MADE Hoops East Mania: Sunday 16U Eye-catchers

MADE Hoops got its Northeast spring slate started this past weekend with their massive East Mania event in Washington, D.C. With hundreds of programs taking part from all circuits, take a look below at a handful of prospects who impressed from the 17U ranks while we took in the final day of action on Sunday.    He started showing the signs last summer immediately upon arriving in the U.S. via his native Trinidad and Tobago, but Drayton has only continued to make strides in the time since and now looks ripe for a breakout on a national scale. With elite-level length and a naturally controlled fluidity to his movements on either end, he has the physical tools that are sure to catch the eye of any coach or scout up to the highest levels of the sport. There's real underlying skill for Drayton beneath the surface, however, as he shows increasing consistency stretching the floor as a perimeter shooter and even putting it on the deck past opposing bigs running out at him. With the type of modern two-way skillset that teams increasingly covet from their bigs, Drayton has a chance to be recruited at a high level before very long as he gets in front of coaches on the AAU scene for the first time.     The talent jumps off the page for Hawkins, a silky-smooth wing guard who's shown tantalizing flashes over his past couple AAU seasons and throughout his first year in the NEPSAC. Now back competing with his age group and in a featured role for the first time, he looks to be turning the all-important corner from “prospect” to “player” while beginning to produce at a consistently high level. Hawkins' size and well-rounded skillset give him the ability to thrive across situations, both on and off the ball whether in the halfcourt or in transition. With steadily increasing confidence and athleticism, physicality is one of the only things left missing in Hawkins' arsenal at this point. Having years ahead of him still to address that concern, he could easily wind up one of the flagbearers for his class across all of New England.     A big revelation on the day, Ogwuche is still relatively new to the U.S. by way of his native Nigeria, but looks ripe to burst onto the radar as he gains more exposure over the course of his first grassroots season. With striking length and natural fluidity athletically, he plays with a nonstop motor that allows him to muck things up consistently for opponents on either end of the floor. While not the most skilled, he possesses good hands and a swift touch to finish effectively inside in traffic. Ogwuche placed himself firmly on the D1 radar with his play as a rising forward who we'll look forward to evaluating further.     Long one of our favorites within his class across the DMV, Ferguson is off to a fresh start with a new AAU club and looks to be reaping the benefits already. Continuing to blossom physically while both growing and getting more explosive athletically, the southpaw brings eye-popping size to the perimeter with a versatile two-way skillset to match. More of a defensive specialist when he first worked onto our radar, Ferguson has grown steadily with his ball skills while beginning to develop into a reliable shooter off the catch from the perimeter. Also a standout on the football field, Ferguson could possess a really enticing upside if he's ever to lock in on hoops full-time.     Chipping in alongside Hawkins to help close out a tight win over the 3SSB's Washington Warriors, McNair was crucial with his potential scoring ability on the perimeter. Already among the most productive sophomores in the NEPSAC, McNair seems improved from the season, most notably looking to have stretched a bit further and converted some baby fat into muscle. A natural scorer, he shined while displaying a polished pullup repertoire, particularly in the midrange. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise for a D1 offer to come McNair's way sooner than later if he keeps up this level of play into the live periods.

MADE Hoops got its Northeast spring slate started this past weekend with their massive East Mania event in Washington, D.C. With hundreds of programs taking part from all circuits, take a look below at a handful of prospects who impressed from the 17U ranks while we took in the final day of action on Sunday.