Being able to produce as a low-maintenance piece is an incredibly valuable skill, and Messiah clearly knows how to make his presence felt. He does a phenomenal job of filling in the gaps and finding ways to impact the game without needing a ton of touches. Messiah knocks down jumpers at a good percentage but can also attack closeouts and convert pull-ups and layups at the rim. He also makes hustle plays and contains his assignment well defensively. Messiah is a super quick, ball creator. Messiah is a feisty competitor with euro-style fundamentals. Effective in catch-and-shoot situations and off one or two-dribble pull-ups. Displays smooth, compact shooting form with deep range and a lot of confidence. Uses ball fakes very well. Understands spacing and timing.” Messiah made his presence felt throughout the Prep Hoop camp he attended in September as was as New Hope playing in a couple Fall events.

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-Did a really good job of ordering team 5 to emphasize spacing and timing with his team so that the ball flowed well throughout the afternoon. Manning was probably the top performing PG on the day but also showed the improved skillset as a defender and scorer. Manning scored off a steal and lay, hit a C+S 3 in transition from the wing, dribbled into a 3 from the top of the key, took advantage of a ballhandler not paying attention to poke out a steal and finish at the rim at the other end, hit his defender with a hesi into the spin move and lay off glass. The most impressive play for me was when the ball came off his fingers fast after collecting a steal to whip it to a teammate upcourt for 2. Just the speed of his scan up floor and how quickly it converted into him throwing that 1-handed dime to his teammate shows his development even since the end of last season.

-Manning was voted the best PG by our scouts in an event that had a ton of talent at his position. Manning did a great job of controlling pace, threw whip passes with either hand off a libe dribble, escaped double teams consistently, and had exquisite timing on his dimes throughout the afternoon. He knocked down open jumpers from all 3 levels but really showed an ability to choose between scoring and distributing each possession based of what the defense was giving him. Should be an immediate impact player for NHA after transferring in and re-classifying to 2028.

Messiah is well on his way to a breakout summer as he heads into this offseason. He is a flashy point guard with good vision and range, and has the handles and quickness to be effective in the halfcourt. Manning is coming off a very strong year for Avalon School and spent last offseason tuning up with TTO. 3-level scorer that enjoys getting to the cup after breaking down the defense. Manning’s got all the tools to have a breakout summer and he has a lot to prove.

He plays with a ton of confidence and is a very skilled point guard. His dribbling package is elite and allows him to get to the basket and dish out 4 assists a game. Despite his size. Manning showed the ability to finish at the rim with floaters or pull-up and his handles allow him to create shots for himself at a high level.