Superstar Events: July Jam 2026

July Jam produced a variety of players with unique talents. These young men showed their worthiness of being focal points within this article.    Daniel continues to be the dynamic scorer I watched during middle school basketball last season. He beats defenders off the dribble, attacks the paint, scores from mid-range and knocks down long distance threes. Daniel came out firing, right out the gate! He knocked down his first two shot attempts from three-point range. Those scores were followed up by a mid-range jumper and a strong dribble drive to the basket. Daniel played the game with complete confidence. He made numerous plays on both ends of the basketball court. On defense, he had multiple steals and blocked a shot as the offensive player attacked the paint. Daniel is an awesome player who has the ability to make an instant impact next season. I feel confident in saying, “ Daniel will easily adjust to the trials and tribulations of high school basketball.”     Camden has become the team's “glue guy”. He's a great rebounder who crashed the boards on both ends of the court. I feel confident in saying " Camden finished the game with close to double-digit rebounds." He literally fought for every rebound like it was his last. In some circumstances, he scored around the basket whenever his teammates missed shots. On numerous occasions, Camden showed a new facet of his basketball skills. He made quick moves off the dribble that led to easy scores. I have never seen Camden make split-second moves from the wing of the floor. Everything was normally back-to-the basket moves and scores. On defense, he blocked shots, grabbed defensive rebounds and altered the shots of opposing players on offense. Camden has the size and skills to make a difference in high school basketball next season.     I appreciated the energy this young man showed Saturday afternoon. Evan is a big-time shooter! He shoots the ball with no hesitation. After watching him, I saw a player who is completely confident in his shooting ability. He was great at finding ways to free himself for good looks at the basket. Whether it was running around screens or using the dribble, Evan found a way to get his shot off. He's the type of player who catches fire once he sees a couple of shots go down. In the match-up against [program_tooltip program_id='2559412' first='Marlin' last='Academy'] Jr. P32, he was able to knock down multiple three-pointers. He also showed the ability to get around defenders and score floaters in the paint. Evan is an excellent team player who made a ton of hustle plays. Whether it's fighting for rebounds, taking charges or playing the passing lanes, Evan always manages to be around the basketball. I believe these all around skills will allow him to make a smooth transition into high school basketball.     Jordan has become an outstanding rebounder! This young man attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did when he looked to score. A majority of his rebounds led to easy scores around the basket. The others allowed teammates to have second or third shot opportunities. Just on effort alone, I believe Jordan finished the game with double-digit rebounds. He excelled at using his size advantage to score over smaller defenders. Jordan is capable of making plays all over the court. He scores points in transition and occasionally knocks down mid-range shots. On defense, his presence was felt in the paint. When opposing players attempted to drive the lane, Jordan was there to turn them away. I believe he easily adjusts to the speed and physicality of high school basketball.     Colton continues to improve his overall basketball skills. He has also grown a few inches and plays a totally different position as compared to a few summers ago. The first time I wrote him up as a point guard. I can now say, " I view his as a small forward after watching him play two more times." Colton excels at attacking defenders, scoring in the paint, knocking down short perimeter jumpers and three-pointers. He's become a tougher player who rebounds and doesn't mind being physical. In addition to his scoring and ball handling, Colton has become a great passer. The biggest improvement I noticed was his defense. His aggressive style of ball pressure helped [program_tooltip program_id='2559412' first='Marlin' last='Academy'] Jr. P32 forced multiple turnovers throughout the game. In the closing moments of the contest, his clutch free-throws gave [program_tooltip program_id='2559412' first='Marlin' last='Academy'] Jr. P32 the lead for good. I love the trajectory of his basketball journey. Colton continues to grow as a player every time I watch him. Now, let's see if this trend continues as he steps into the high school basketball scene.     Cole continues to be a shot maker! He's an excellent ball handler who easily beat opposing defenders and made plays. Cole is a legit scorer who showed no fear of taking or making big-time shots. He knocked down three-pointers, attacked the basket and dished out assists to his teammates. When I watched him play during the school season, Cole was the hardest working player on the court. After watching him play Saturday afternoon, I can see not much has changed. There were moments in the game where he carried the team offensively. Playing this style allowed him to attack the Blackout 2030 Gold defense throughout the game. When [program_tooltip program_id='2559412' first='Marlin' last='Academy'] Jr. P32 had an opportunity to push the pace, Cole finished strong in transition. Defensively, he gave maximum effort by pressuring opposing guards into turnovers. Cole is a dynamic player who is capable of becoming even greater in the coming years.     The big man showed the ability to be dominant in the paint. Every time Jacob had a smaller defender guarding him, he went to work in the post. He's not only a threat in the paint, Jacob runs the floor, scores in transition and knocks down mid-range jump-shots. In some instances, Jacob extended his range beyond the three-point line. He was able to knock down multiple shots despite being closely guarded by the opposition. Jacob continues to be a great rebounder! He dominated the boards on both ends of the floor. Especially on the offensive side of the court. A large majority of his scores came from grabbing offensive rebounds. Defensively, Jacob played great interior post defense, blocked shots and made scoring an obstacle for Blackout 2030 Gold players. I expect big things from Jacob next season at Greenwood Christian Academy.     Josh was a positive presence in the paint Saturday morning. Blackout 2030 Gold had a tough time defending him in the post. He scored the highest percentage of his points in the paint. Others came from perimeter shots he knocked down. Josh is a hard working player who hustled to make plays all over the court. When he had a mismatch, he fought to get the position he needed. Every time he rebounded, Josh made sure to box out his opponent. If his teammates needed a screen, he made sure it was a solid one. [program_tooltip program_id='2559412' first='Marlin' last='Academy'] Jr. P32 ran a lot of pick and roll actions with Josh being the beneficiary. The play led to multiple scores as he attacked the basket. On defense, he protected the paint and forced opposing players into bad shots. He's an excellent talent who has a chance to become even greater in the coming years.     Liam is a shifty combo guard who makes big shots. He's an excellent ball handler who can easily beat defenders off the dribble. Whether it was attacking the paint, knocking down three-pointers or scoring transition baskets, Liam was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball. There were moments in the game when he attacked the basket and made tough shots. He's a great play-making guard who showed the ability to be effective as a scorer or facilitator. Liam is an above average passer who found his teammates in scoring positions throughout the game. A majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for the team. When [program_tooltip program_id='2559412' first='Marlin' last='Academy'] Jr. P32 had an opportunity to score transition points, he always finished strong. On defense, Liam pressed opposing guards into mistakes and turnovers. In my opinion, Liam is a promising guard who has the skills to become a top player in the coming years.

July Jam produced a variety of players with unique talents. These young men showed their worthiness of being focal points within this article.