Arch Madness: More Notable Prospects

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are a few more prospects out of the 2026 and 2027 Classes that I saw competing at Arch Madness this past weekend, that I saw put on a show for everyone watching.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2423240"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66a9235e44766"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2423240' first='Joshua' last='Nichols'] brings to the floor length, athleticism, a soft touch on the ball near the rim, and a deeper bag than most on the offensive side of things. This is someone that comes in at 6'4 and who can cover ground in a hurry with a very limited number of dribbles. In his AAU team's system, he gets a lot of action going toward the rim and he floats once he jumps so that adds up. This weekend, that's really where he thrived. He got a lot of boards and points next to the bucket and there is nothing wrong with that because his team needed it to stay in some of their contests ultimately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1552407"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66a9235e447d5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">To end the 2024 Summer AAU season for Luke Blackford, he came into this weekend and had himself a tournament to remember. I didn't get to see all of his games but from what I did see, he scored 39 in one contest, catching on fire from the field and he built off of that. He may not of scored near 40 every contest but he made his marks on each game in more ways than one and that's all you can ask for from a coaching/recruiting perspective. There is a lot to build on here. If Blackford keeps on working and finds his niche within wherever he competes, he is going to be able to produce in one way or another at the end of the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2407868"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66a9235e4481e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Tyler Oakley may be listed at 6'3 but with his muscular build on the floor, he seems a little bit taller as he competes as it feels more like 6'5. Oakley's height, shooting ability, and physical prowess make him a handful for defenders to guard. This weekend he was listed as a Top Performer in a game or two because of all of the things I listed above. He was definitely one of the more interesting prospects that I saw competing out of the 2026 Class, that has a lot of potential moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2500094"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66a9235e44861"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I would categorize [player_tooltip player_id='2500094' first='Marnell' last='Nelson'] as a prospect that could play the 1 or 2 spot for whatever team he is competing with. Nelson stands right around 5'11, he is a crafty decision maker that understands his strengths and his opponents weaknesses early on in a contest. For his STL Finest 2027 team he started off this weekend hot and kept it rolling from there, building it into a weekend that he can be proud of. Nelson should be able to take this momentum and ride it into the the Fall at Orchard Farm High School.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->