#TerryTalks Battle of The Magic City Tourney Standouts; Part 2

There was wall-to-wall talent at the Battle of The Magic City, and here is part 2 of some of the standouts that are in my notebook…

Demar Hinton (6’0/SF/’27/Steel City Gators)

Instagram: Demar23_

Demar is a wing player that is excellent at getting downhill. He is a physical guard that knows how to get to the cup. He isn’t the biggest when it comes to his position, but he embraces contact and plays thru it. Demar’s strength and sturdiness give him an advantage when he scores on the fast break and in the half-court. He can take a broken play and turn it into a bucket. He is a good iso scorer that was in beast mode off the bounce.

Demar is a wing player that is excellent at getting downhill.

Terry J. Drake

Luke Stubbs (6’0/SF/’27/OFW Galaxy)

In my notes, I wrote that Luke is Mr. Do-It-All for his squad. He has a solid frame and was able to handle the physical play throughout the tourney. He is a playmaker that can score and create for others. He is decisive and controlled off the bounce and really showed his skillset and IQ. He is a two-way player that doesn’t take plays off on either side. Luke is a coach’s joy because he gives everything he has on every play. He plays with a lot of energy and effort, and if there is a 50/50 ball to be gotten, you can best believe that Luke will be in the vicinity. Needless to say, he was very impressive to watch. 

In my notes, I wrote that Luke is Mr. Do-It-All for his squad.

Terry J. Drake

Kendaris Pelton (6’5/PF/’27/JSI Elite)

Instagram: KingKj_32

Kendaris is a lengthy PF with good positional size. He plays on a team that has a lot of talent and showed early team chemistry, and his athleticism and sheer size fit in perfectly with this squad. He doesn’t depend on scoring to make an impact, as he is capable of overwhelming opponents with his size and strength on a nightly basis on the glass and on the defensive end of the floor. He plays defense with great awareness, good decision-making tendencies, and rim-protection ability. I did not see much from him offensively other than finishes around the rim off of dump-offs and putbacks from the offensive boards, so before I say he has a limited skill set, I will reserve framing his offense until I have another opportunity to watch him in action.

Kendaris is a lengthy PF with good positional size.

Terry J. Drake

Brooks Loftin (6’4/C/’28/MC WARRIORS)

Instagram: Brooks.l6

Brooks is a stout center that is very skilled in the paint. He knows how to use his body to carve out space, and not many in his age division could handle his size. He is not the most athletic big and does not get much lift off the floor, but he knows how to score around the rim with touch and showed that he can finish thru contact. He was very efficient and highly productive and made his presence felt in the paint. He is a major contributor from the Center position and played with a lot of toughness.

Brooks is a stout center that is very skilled in the paint.

Terry J. Drake

Michael Sams (5’4/PG/’28/Iren Rainey Premiere 2028)

Instagram: TriggaTrae_0

I have put ink on Michael before, but it was from a camp setting. Getting to watch him in game action with a team showed his ability to truly facilitate an offense. He does not have a lot of size, but he is a smart player that controls pace and gets the ball to his playmakers. His squad struggled with chemistry at times, which can be chalked up to early season action, but Micheal did a good job keeping his squad in some type of rhythm and flow. As boundaries are set on this team and roles defined, look for Michael to keep everyone engaged and happy, as he knows how to distribute the rock around.  

Micheal did a good job keeping his squad in some type of rhythm and flow.

Terry J. Drake

Nijaun Harris (6’3/CG/’28/Tre Mann)

Instagram: Bucket_machine_09

Twitter: @Nijaun Harris

This is my second time seeing Nijuan in action within the past six months, and he was a man amongst boys throughout this tourney. He is a big body guard that tried to and often did dominate each possession. He is at his best when he is getting downhill and attacking the rim. Not too many in his age division made decisions to get in front of him once he got going full speed. He is an excellent finisher at the cup and even flashed his athleticism and quick second jump in the paint. Nijaun has a lot of promise, and at this point, the breakdown of his game will be about seeing his continued development. It is a given of what he has in the toolbox because he unleashed it all at the Battle of The Magic City. The next time I see Nijaun, I will be looking for how committed he is on the defensive end of the floor because he is, hands down, a highly versatile offensive weapon.   

He is a big body guard that tried to and often did dominate each possession.

Terry J. Drake

Donyeh Baird (6’1/CG/’27/CP3 ELITE )

Instagram: dongoingd1

Twitter: @Donyeh5

Donyeh is on a loaded CP3 team, and he stands out on a team with high-level talent. He is highly productive and efficient off the bounce and is a good shooter from behind the arc. He is a solid one-on-one scorer, and when his team needs a tough bucket, Donyeh delivers, whether in the half-court or in transition. He is not an ambitious shot selector like many with his talent, but he takes quality shots, showing his developing IQ at his age. As I mention, he is on a talented team, but Donyeh finds his scoring opportunities and takes advantage of them when they arise. He is a talented scorer that can stretch the floor with his perimeter shot and create off the bounce with the ball in his hands. He also showed a willingness to defend and often found himself in the passing lanes, turning his defense into offense.     

He is highly productive and efficient off the bounce and is a good shooter from behind the arc.

Terry J. Drake