Big Shots Virginia Beach Jam: Electric 16u Standouts (Part 3)
The Big Shots Virginia Beach Jam took place at Virginia Beach Sports Center with some familiar talented athletes that we’ve touched on before as they showcase their elite skills in front of national media. Let’s look at some of the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Big Shots Virginia Beach Jam took place at Virginia Beach Sports Center with some familiar talented athletes that we’ve touched on before as they showcase their elite skills in front of national media. Let’s look at some of the standout athletes from the 16u division.
Jayden Bland
Jayden Bland
On the offensive end, Bland stood out with his ability to move off-ball and attack open spaces on the perimeter for catch and shoot three-pointers which he knocked down with good balance and body control, confidence, and consistency. Bland was a threat off the catch from the corner, top of the key and above the break. When attacking the paint, Bland was able to make dump off passes with the left or right hand and put good pressure on the rim for defenses. Defensively, he did a good job of digging at drives to force fumbles and loose balls leading to fastbreaks and transition buckets.
Will Hopkins
Will Hopkins
Throughout the event, the 6-foot-1 guard played well above his height as he was able to dominate the glass for Team Richmond HGSL. We saw Hopkins clean up his own missed shots with putbacks at the rim by following his shot and crashing the glass while defenders waited for the rebound to bounce their way. A handful of times Hopkins put his athleticism on display by skying up above crowds to grab and secure offensive rebounds. He played a physical style of basketball as he showed the ability to absorb contact and maintain balance on drives and shots at the rim.
Datrez Gahagan
Datrez Gahagan
This past weekend, Gahagan really made his presence felt in the low post and on the glass. He put his pogo stick abilities on display as we saw him get off the ground quickly and repeatedly when fighting for offensive boards to generate second chance opportunities. When taking defenders off of the dribble, Gahagan looked comfortable using a hop step to maneuver through the lane and finish at the rim. He was able to take advantage of smaller defenders in the low post as he often went to a reverse pivot move to eliminate the defender from the play and create an easy shot for himself at the rim.
Hudson Bartley
Hudson Bartley
Throughout the event this past weekend, Bartley showed the ability to move well off-ball to create shots for himself as well as knock down the three-pointer at a consistent rate. Bartley did a good job of positioning himself in the dunker spot on drive to recieve dump-off passes for easy shots around the rim. He was very active on the glass as we saw him pull down a few offensive rebounds to extend possessions.
At 6-foot-4, Deloatch brought a combination of size, strength, and versatility to the court that opposing defense struggled to deal with. The oversized wing was able to distribute the ball over the top of the defense as well as make plays off the dribble. When attacking the paint, Deloatch was able to absorb contact on drives with his strong frame, leading to kick out passes to open shooters or finishes at the rim.