May Live Period Preview: More '27 Prospects To Know

One of the most highly anticipated weekends of the spring AAU season is right around the corner with the May live period approaching—a key stretch when college coaches can finally be in gyms and evaluate prospects in person. As players continue to separate themselves with strong starts to the spring and look to generate momentum in their recruitments, here's another look at several prospects in the class of 2027 aiming to make a statement during the live period this May.    Continuing his scorching start to the spring in a heavily featured role for this 17U HGSL NJ Panthers group, [player_tooltip player_id='2344534' first='James' last='Roberts'] has routinely proved how vital he is to this team's offensive success— ultimately showcasing the consistent value he brings while continuing to polish the all around aspects of his game as a more versatile guard. Roberts has displayed growing confidence as a creator— particularly attacking closeouts off the bounce, operating with poise and making sharp reads in different PnR actions, and getting downhill into the lane while maintaining strong court vision to find open shooters on drives. Paired with his more than dependable ability to knock down perimeter jumpers as a spot up threat, Roberts' development into a more well rounded and impactful guard is definitely worth the attention of coaches at the next level.   Dating back to as far as this past high school season, Roberts has received interest from the likes of Yale and Dartmouth with hopes of receiving additional interest from other high academic programs.     A scoring guard with natural three level scoring ability and a smooth pace off the dribble, [player_tooltip player_id='1406765' first='Milak' last='Myatt'] consistently showed his knack for creating and converting quality scoring opportunities. Even without the high volume usage he's accustomed playing with his HS team, Myatt still has made a strong impact— using his physicality and embracing contact in the lane to create separation while also getting to his spots in the mid range, and showcasing versatile perimeter scoring both off the bounce and as a more than viable catch and shoot threat. Myatt's also displayed strong court vision and feel as a playmaker— making several advanced reads with the ball in his hands in various PnR situations and showing strong awareness of help defenders when driving to the basket.   Myatt's recruitment has been rather quiet thus far but wouldn't be surprised to see a number of schools start to show interest in the near future, especially due to his ability to maintain an impressive balance between crafty scoring and decisive facilitating.     One of the state's hottest prospects to start the spring over the last several weeks, [player_tooltip player_id='2560962' first='Emmanuel' last='Malok'] has shown a lot of early signs of an extremely impactful interior paint presence, on both ends of the floor at that too. Demonstrating solid touch paired with rapidly improving footwork around the basket, Malok has established himself, for the most part, as a reliable target around the rim— converting on second chance opportunities on the offensive glass, displaying strong timing on lob finishes and soft hands on dump off passes from guards attacking the lane, an efficient roller in PnR action, and flashes of his back to the basket game on the low block. All while leveraging his physical tools to be an intimidating rim protector and strong area rebounder on the defensive end of the floor.   With his recruitment beginning to pick up a little bit of a steam, the 6'10" big has recently received offers from UMass Lowell, LaSalle and Alcorn State with a plethora of programs expected to show interest in his budding two way skillset.     An immensely important contributor who plays with a fiery energy and infectious passion, to this 17U GB Blue Devils group due in large put to the exceptional spacing and perimeter shooting he provides off the ball, [player_tooltip player_id='2391282' first='Avery' last='George'] has thus far this spring showcased the impact he brings as a perimeter shooting threat with his deep shooting range and ability to quickly settle into a nice rhythm. With a smooth shooting stroke and fundamentally sound and repeatable mechanics, George consistently capitalizes on clean scoring opportunities from beyond the arc— displaying versatility as a shooter, knocking down catch and shoot attempts while also thriving in movement shooting situations, effectively coming off screens and pin downs and relocating into open passing windows within half court offense sets.   In recent weeks, Dartmouth is the latest to reach out and inquire about George, with a possibility of some other high academic programs to further show interest.     Over the first few weeks of the spring AAU season, Matthew Kennedy has legitimately emerged as a valuable and versatile scoring option. Kennedy consistently and efficiently stretches defenses with his extremely quick and smooth shooting stroke while also leveraging his strong and physical frame to finish effectively inside while at the same time proving to be highly effective creating off the dribble, taking advantage of opportunities within the flow of the offense to attack defenses in multiple ways, leading to a number of impressive individual scoring performances.   On the brink of a prep year this upcoming fall and several of the region's top Division II programs showing strong interest, it will be intriguing to see how Kennedy's recruitment unfolds over the coming months.     A confident and passionate guard who plays with tremendous effort and energy who consistently has proven this spring that he can thrive offensively at either backcourt spot, Anthony Mauro has gotten off to strong start this spring rolling with a number of standout outings. Mauro's displayed efficient and confident perimeter shooting as a spot up threat, with deep range accuracy while also attacking the paint effectively and getting deep in the lane, finishing with soft touch floaters and crafty layups from a variety of angles. Mauro's also flashed strong ball handling ability and solid court vision, creating a number advantageous drive and kick opportunities for his teammates and connecting with open big men inside.   Off to one of the more hotter starts this spring here in the state of New Jersey, it'll be interesting to see where Mauro's recruitment goes, particularly with the level of consistency he's played at so far.     A high energy and explosive forward with uncommon versatility for his size and position, [player_tooltip player_id='2628248' first='Terrance' last='Jamison'] has firmly established himself as a major two way impact player so far this spring with the value he's brought this 17U HGSL Panthers frontcourt. Offensively, Jamison has brought real value as a powerful and vertical finisher in the paint— excelling as a roller in PnR situations, capitalizing on short corner dump offs, attacking effectively in turn and face opportunities, diving hard to the rim off dribble penetration form other ball handlers, and showcasing his vertical explosiveness with emphatic put backs above the rim. Jamison's impact stretches well beyond his finishing ability, particularly on the defensive end where his versatility consistently stands out where he's attacked the glass aggressively, switched comfortably across multiple positions containing quicker guards on the perimeter, battled bigger post players inside, and used his athleticism to create highlight level defensive plays.   With with rare versatility for his size and role and the impact he's demonstrated thus far this spring, it'll be interesting to see what programs at the next level prioritize his skillset and get involved in his recruitment.     A highly dangerous and poised perimeter scorer, [player_tooltip player_id='2344526' first='MJ' last='Jarrell'] thrives with a smooth outside shooting touch and a confident offensive approach, typically finding a strong rhythm and doing much of his damage from beyond the arc. Whether it's creating his own shot off the dribble and draining jumpers off the bounce or spacing the floor as a potent catch and shoot threat with deep range accuracy, Jarrell's displayed a well rounded and versatile shooting package. Complementing his perimeter scoring, he's also shown a growing comfort attacking downhill off the dribble, welcoming contact on drives to the rim and using physicality to get into the lane and finish through traffic around the basket with increasing effectiveness.   With a skillset that translates seamlessly to the next level, it'll be worth noting what programs begin to track him this spring and going forward into the summer.

One of the most highly anticipated weekends of the spring AAU season is right around the corner with the May live period approaching—a key stretch when college coaches can finally be in gyms and evaluate prospects in person. As players continue to separate themselves with strong starts to the spring and look to generate momentum in their recruitments, here's another look at several prospects in the class of 2027 aiming to make a statement during the live period this May.