#PHATownShowdown: Sniper School
Let me say this first regarding this article: the players listed made a minimum of 3-3’s in games I watched. That was the criteria for being in this article of some of the best shooters at #PHATownShowDown. These are just…
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Continue ReadingLet me say this first regarding this article: the players listed made a minimum of 3-3’s in games I watched. That was the criteria for being in this article of some of the best shooters at #PHATownShowDown. These are just a few of the snipers enrolled in sniper school…
Xander Gerard (5’9/PG/’26/Limitless ’26)
Instagram: Xander__gerard
One of if not the best shooters that I saw the entire weekend was Xander. The interesting thing about deciding if he was the best shooter or not is that he is in competition with his twin brother when it comes to who was the best shooter overall. Xander is one of the most potent and prolific scorers I have seen early in this AAU season. He has a sweet stroke with deep range and utilizes jabs and shot fakes exceptionally well in order to create space to get his shot off. He has a high IQ for the game and is an absolute baller. I had the privilege of catching a couple of his games, and in the last game of the day on the final day, he dropped 32pts with 21pts coming from behind the arc. When it comes to scoring the rock and producing from behind the arc, I would have to say that Zander is one of the best in the ’26 class in the state of FL.
Anthony Fresh (6’2/SF/’26/ColeWorldElite ’26)
Instagram: III_anthony_III
Anthony is a smooth wing player that has a very solid and balanced floor game. His strength is attacking off the bounce, and from there, he makes very good decisions when he has forced the defense to collapse. I saw Anthony a couple of times over the weekend, and I got to see an array of tools in his bag. At his core, he is a pass 1st creator off the bounce. He is a versatile wing player who can impact the game in many ways with his skillset. He is a reliable ball-handler as he is constantly looking for his teammates and looking to pass them open. If necessary, Anthony can score the rock as in another game I saw him play; he lit it up from behind the arc scoring 11pts with 9pts coming from behind the arc.
Grayson Lawrence (5’11/SG/’27/IE Fire ’26)
Grayson is an 8th-grader playing with his squad in the 9th-grade division this weekend. Grayson showed his ability to knock down the trey ball as he scored 14pts with 12pts coming from behind the arc in a game against One Dream Elite. Grayson still has a lot of development to do when it comes to expanding his game, but he showed this weekend that scoring from deep is one thing that he has put in a lot of work with, and it is paying off.
Jacob Isaac Smith (5’10/CG/’26/Camden Elite ’26)
Instagram: yxng_jaxe
Twitter: @yxng_jaxe
Jacob is a productive player, capable of playing both on and off the ball. He is one of the catalysts for Camden’s desired success for this AAU season. He has enough point guard skills to help run the show, while at any offensive possession, he can switch and begin to score in bursts, all while keeping his turnover numbers exceptionally low. He does incredible work putting pressure on the defense, which gives him enough space to get his trey off, as defenders have to respect his penetration off the bounce. He is a lefty that can score at all levels, and I saw him pour in 11pts with 9 coming from behind the arc.
DJ Washington (6’2/CG/’26/One Dream ’26)
Instagram: iamdejayy
DJ is a sturdy guard who excels at penetrating the lane and scoring from mid-range and at the rim. He’s a well-built 6-2 wing who can score inside and out. He played solid throughout day one and just had me intrigued about the potential surrounding his game. He wasn’t aggressive as his game hinted that he could be, but on day two, it was as though he flipped the switch. He showed his ability to make tough shots and showed that he can hit shots off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot opportunities. DJ plays with intensity and uses his size and athleticism well. In the game in which he went off from behind the arc, the table did not keep the individual numbers, but from my notes, I know he had at least four threes in the game. He showed his scoring prowess and can turn it on at any time and go for big numbers.
Tate Rhodes Shiflett (6’2/Wing/’26/Metro Elite ’26)
Instagram: tate.shiflett
Tate is a solid wing player that is a reliable piece of the puzzle for Metro Elite. He makes his presence felt on both ends of the floor as well as on the glass. He isn’t required to be the guy because they have some incredibly talented guard play on his squad. They set the table for Tate; all he has to do is deliver when the ball gets to him. He is very active on the glass and can knock down the trey ball. He does the small things for his squad that turns out to be vital when it comes to winning. He shot the ball well against One Dream as he poured in 13pts, with 9pts coming from behind the arc.