OTR Houston Summer Finale Breakout Players
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The final major Houston tournament of the AAU grassroots season had us traveling to TJ Ford Academy to support one of the biggest brands in the state, OTR Exposure, at their event the Summer Finale. Let’s look at some of…
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Continue ReadingThe final major Houston tournament of the AAU grassroots season had us traveling to TJ Ford Academy to support one of the biggest brands in the state, OTR Exposure, at their event the Summer Finale. Let’s look at some of the top standout stars who led their teams to huge wins. Also, huge shout out to Marcus Sloan for always allowing me to cover his tournaments.
Sebastian showed up and showed out at the OTR Summer Finale and demonstrated why he is the #1 prospect in the 2025 Houston class. He displays a versatile skillset, able to use his length and athleticism to either beat his matchup to the rim or shoot the jumper from either midrange or three point land. Williams-Adams also possesses great defensive awareness on the other side of the court, not biting on pump fakes and raising up to block opponents shots at the rim and off the backboard. Sebastian is also vocal on defense and is always locked in and focused the whole game, not letting anything throw his mindset off. This kid will definitely be a steal for someone at the collegiate level who is looking for a hard nosed player who can light it up on the offensive and also takes pride in his defensive intensity.
Jayden shot the lights out in TJ Ford Academy’s game to open the tournament on Saturday morning. Gambrell is a pass first guard who can take it upon himself to shoulder the scoring load for his team, or he is a willing playmaker who always knows how to set his teammates up when the time is right. Gambrell punished the defense from long range in this game, being left a huge amount of space to pull up and consistently drain jumpers from beyond the arc. Jayden is a great teammate in terms of always wanting to keep his fellow teammates involved in the game and knows where they will be on the court at all times. On defense, he is not afraid to pressure the ballhandler and apply that dog mentality to his playing style. Jayden will be a good fit for any program at the next level looking for a willing playmaker, but also someone who is very coachable and knows how to score the rock.
Michael is every coaches’ ideal player to start at the point guard position for the high school level. He plays with such tenaciousness that it is hard for his matchup to ever be comfortable on the court whenever Collins is playing defense. Mike is always in the gym 24/7 putting in the work to get better on both sides of the floor and steadily improved his jumper and ability to finish through contact at the rim over the grassroots season. Michael can beat a defense in a variety of ways scoring the ball and assisting on teammates buckets. Look for Collins to make a huge difference for Shadow Creek this year as they look to recapture another district title and make a deep run into playoffs.
Trae played the role of a sharpshooter in his Houston Defenders 16u squads games on Saturday afternoon. Lewis constantly hurt the defense from behind the three point line, using screens and quick dribble moves to give himself enough space to pull up over the defender’s outstretched hands. Lewis is very good at getting to his spot and either draining the shot off the catch and shoot or creating an open look if he has to himself. Trae also possesses good lateral quickness on defense, beating his matchup to their spot and exposing their weaknesses. Look for Lewis to play a major role on the Grand Oaks varsity squad this season and make a statement.