The Summit-Standout Scorers

This weekend, Spooky Nook Sports was the home of Zero Gravity’s event, The Summit, that featured a ton of teams from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic area. I was in attendance for Saturday’s slate of games and will be dishing out some content on my findings starting with the prospects who stood out scoring the basketball. [player_tooltip player_id="1119147" first="Elmarko" last="Jackson"] | 6’3 | WeR1 ’23 Jackson had an impressive weekend and continues to showcase his overall polished skillset this spring. His scoring prowess was evident in the games that I watched wit his ability to get his shot off whenever and wherever he wanted. The 6-foot-3 guard has a great blend of quickness and brute strength that allows him to create separation off the dribble in the mid-range or in his attacks to the rim. In the open floor, he finished with thunderous dunks to help spark energy throughout his team. [player_tooltip player_id="902040" first="Trae" last="English"] | 5’11 | Team Thrill ’21 Thrill was short-handed this weekend and it seemed as if English took it upon himself to make up for it in the scoring department. The 5-foot-11 guard routinely beat his man off the dribble and attacked the basket as he finished a number of high-arcing layups off the back board over the arms of contesting bigs. He did a nice job of seeking out contacting while airborne and although he didn’t get as many calls as he probably should have, he maintained focus and converted on his looks. [player_tooltip player_id="1049870" first="Jayden" last="Ross"] | 6’6 | Team Melo ’23<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Elmarko-Jackson.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1194819 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Elmarko-Jackson-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Ross caught they eyes of many with his performance this weekend. He grew a solid 5-to-6 since entering high school and now stands around 6-foot-6. He scored at all three levels and in transition can finish above the rim with authority and regularity. Ross also showed comfortability operating off the bounce where he got into the paint and finished through traffic. [player_tooltip player_id="1110551" first="Aidan" last="Mess"] | 6’7 | Mid Atlantic Select ’22 Mess was spectacular in the game that I saw Saturday afternoon as he finished with a stat line comprised of 24 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. His offensive versatility was evident and he did so in an efficient manner. Mess stepped out beyond the arc for catch-and-shoot three’s, operated off catches at the high post and utilized sound footwork on the block with his back to the basket. Noah Batchelor | 6’7 | Team Thrill ’22 Similar to English, Batchelor helped carry the offensive load for Thrill this weekend, but did so consistently from outside. The 6-foot-7 is putting together a spring of efficient shooting from deep and is taking smart shots within the rhythm of the offense. Batchelor’s athleticism also came to light in transition where he finished above the rim on dunks or on the receiving end of lobs. [player_tooltip player_id="1089573" first="Derik" last="Queen"] | 6’8 | Team Thrill ’24 Queen saw action between the 16U and 17U teams this weekend. In their game against Middlesex Magic, Queen quickly checked into the game late after finishing with the 16s and asserted himself immediately getting into the paint off the bounce following a catch out on the perimeter for an and-one. As always, Queen played to his speed, but got to where he needed to in order to get his shot off. He knocked down catch-and-shoot three’s, finished soft-touching floaters in the paint and did a nice job of generating second-chance points for himself off of offensive rebounds. Kareem Ewell | 6’7 | WeR1 ’21 Ewell is always a joy to watch given the effort that he leaves out on the floor. The 6-foot-7 long-limbed forward still needs to add muscle to his frame, but his pursuit of rebounds at their peak is elite and a big reason why his team had so many second-chance opportunities. Ewell finished strong around the rim and supplied the fans with impressive dunks throughout Saturday morning. He’s becoming more dynamic off the dribble and learning how to create space for mid-range looks, which will add significant value to his game. [player_tooltip player_id="1110545" first="Cortez" last="Johnson"] | 6’7 | Team Thrill ’23 Johnson put together another productive weekend with efficient scoring numbers. The one thing about the 6-foot-7 forward that is guaranteed is that he isn’t going to force his looks at the rim. He’s tremendous at moving without the ball and making himself available in windows so guys such as Queen can find him wandering around the baseline for quick buckets. Johnson made it a point to sprint out in the lanes on the fast break and put himself in position for dunks. Josh Morissette | 6’3 | Middlesex Magic ’22 Morissette is just an all-around solid hooper. He’s a high IQ guard that can play on or off the ball and is a scoring threat from all three levels. The 6-foot-3 guard showed sound footwork coming off of pindowns and quickly getting into this shot with balance. He had toughness on drives to the rim where he embraced contact, finished or got the foul call. Morissette also made good decision in the open floor that were critical in his team earning a win over Team Thrill on Saturday.