Recruiting Radar: Florida Prospects To Know From Hoop Exchange

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">As the offseason begins, grassroots basketball and spring camps start to reveal the next wave of talent, and Weekend No. 1 of the #HoopExchange Spring Player Showdown delivered exactly that. Held in Florida and packed with talent from across the state, the event featured wall-to-wall competition, high-level matchups, and plenty of players eager to make their mark as the travel season and camps gets underway. While many players showed flashes throughout the day, several prospects consistently stood out with their production, skill set, and overall impact on the floor. These are the players who left a lasting impression and showed why they are names worth tracking closely moving forward…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3559811,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-MJ-Lockwood-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-MJ-Lockwood-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-3559811" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3533144' first='MJ' last='Lockwood']</strong> (6'6/SG/'29/Highlands Christian Academy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Mj2lockwood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">MJ is a freshman with the pedigree and the possibility of a lot more physical growth in height ahead of him. He has a solid skill set and showed to be a multi-level scorer with the emerging ability to create his own shot. There is nothing flashy about his game, but he goes about his day impacting the game with his effort, activity on the glass, and by being a willing defender. He has to continue working on his handles and living low, as he plays too upright at times on both ends of the floor. His physical strength, explosiveness off the bounce, and lateral movement will improve as he continues to work in the weight room. He is on a good trajectory and the potential is there, because of the pedigree, but there are things he has to continue to add to this game and polish, and as he continues on his journey of doing that, I am sure we will start seeing the evolution of a highly skilled and cerebral player who will impact the game on both ends of the floor. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3559812,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Kwame-Poke-Jr.-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Kwame-Poke-Jr.-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-3559812" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Kwame Poke, Jr.</strong> (6'4/PG/'27/Jones HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Kjtheiceman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @Kjtheiceman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Kwame has positional size and length, and a solid skill set that helped him make his mark throughout the day as a slasher who lived in the paint. He was active on both ends of the floor and utilized his length to often shoot over the top of defenders on offense, challenged shots at the rim, and made it hard for ball-handlers to get around him on defense. He was aggressive, attacking the cup throughout the day, and did a good job making plays off the bounce and serving as a lead guard who not only orchestrated and distributed the rock but also created his own offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3559813,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Wilmer-De-La-Rosa-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Wilmer-De-La-Rosa-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-3559813" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2453719' first='Wilmer' last='De La Rosa']</strong> (6'5/PG/'26/Pine Ridge HS) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: wil8delarosa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @wildelarosa8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Wilmer is a stout guard who flashed his athleticism throughout the day and was really good at running the show. He is a reliable ball-handler with experience and a solid floor game. He showed his ability to process quickly and make good decisions when orchestrating the offense. He is a downhill attacker with three-level scoring ability and was consistently able to collapse defenses and either finish through contact or make plays for teammates. What stood out most was his confidence, toughness, and IQ traits often found in older players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3559814,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Ethan-Knox-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Ethan-Knox-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-3559814" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194979' first='Ethan' last='Knox']</strong> (6'5/SG/'28/Zephyrhills Christian Academy) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: ethank2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @ethanknox06</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Ethan is a young talent with positional size and length. He was aggressive throughout the 2nd session and showed to be really tough to contain off the bounce. He made shots off the dribble, in catch-and-shoot situations, and off screens. He is a slasher who gets to the cup and is a strong finisher at the rim, using his craftiness and strength to finish through contact. He showed his ability to be a spot-up shooter, a slasher who can break down defenders, the ability to create his own shot, and generate opportunities for teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3559815,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Kwasi-Appiah-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Kwasi-Appiah-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-3559815" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3269972' first='Kwasi' last='Appiah']</strong> (6'4/SF/'28/Olympia) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: malamjr91</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @KwasiAppiah91</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Kwasi is an athletic wing with explosiveness off the floor. He is really good in the open floor, where he can use his athleticism as he flies around the court, making plays in particular as a lob threat and as a slasher. In the half-court, he showed his ability to create off the bounce and did a really good job getting paint touches and showing his decision-making skills in traffic. He has positional size, fluidity, and a smooth and coordinated ability to attack off the bounce with body control. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3559816,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media","align":"left"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Jaxson-Smith-C.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/PH-Jaxson-Smith-C.png?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-3559816" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3532896' first='Jaxson' last='Smith']</strong> (6'5/PG/'29/Highlands Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Ohyeahjaxz</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jaxson is listed as a PG, but played on and off the ball throughout the day. He has length and positional size and was able to utilize his length to impact both ends of the floor. His ability to cover ground with his strides was impressive, especially to just be a freshman. He put pressure on the rim as he showed himself to be a slasher who was tough to keep out of the paint. There is a lot of upside to his game, and he is a player to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->