#BOTBFL Middle School Emerging Prospects

There were a lot of young emerging prospects at camp, and here are a few that stoodout… 

Preston Pride (5’9/SF/’28/River City Science Academy- Mandarin)

IG: prestime_0

Preston was in attack mode throughout camp and found himself in the paint and at the rim, making play after play. He has good length for his grade out on the perimeter, and despite being listed as a SF, he showed his ability to initiate the offense and play on and off the ball. He can handle the rock and uses his handle to get to his spots on the floor. Preston is agile, quick, and can penetrate into the lane, causing the defense to collapse. At that point, he had opponents at his mercy as he consistently made the right decisions with the rock. 

Ajay Ryshard (5’9/CG/’29/Championship Academy of Distinction)

IG: Ajay_ryshard_2029

Ajay came into camp intending to be very aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, and he showed it throughout camp. There was a lot of flash around his game, but he was productive in his play. He does a good job getting to his spots, whether in his middle game or from behind the arc. He scored the ball well over the course of the two-day camp and showed his ability to be a crafty scorer and his ability to score in various ways. He knows how to create his shot, and as much of a threat he was scoring, he showed he can create for others.   

Jayndriel Camilo (5’6/PG/’29/Corner Lake MS)

IG: jay2tuff8

Jayndriel is a highly competitive lead guard who I would like to say is a score-first PG, even though he showed he can orchestrate the offense. He can get a bucket at any moment, as he has shot-making ability from both inside and outside the arc. He is small but has a strong body and knows how to use it. JC is a player who does whatever it takes to win, and when his team needed a bucket, a stop on defense, or a rebound, he stepped up. He is a competitive, tough, and aggressive guard who doesn’t shy away from making tough plays. He gave defenders headaches as he stayed in attack mode and never took the foot off the pedal in any game I saw him compete. 

Gavin Gorman (6’1/SG/’28/Grandview Preparatory)

IG: Mrgorman11

Gavin was one of the most skilled guards in camp and has a promising future in the game. He was not the most athletic, but he definitely had the best footwork I saw from any guard in camp. I was excited to see a young player who knew how to play off his pivots and out of triple threat. He plays at his pace and never allows the defense to speed him up. He can handle the rock and makes good decisions with the ball. He doesn’t over-penetrate but plays in the middle and has a plethora of finishing tools when he is in the paint. As mentioned, he was not the most athletic, but when it comes to skillset, playing the right way, a good IQ, and being productive across the stat sheet, Gavin is definitely ready for life at the next level. I am not saying he is going to make the jump straight to varsity, but he has the tools, ability, and mind needed for the high school level.  

Dacory Price (5’8/F/’29/Carver MS)

IG: Cory2raaw

Dacory was just too strong for many of his peers. He is a downhill attacking wing who sometimes bullied his way to the rim. He plays a physical brand of basketball, and the impact is seen on both ends of the floor. His size, along with his ability to put the ball on the floor, make the perimeter shot, and score it well at the cup, made him a problematic match-up throughout camp. Many of his peers in his age group had no answer as they were just undersized when it came to Dacory and his ability to produce on the perimeter and inside.

Cassius King Harrell (4’9/CG/’31/Orlando Christian Prep)  

IG: @cassiusking_12

I had an opportunity to speak to Cassius after one of his games as he was crying and talking to his dad. He was disappointed in his play, and I was able to share with him some nuggets about the passion and drive he was showing. In his eyes, he thought he played horribly, and then I showed him some of the notes I took of him while watching him play in that exact game. Most kids play a game and then immediately jump on their cell phone regardless of their performance, but I liked that Cassius cared about how he performed. He knew he could have played better, and I kept telling him to never lose that drive. He is a small PG who runs the show well, creates for his teammates, and gets everyone involved. He has a nice hesi move that keeps defenders off-balance, especially as many defenders tried to play him physically due to his size. He has a good foundation, and as long as he stays in the gym and never loses that drive to get better, he is going to continue to see his game improve.   

Oden Williamson (5’4/PG/’30/Calvary Christian Academy)

IG: Oden.Williamson

Oden is a small guard that was tough to deal with off the bounce. He was at his best when he had the rock in his hands and had the freedom to operate in space and look for his offense off the bounce. He lived in the paint and at the rack, as there were not many times that I saw any defender slow him down or be able to stay in front of him. Oden is a quick point guard with scoring instincts and is good in an up-tempo game, as he can really push the pace of play.