking up his man full court every time and in every game.
Terry J. Drake
Andrew Ford (6’0/G/’24)
School: Lausanne Collegiate School
Instagram: 1kdrew__
Twitter: N/A
Standing only 6’0 didn’t keep Andrew from flying high and battling on the glass. He is an extremely athletic guard, making his presence felt all around the court and at the rim. His lefty jumper is smooth, and he showed crafty finishes at the cup. He is a savvy playmaker who made plays off the bounce and, coupled with his athleticism, made it difficult for teams to defend him when he was attacking. He still has to add some tools to the toolbox and fine-tune some ball-handling skills and passing skills but make no mistake about it; he is a tough cover.
Standing only 6’0 didn’t keep Andrew from flying high and battling on the glass.
Terry J. Drake
Holton Keith Holton Keith 6'0" | PG Webb City | 2025 State TN (6’0/G/’25)
School: Webb City
Instagram: holtonkeith.22
Twitter: @holton_keith22
Holton invited several players to the skating rink because he had his defenders on skates throughout the day. Not many guards could dance with the rock the way Holton could, and he was really exciting to watch. You often see many players just showing off the handles and not going anywhere, but that was not the case for Holton, as he used his ball-handling skills with purpose. He used them to set up his opponents, get them leaning, and once he got the space, he quickly got by defenders and created his own or got his teammates’ good looks. With the ball in his hands quite often, he rarely over-penetrated as he had the middle game working and was very efficient with his scoring in that area. To be a ’25 kid, he showed a lot of understanding of the game and showed that he can play with the ball in his hands and out. He was one of few that moved well without the rock and did not allow himself to be a spectator on the court. Offensively he was impressive, but he did not allow his defense to go unnoticed as he had active hands, which resulted in several steals throughout the day, and he took charges in camp. Looking forward to seeing the continued growth of his game over the next couple of years.
Holton invited several players to the skating rink because he had his defenders on skates throughout the day.
Terry J. Drake
MJ Gibbs MJ Gibbs 6'4" | SG Ezell Harding | 2025 State TN Jr. (6’1/G/’25)
School: Ezell Harding
Instagram: nolimitj._
Twitter: @mjgibbs24
There was nothing flashy about Markus’ game, but he had several coaches working camp come by and say how much they liked his game. That should be an encouragement to continue to stay in the gym because the work in the gym while no one is watching is resulting in people liking his game when the stage lights are on. He is a multi-level scorer that plays with pace and at his own pace. He was rarely rushed and rarely forced the action. He was aggressive in transition and got the ball up the court while the defense was often scrambling in transition. Markus had the perimeter jumper going as he showed his ability to make the trey ball, and he shot the mid-range with a nice touch. As mentioned, he wasn’t flashy, but every time you looked around, he was scoring the rock. He will have to continue to work on his handles and fine-tune some things as he got caught with his head down a couple of times in transition and missed open teammates that were running the floor. He is another youngster in this article that I look forward to seeing his development over the next couple of years.
He is a multi-level scorer that plays with pace and at his own pace.
Terry J. Drake
Javar Daniel (6’9/F|C/’23)
School: N/A
Instagram: jvar.35
Twitter: N/A
Truthfully, no one at camp could contend with the height and length of Javar. The 6’9 post was just too dominant, and in this setting, you tend to focus a lot more on his skillset and the things that he showed he has the potential to do because there was very little opposition to his ability to score when he got the ball on the low block. There are things that a 6’9 player is supposed to be able to do in this type of setting, so there is no need to highlight those things. However, one of the things that I did see about his game was his touch with his jumper off the face-up, along with the ability to go glass which many players rarely do. He handled the ball in the open court and made a couple of good decisions when pushing the rock in transition a couple of times, which shows that he can process with the ball in his hands. He also showed his ability to knock down the trey ball, which, if he can consistently do that, is definitely a plus in his game. I look forward to seeing JD in another setting very soon and how he stacks up with similar or bigger players.
Truthfully, no one at camp could contend with the height and length of Javar.
Terry J. Drake
Tyler Johnson Tyler Johnson 6'5" | SG Douglass | 2023 State TN (6’4/W/’23)
School: Douglass HS
Instagram: tjohnson.2
Twitter: @tjohnson2_
Tyler could have easily made a case for being one of the best players at camp as he has all the physical attributes and a toolbox that is loaded with weapons. He is highly athletic and was often finishing above the rim. He was aggressive attacking off the bounce, scored from beyond the arc, scored in so many ways when he got into the paint and was just an offensive threat every time the ball touched his hands. He just knows how to score, as he does an excellent job of using his athleticism to get to the rim and not just settle for outside shots even though he had it going from the perimeter. He was one of few that could really get his own shot off the dribble in iso situations and understood how to use his size and strength to create space for his shot. I highlighted those attributes and re-emphasized certain parts of his game because I want you to understand he can get it done on the offensive end of the floor. It was the other end of the floor that I was disappointed in at camp. As I do, sometimes I put a disclaimer out because I am not saying he cannot do this, but he did not show it at camp. Maybe when I see TJ again, he will show me that he actually can get it done on the defensive end of the floor. However, he did not show me that he had a willingness to defend at camp. He is a next-level talent that has to ability, athleticism, and versatility to be a force on the defensive end and not a player that opposing teams target.
Tyler could have easily made a case for being one of the best players at camp as he has all the physical attributes and a toolbox that is loaded with weapons.
Terry J. Drake