Southern Standouts: 2026 Prospects
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…
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Continue ReadingThe 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,
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 2026 standouts from DMV teams in attendance.
Bol Thet | 6’7” WF | Global Squad 17U
Thet is a new name at Springdale Prep to keep an eye on, as he has a very impressive skillset for a player his size. At 6’7” he has the build of a stretch four man, but he has a legitimate wing skillset that makes him a walking mismatch. He makes shots from deep off the catch, he has a good handle and gets to spots where he can knock down shots in the midrange and he can post up smaller defenders as well.
Dezmon Ainsworth | 6’3” CG | Higher Level Premier 17U
Ainsworth is an up and coming guard who will likely take the reigns at Patriot this year, and he has played extremely well for Higher Level’s 17U group so far this year. He’s a talented and high motor guard who gets after it on both ends of the floor, he can touch the paint at will and make plays for others, he’s an excellent finisher at the rim and he continues to put up big numbers consistently.
Anthony Creecy | 6’7” C | Team Richmond HGSL 17U
Creecy is the only player playing up on TR’s HGSL team this year, and he showed some very good flashes of how good he can be moving forward. At 6’7” he’s a bit of a throwback big who thrives with his back to the basket and is a true post technician. He showed good touch with both hands around the rim, he used fakes and footwork to create space to get his shot off and he attacked the glass hard on both ends too.
Andrew Maria | 6’5” CG | Washington Warriors HGSL 17U
Maria was very impressive for a Warriors team who was one of the best in the event, and he’s looking like he’ll be one of the top guards in the Nova area this year. At 6’5” he has fantastic size for a guard with good strength when he gets in the paint to play through contact. He can see over defenders and has a great IQ to deliver tough passes, he has an excellent midrange game with floaters and pull-ups and his size allows him to defend multiple positions and makes him a good rebounder too.
Jalen Johnson | 6’2” WG | Washington Warriors HGSL 17U
Johnson is one of the most underrated players in Maryland in his class, playing on a state championship team with Largo and he’s having a breakout spring playing up with this Warriors group. The 6’2” lefty filled it up in bunches all event, showing his ability to score it in a variety of ways. He made shots from deep both off the catch and off the bounce, he got the rim at will where he showed the ability to finish in traffic and he got the line often where he converted at a very high clip.
Amare Cooper | 6’2” CG | Team Richmond 16U
Cooper was quietly one of the better guards in RVA last season as a sophomore, and he was absolutely fantastic throughout the event leading TR to the championship game. He’s the type of guard who makes things that are very difficult look effortless, and he can be both a go-to scorer and distributor as well. He is shifty off the bounce with the ability to create space or blow by defenders, he makes tough shots from deep and in the midrange off the bounce and he is a crafty finisher with both hands too.
Caleb Straughter | 6’6” WF | Team Richmond 16U
Straughter is an up and coming prospect in the RVA area as he was an important part of Varina’s success last year, and is just scratching the surface with how good he can be moving forward. The 6’6” wing has a great frame with long arms and is a good athlete, and his skillset leans toward him being a 3 and d prospect moving forward. He shoots it well off the catch from deep and has good confidence, he is a threat in transition with his athleticism and he has huge upside as a lock down defender.
Alex Blanchard | 6’0” PG | Team Richmond 16U
Blanchard is the type of player that is really easy to love when you watch him play, as he is an all-out guy who plays with toughness and will do whatever it takes to win. He split his eye open on the first day of the event, and played with tape over it while not changing the way he played one bit. He’s a tenacious defender who will stick his nose in there both on the ball and in help side, he gets downhill and puts pressure on the defense drawing contact and he can knock down open shots too.