Mayhem in the Plex: Offensive Weapons (Part 1)

<p>The Prep Hoops Circuit rolled on this past weekend at the Mayhem in the Plex event in Fort Worth, Texas. Dozens of teams showed up to compete in the tournament, and I was able to see a bunch of them in action at the Game On Sports Complex. I will be highlighting standout prospects throughout the week.</p> <p>While there is certainly room for specialists within the game of basketball, players who can do multiple things at a high level will always be more valuable to the success of a team. With that in mind, here are some of the best offensive weapons from the 16U and 17U divisions:</p> <p><strong>Joshua "Coco" Escheik | 2023 | 6’3’’ Combo Guard | Top Achievers Elite 2021 | Prestonwood Christian Academy</strong> - Escheik transitioned between the one and two spots masterfully this weekend. He was excellent as a three-point shooter. The Prestonwood guard was confident and never hesitated to let it go from deep. His distributing was fantastic as well, delivering passes on time and on target. The court awareness he displayed was great. </p> <p><strong>Jamir Turner | 2022 | 6’5’’ Combo Guard | Fresno Flyers Elite 2022 | Ridge Point HS</strong> - Turner has fantastic size and length for his position. His physicality was evident as well. The Ridge Point guard appeared to be at his best when operating as a lead guard where he could attack the basket off the dribble and facilitate. He made some brilliant passes in his opening game of the tournament that helped his team earn a come-from-behind victory, highlighted by a beautiful behind-the-back bounce pass assist in transition that sealed the victory. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="955381" first="Jamel" last="Graves"] | 2022 | 6’6’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | Oklahoma Chaos Elite 2022 | Lawton Eisenhower HS</strong> - Graves possess a thick frame and understands how to use it in the paint. He did a good job of establishing positioning down low and showed good touch near the basket. The Eisenhower combo forward also ran the floor in transition and finished through contact. In addition, Graves was terrific as an interior passer, setting up his teammates for high-percentage looks inside. </p> <p><strong>Keddric Mays | 2022 | 6’1’’ Point Guard | Texas Takeover 2022 Elite Greg | Bridgeland HS</strong> - Mays was constantly pushing the tempo while remaining under control throughout the event. He shot the three ball very well, proving that he has deep range from beyond the arc. His playmaking was terrific too, especially when initiating the break. The 2022 floor general’s quickness with the ball, accuracy as a passer, and decision making were very noticeable. He finished the weekend averaging 14 points per game. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1194110" first="Zach" last="Spitzer"] | 2023 | 6’8’’ Power Forward | EAD Dallas 2023 | Allen HS</strong> - Spitzer is a stretch four who can knock down catch-and-shoot triples while also contributing on the offensive glass. His touch around the rim was outstanding on second-chance shots in Fort Worth on Saturday. He also made some fadeaways in the post. Furthermore, the Allen forward moves very well for his size. This is exactly the type of skilled and mobile big man that college coaches are looking for. </p>