Southern Standouts: 17U

The annual Hoop Group Southern Jam Fest took place at [program_tooltip program_id='2226248' first='Boo' last='Williams'] Sportsplex and a couple other venues in the 757 last weekend, and this year was a little different as it was a live period for division one college coaches to attend,   While it didn't have the many shoe company matchups it has had in the past, it was full of some of the top independent teams from across the state and up and down the east coast.   Here's a look at some of the 17U standouts from MD teams in attendance.   Davin Chandler | 6'2” WG | WeR1 HGSL 17U   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tempImageL0fmLX.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tempImageL0fmLX.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2446239" /></a></figure>   Chandler was part of a tenacious WeR1 HGSL group that ended up winning the 17U Showcase division, and he was a big part of that as he was an impact guy on both ends of the floor for them. He was especially good defensively in their full court press, using his length to get deflections and moving his feet well to stay in front. He was a dynamic finisher in transition, he made shots when he was left open and he made plays for others when he had the ball in his hands.   Patrick McDonough | 5'11” PG | District Basketball Club 17U   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/unnamed-44.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/unnamed-44.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2057874" /></a></figure>   McDonough was impressing coaches all weekend leading his District team both in production and from a leadership standpoints, and he was one of the most exciting guards to watch. He may not look like it, but he has a lot of sauce to his game and is very fun to watch. While he isn't the biggest or most athletic he was shifty with a tight handle and changed speeds well, he made shots from deep and showed a good middle game to negate his height and he dropped precision dimes with some flair to them all weekend.   Jaylen Wills | 5'9” PG | District Basketball Club 17U   Wills is another smaller guard who was very impressive, as he showed a lot of grit and toughness to go along with a very good skillset as well. He has a lot of the intangibles you like to see in a small guard, with his mix of speed, craft and tenacious dog like mentality on both ends of the floor. He set the tone defensively with his ability to guard the ball and force turnovers, he showed the ability to create space and knock down shots and he was constantly in the paint making plays for others.   Deng Jok | 6'11” C | Global Squad 17U   Jok was one of the most intriguing prospects for coaches to watch as he has something you can't teach in his height and he still has a lot of untapped upside ahead of him. At 6'11” with long arms Jok is a paint presence on both ends of the floor and is able to impact the game with his size alone. He showed good mobility getting up and down the floor, he showed solid touch around the rim and the ability to finish above the rim and he altered and blocked shots consistently as well.   Carter Berg-McLean | 6'5” CG | Global Squad 17U   Berg-McLean impressed a number of college coaches, as he was able to show his ability to play with the ball in his hands, something he doesn't get to do much at Georgetown Prep. The 6'5” guard has great size on the perimeter with a very advanced skill set which allows him to play multiple positions. He showed the ability to put it on the deck both in transition and in the half court to get downhill and make plays, he made shots off the catch from deep, showed a good pull-up game and has natural instincts on both ends of the floor.   Caden Walton | 6'6” WF | Washington Warriors HGSL 17U   The DeMatha wing was part of an impressive Warriors HGSL group that beat a lot of good teams this weekend, and his energy on both ends of the floor was a big reason for that. The 6'6” wing plays with a high motor and coupled with his size and athleticism allowed him to make an impact across the board. He was very good attacking the offensive glass for extra opportunities, he worked well in the mid-post making shots from the elbow and attacking off the bounce and he showed big time upside as a defender too.   Mason Hopper | 6'9” C | Washington Warriors HGSL 17U   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/79-Mason-Hopper-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1675099071.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/79-Mason-Hopper-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1675099071.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1773300" /></a></figure>   Hopper is another player that's an intriguing prospect to watch, as the St. Mary's-Annapolis big man showed a lot of tools and upside throughout the event. At 6'9” with long arms and a frame that should fill out, he passes the looks test and has a solid base skillset to go along with it. He showed touch out to the three-point line and at the elbows, he scored it well with both hands in the paint and he played with good energy defensively challenging shots and rebounding in traffic.

The annual Hoop Group Southern Jam Fest took place at Boo Williams Sportsplex and a couple other venues in the 757 last weekend, and this year was a little different as it was a live period for division one college coaches to attend,