Friday Morning 16U Stock Risers at Best of the South.

Here is a group of guys that had solid mornings at Hoopseen's Best of the South event that always brings out a lot of talent and high level grassroots programs. These guys should be catching college coaches eyes over the next month while live period events are continuing.    Hammonds is a combo guard that is a relentless transition scorer who plays with nonstop energy on both ends of the floor. He creates value beyond scoring by diving for loose balls, making hustle plays, and doing all the little things that help teams win. Offensively, he is difficult to contain once he gets a step on you downhill and attacks the basket with purpose. He finished with 22 points while connecting on four makes from beyond the arc. Hammond is also effective and known to create quality looks in the mid range and from beyond the arc off the bounce, making him a complete scoring threat. Off the catch, he's equally dangerous, giving defenses another problem to solve. A small college prospect that will turn heads over the next few seasons.     I have gotten to sit down and watch Gonzalez a couple of times this summer and have been really impressed with his improvement throughout the summer. He has taken on the secondary guard role with Lopresti for the Warriors making them a super dangerous backcourt on the offensive end. Gonzolaz finished this morning with 12 points and scored the ball in a variety of ways, knocking down mid range jumpers off the bounce while getting to the cup and using a pretty floater to bank home a few buckets. Gonzalez is solid in either guard spot and proved today he can run the point guard position effectively, he has a nice handle with a high basketball IQ creating opportunities for his shooters that SEBA has in bulk. A nice combo guard prospect that small college programs should take a look at.     Brown is one of the purest shooters I watched all day. He has a great feel for moving without the basketball, using pin-downs and off-ball actions to create open looks before quickly getting into his shooting motion. He constantly relocates around the perimeter, making himself available for kick outs, and his quick trigger allows him to get shots off with very little space. Once he sees one go through, he can string together multiple makes in a hurry. He also does a nice job of attacking closeouts to score inside the lane and cuts when defenders heads are turned to get some easy buckets. Brown is one of the better pure perimeter shooters in his class and will be a offensive diamond in the rough for a program at the next level.     Mayner is an intriguing wing who immediately catches your attention with his size, length, and scoring instincts. He scored efficiently from all three levels while showing excellent patience and shot selection throughout the game. Around the basket, he uses a variety of crafty finishes to score over and around shot blockers. His high basketball IQ also shows up as a passer, and he consistently makes winning plays late in games. He can stretch the floor when left open, making him a versatile offensive weapon. Maynard is one who's size and skill translates to the next level and could be a gem that falls in the hands of a college program once its time.     Smyly is a knockdown perimeter shooter who provides tremendous floor spacing in the half court. He buried four three-pointers while confidently lighting it up from downtown. He has a great feel for relocating around the perimeter and consistently finds open windows in the defense. His textbook shooting mechanics, quick release, and nonstop movement without the ball make him a dangerous weapon every possession. Smyly has the tools to become a legitimate college prospect over the next few years.     Barker is a shifty lead guard who gets to the basket at a high level with a tight handle and crafty finishing ability around the rim. He is a true interior scorer off the bounce and puts a ton of pressure on inside defenses. There was no answer this morning for Barker as he scored 21 in a tough last second win over a quality Global Elite team. Barker plays with a high basketball IQ, makes quality reads as a passer, and consistently impacts the game on the defensive end with solid positioning and effort. His ability to create for himself and others makes him a valuable floor general who's skill definitely translates to the college level. Would not be surprised if more college coaches find their way over to his court throughout the weekend.

Here is a group of guys that had solid mornings at Hoopseen's Best of the South event that always brings out a lot of talent and high level grassroots programs. These guys should be catching college coaches eyes over the next month while live period events are continuing.