JYP Top 100 MLK Kick-Off: Day 1 Recap

Spencer Pulliam January 13, 2024 @ 11:06 PM

Hampton, VA. — Every year one of the top events during the MLK Weekend is put on by Junior Youth Phenom as Steve Smith and his crew do a tremendous job of getting some of the top teams from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. This year is no different and this years field is filled with nationally ranked teams from up and down the east coast. After the opening night of play, we take a look at some of the top storylines from the gym...

Cota Elite Upsets [program_tooltip program_id='2226248' first='Boo' last='Williams']

In a back and forth game with multiple lead changes, Cota Elite came out on top against [program_tooltip program_id='2226248' first='Boo' last='Williams'] in the 8th grade division. Cota Elite matched up perfectly with [program_tooltip program_id='2226248' first='Boo' last='Williams'] and was led by 2028 Ayo Awosanya 6'3" and Eddie Cota 6'1". Awosanya was constantly active in the post and around the rim, and showed a lot of versatility when scoring the ball. Cota, is the son of Eddie Former and former North Carolina standout. With great bloodlines coming from his dad, Cota showed an elite handle and the ability to get by defenders at a high level off his dribble. With his game set to translate well to the next level, Cota might be one of the more underrated players from the North Carolina 2028 class.

Team Loaded 2029 Dominates

Already regarded as one of the top teams across the country, Team Loaded made a major statement in two wins on opening night with one of their wins coming against their rival [program_tooltip program_id='2226248' first='Boo' last='Williams']. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2767487' first='King' last='Bacot'] is the go to guy for Loaded but he has a very impressive supporting cast including 6'4" Jacori Thompson and 6'0" guard Jaylen Sheppard. Thompson is a versatile big man that can do a lot because of his size advantage. Sheppard is a high iq guard that can be relied on to make shots from various spots on the floor.

[player_tooltip player_id='2767830' first='Jaiden' last='Hunter'] Continues To Show Flashes

2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2767830' first='Jaiden' last='Hunter'] of [program_tooltip program_id='2226248' first='Boo' last='Williams'] has already made a name for himself in the state of Virginia and surrounding areas but he will be known soon to a lot of people very soon. Filled with tremendous length standing at 6'4", Hunter plays with a lot of fluidity on offense and is a walking mismatch whenever he is on the court. He is showing encouraging signs of being able to score the ball at all three levels and being able to defend multiple positions. Get used to hearing [player_tooltip player_id='2767830' first='Jaiden' last='Hunter']'s name as his stock will continue to rise as the winter and spring roll on.

Daziyon Carpenter

Opening night brought a handful of 5th grade games which allowed me to get my eyes on some of the better class of 2031 prospects from the state of Virginia and North Carolina, including Daziyon Carpenter of Team Loaded. Carpenter was a threat to score the basketball whenever he was one the floor and his teammates knew the emphasis of getting him the ball. Carpenter showed why he is a name to monitor from the class of 2031.

Exciting Weekend On Tap

This next few days in Hampton are turning out to be a very solid weekend in the youth hoops world. There are a lot of different shoe sponsored programs in attendance along with some of the top independent programs from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. If this type of competition continues to roll in year after year, the JYP MLK Kick-Off will continue to become a must stop event.

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