Film Room: 2026s Part 7

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My annual Film Room series is back for another year! There were over 100 prospects who submitted High School, Grassroots, or Camp Highlights for review and all will be featured in an article on Prep Hoops. Check out my thoughts on the seventh and final group of 2026s and watch their film in the post from @AndrewBaxleySC on X (Twitter):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1848632' first='Tony' last='Odom'] (CA Johnson) - First up on our final list of 2026s is CA Johnson's [player_tooltip player_id='1848632' first='Tony' last='Odom']. He is a true Combo Guard, able to be a threat offensively while playing on or off the ball. Tony is very comfortable making things happen off the dribble with a good handle and positional size, but he can also spot up and knock down corner threes to add spacing to the offense. In his highlight reel, Odom featured glimpses of him scoring at all three levels, but becoming an efficient scorer at the rim will boost his production significantly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1242285' first='Ford' last='Wilder'] (Wilson Hall) - I was glad to catch up with Wilder via film, because I missed out on him this Summer on the grassroots circuit. Ford is a two-sport athlete at Wilson Hall, listed at 6'4" with good athleticism and a strong frame. His highlights were from his Junior Season with the Barons - where he averaged 14.5 PPG and was named All-Region - impressing with activity around the baseline, ability to finish through contact, activity in passing lanes, and the occasional catch and shoot three.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2826461' first='Kevin' last='Brown'] (Timberland) - Kevin is another prospect who submitted his season highlights from last year. He has a very polished mid-range game, as displayed on film, but he can also use his bounce to finish above the rim or through contact. Although Brown showed glimpses of his perimeter shooting ability, turning into a high-volume catch-and-shoot guy would spell good things for his college recruitment. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2267854' first='Deuce' last='Claxton'] (Heathwood Hall) - Next up is our second SCISA Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='2267854' first='Deuce' last='Claxton'] of Heathwood Hall. He is one of the top shooters in the league because he is an elite three-point guy from the corners and picks his spots in the mid-range. Claxton has a compact, efficient stroke on his jumper that is very consistent. Deuce is also an active defender who gets his hands on balls frequently and is a connector offensively because he makes the extra pass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2175028' first='Pierce' last='Froehlich'] (JL Mann) - Froehlich has a nice highlight reel that is comprised of a solid AAU Season. Pierce is very comfortable playing away from the ball because he can spot-up and hit threes or attack defenses to pull up in the mid-range. He has good feet and shot-ready hands, but also a slower release. Although we know he can hit the three, one area of improvement for Pierce would be to increase the volume of his makes, because that would likely be his role at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1614888' first='Donovan' last='Mickle'] (Blythewood) - Donovan is due a big bump up in the rankings thanks to a big Summer for CPB and Westwood, prior to his cross-town move to Blythewood. The 6'0" Guard boasts a 3.8 GPA as well as the ability to both set his teammates up and create his own shot. I knew Mickle had a good scoring package, allowing him to hit tough shots off the bounce, but the passing I saw on his film was most exciting. He made some very high-level passes on drives and in pick-and-roll that project a bright future as a true Point Guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marshall Bolden</strong> (Belton-Honea Path) - Rounding out the list is a stocky Point Guard from Belton Honea-Path, Marshall Bolden. Although Bolden is often the guy bringing the ball up and running the offense for his team, once he moves the ball, you can't fall asleep on him because he is a knockdown three-point shooter with deep range. Marshall's strong build helps him drive through and finish through contact, but I would like to see more disruption from him defensively because of how good he can be on the break.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->