Shot Makers Ready to Shine This Spring and Summer

It's a make or miss game, right? Ultimately the ability to put the ball in the basket is super important and North Carolina is blessed to have a ton of great shot makers from around the state with many of those guys primed and ready for big seasons with their travel ball clubs. Without further delay, let's take a deeper look at some shot-makers ready to deliver this spring and summer!    Kuppinen proved to be an incredibly valuable member of his high school team at Millbrook this past season with his ability to be a stabilizer on top of his deep range as a jump shooter. He'll be playing this spring/summer with DB Elite 16u who will be competing on the NxtPro Circuit. He's coming off his sophomore season at Millbrook where he averaged 12.4 Points, 2.3 Rebounds, 1.7 Assists, and 1.6 Steals per game on 43/40/76 from the line. Kuppinen's deep off the dribble range, feel for the game, and ability to run a team should shine bright for DB Elite. His ability to make shots at a high rate will certainly grab the attention of scouts and coaches alike, making Kuppinen a name people will be talking about a lot. He's comfortable in big games so if/when DB Elite can get a big time matchup this year, he'll be ready to deliver with his outside touch leading the charge.     The second Millbrook Wildcat on the list along with being the only true front-court player featured in this piece, [player_tooltip player_id='2415282' first='Josh' last='Conti'] did an incredible job expanding his range as a jump-shooter to make himself into a true stretch big man. He'll be playing on [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road']'s 3SSB 17u team and his ability to space the floor will be vital alongside [player_tooltip player_id='2292410' first='Jordan' last='Page'] who can be absolutely dominant when he has space to attack the rim. Conti gives this team a pick n pop and a trail three threat which can make this groups offense really dynamic. Along with the outside touch, Conti is a physical rebounder, a capable low post scorer, and a genuine two way connector as he plays within himself at all times. Conti had shooting splits of 52/43/70 and if he can maintain that efficiency on the 3SSB circuit, I fully expect his name to catch a lot more buzz over the course of the next 3-4 months.     Lowe will be back with [program_tooltip program_id='2227286' first='Team' last='Loaded South'] 3SSB 17u this spring/summer where he'll be surrounded by a lot of talent but his skillset will be an incredibly valuable piece to the puzzle that is this team. Lowe possesses deep jump shooting range off the catch, a strong frame as he's grown to 6'4" and added considerable strength, along with having a natural edge to the way that he plays the game. Lowe has a real nose for the basketball and is willing to put his body on the line when competing on the glass or fighting for loose balls. His ability to be efficient on his shots while not needing to self-create them is super beneficial to the other talented guys that surround him. An open Lowe is like a true safety valve, he's going to make shots at a high rate, and ultimately be as competitive as anyone else on the floor. Lowe is a high academic kid that should continue to garner attention from multiple Ivy and Patriot League schools as he heads into the pivotal 17u summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2227286' first='Team' last='Loaded South'].     Montgomery is coming off of a a year at Queens Grant where he helped lead his team to an NCHSAA 2A State Championship as a Sophomore where he provided a ton of stability in the backcourt with his ability to make shots and help run his team. Montgomery will be running with Top Shot UAA 16u this spring/summer after helping lead that team to a UA Rise 15u championship last year. Montgomery will be ready for the higher level of competition with the circuit upgrade as he plays a style of basketball that genuinely translates level to level. He's got a great feel for the game and his own abilities which allow him to truly put himself in the right spots. Montgomery can play on or off the ball where he can operate out of ball screens to pull up or find teammates for easy buckets while also being a lethal shooting threat off the catch. Montgomery continues to add strength to his frame to better allow him to play through contact, I fully expect to see him produce at a really quality level and efficiency this spring/summer with Top Shot 16u!     Hobbs is a truly gifted shot maker in North Carolina's 2027 class and he'll be running with the [program_tooltip program_id='2078488' first='Eastern' last='Carolina Phenomz'] this spring/summer. The combination of his tight handle and deep range make him one of the better isolation scorers in his class here in The HoopState. Hobbs possesses the ability to exploit weaker defenders off the bounce and make it look easy doing so. This past season at White Oak High School, Hobbs averaged 23.3 Points, 4.0 Rebounds, 2.7 Assists, and 1.3 Steals per game while operating with 43/35/78 shooting splits. If we can see Hobbs maintain/elevate the efficiency while still producing at a higher level as he faces tougher competition consistently this spring/summer, I fully expect him to get more next level attention sooner rather than later.

It's a make or miss game, right? Ultimately the ability to put the ball in the basket is super important and North Carolina is blessed to have a ton of great shot makers from around the state with many of those guys primed and ready for big seasons with their travel ball clubs. Without further delay, let's take a deeper look at some shot-makers ready to deliver this spring and summer!