Hoopseen Atlanta Jam: Who stood out?

<p><strong>Atlanta, GA.</strong> – The first live period ended early Sunday afternoon. Tons of college coaches were in attendance at the Hoopseen Atlanta Jam for the past three days, and tons of prospects were in attendance, playing hard on every possession.</p> <p>Which players impressed the college coaches in attendance? I’m not sure.</p> <p>Which players stood out to me? The answer is 10.</p> <p>I spent close to two days observing some of the best from the state of Tennessee, and I came away with 10 names that should continue to improve as the AAU season moves along.</p> <p>Here are the 10 players that stood out at the Atlanta Jam:</p> <p><strong>Mason Rothwell, Work Hard Be Humble 16U</strong>: The sophomore forward had 12 points in Saturday’s matchup against Sevier County Select. At 6-4, Rothwell can stretch the floor with his scoring ability. He can shoot off the dribble, and he can’t be left wide open, either.</p> <p><strong>Jaylen Pegues, Work Hard Be Humble 16U</strong>: Pegues knows how to run the lane. He finishes strong at the rim and can shoot a high clip from 3-point range. Pegues is only a sophomore and has plenty of room for growth. He scored 11 points against Sevier County Select.</p> <p><strong>Wes Maples, Sevier County Select 17U</strong>: Maples, a 6-4 wing, can pick his spots on the court. Once he’s in rhythm, he’s not cooling off anytime soon. Maples had a quiet 16 points in the 56-50 win over WHBH 17U. Maples’ recruitment is starting to spike. He’s receiving interests from Indiana State, College of Charleston, LMU, East Carolina, Maryville, and University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.</p> <p><strong>Jason Coleman, Memphis Showtime</strong>: The 2020 guard had 14 points in his team’s 83-39 win over the Jacksonville Tigers. Coleman scored some of his points in transition and had moments where he knocked down shots from 17-feet out. At 6-foot, Coleman held his own last season for Central against basketball powerhouses Memphis East, White Station and Whitehaven. He has carried his confidence over into the summer.</p> <p><strong>Jamarious Horton, Memphis Showtime</strong>: Horton shoots a high clip from the outside. He finishes strong at the rim and forces turnovers on the other end. Horton is a good fit at the point guard spot, but can play at shooting guard because of his ability to shoot from the outside.</p> <p><strong>Jacobi Wood, Work Hard Be Humble 17U</strong>: I saw Jacobi Wood for the first time at the Atlanta Jam against the Carolina Wolves, and he’s every bit of the hype that’s been around him since the start of his junior year at Cleveland High School. He had 14 points against the Carolina Wolves. Wood, who’s 6-2, controls the tempo of a game when the ball is in his hands. He’s a smart basketball player and allows the game to come to him. Those are the reasons why Wood has Division 1 programs coming after him.</p> <p><strong>Jesse Payne, Bluff City Legends GOLD</strong>: Payne just plays hard. That has always been in his DNA. Payne forces turnovers, and he puts points on the scoreboard. The 5-10 point guard scored 23 points against East Coast United. The Bluff City Legends GOLD finished the weekend 4-0.</p> <p><strong>Kavion McClain, Bluff City Legends GOLD</strong>: McClain might be 5-8, but he plays bigger than his height. McClain has nice ball handles; he’s efficient from the free throw line, and he makes smart decisions with the basketball at the point guard spot. McClain had 17 points against East Coast United.</p> <p><strong>Ryan Wilcox, Work Hard Be Humble 17U</strong>: Wilcox can play positions 2-4. At 6-5, Wilcox is built to attack the rim each time he has the basketball in his hands. Wilcox is always sticking his nose in the post for rebounds. He scored eight points against the Carolina Wolves, with all of them coming in the paint.</p> <p><strong>Grant Hurst, Work Hard Be Humble 16U</strong>: Hurst can affect the game without being the team’s leading scorer. He’s the most effective as a distributor. Hurst can easily average six to eight assists a game during the summer. He can also average between eight to 12 points.</p>