29 Mar 2023

2023 Travel Team Jamboree – 16U & 15U Standouts

Last weekend’s Travel Team Jamboree wasn’t just loaded with studs from the Class of 2024.  There was a great abundance of young talent playing in The Big House on Saturday and Sunday.  It is always good to see fresh games and fresh names.  Below are just some of the standouts from the 2025 and 2026 Classes.

Brandon Mahoney, Rainer Premier 16U: A 6’6 sophomore at Boca Raton HS, Mahoney caught everyone’s attention with his ability to finish with authority around the basket.  When he wasn’t violently dunking the basketball, he did show a nice touch inside.  Mahoney is a surprisingly effective shot blocker for his size.

Darius Livingston, Southeast Elite 16U: A 6’1 sophomore from Wekiva in Orlando, Livingston proved to be a scoring point guard that gets buckets from all three levels.  He is very quick with the ball, pushes the pace, and does a nice job of penetrating the defense then passing the ball out to open shooters.  Livingston is a good athlete that works hard on the defensive end.

Alex Springs, TNBA South Kings 16U: A 6’1 sophomore at Kissimmee Osceola, Springs is a dynamic athlete that flourishes in the team’s pass and cut offense.  He excels at getting to the basket on drives and cuts, finishes with excellent body control, and is a high level athlete.  That athleticism carries over to his ability to rebound the basketball and effectively defend both on and off the ball.  We didn’t see him take any perimeter shots in the game we watched but then again Springs didn’t need to.

Tre Jackson, 1 Family 16U: A 6’3 sophomore at Auburndale, we only got to watch his game for a half but in that time he hit a trio of shots from beyond the arc and made some good passes on the move to teammates cutting into the paint.  Jackson has good size and athleticism, plays with a good motor, and puts in a solid effort on defense.

Darius Washington, III, SOH Elite 16U: A 6’3 sophomore at Orlando Edgewater, Washington is effective at both guard spots.  He handles the ball well, sees the floor, and finds open teammates for quick shot opportunities.  Washington scores well on drives and also has a perimeter shot that must be respected.  A strong athlete with a good frame, he finishes through contact, outbattles bigger players for rebounds, and is an active and alert defender.

Chris Washington, Florida Rebels 15U: A 6’7 freshman at The Villages Charter, Washington is an exciting athlete that thrives in transition.  He has a quick first step to get to the basket and is quick off the floor for boards and blocks.  Washington plays hard at both ends, covers a lot of ground quickly on defense and is swift in transition.  An improving ball-handler and perimeter shooter, Washington is one of the more physically gifted players in the 2026 class.

Demetrice McCray, 1 Family 15U: A 6’1 freshman at Wildwood, McCray is an upper-echelon athlete that excels in an up-tempo setting.  He scores well with either hand at the rim, is a willing passer, and an active defender.  McCray has an incredible burst to the basket and has no problem rising over defenders to finish above the rim.  His perimeter shot will continue to improve over time.  Solidly built and with a strong frame, McCray overpowers smaller opponents and breezes past bigger ones when driving to the basket.

Michael Harper, Judah Nation 16U: A 6’2 sophomore from Hamilton County, Harper is an athletic slasher.  He is very good at scoring on the break or on drives against a set defense.  Harper rebounds well for his size and is an active defender with fast hands and feet.  Don’t be put off by the fact that he plays against Class 1A competition as he had no problem this weekend being productive against some high level competition.

Tre George, Rainey Premier 16U: A 6’0 sophomore at Pompano Beach Ely, George is highly efficient and one of those guys that doesn’t immediately impress but makes you go “wow” after reviewing your game notes.  He takes and makes good shots on either side of the three-point line, pushes the pace but plays under control, and aggressively hounds opponents on defense.

Brody Cuffle, Southeast Elite 16U: A 6’4 sophomore at Tampa Steinbrenner, Cuffle opened a lot of eyes with a dunk in transition early in the game and took off from there.  He knocked down a few threes, finished some shots in traffic at the rim, and defended well both on the perimeter and in the post.  A solid athlete with a good hoops IQ, Cuffle gets a lot done at both ends of the floor.

Janiel De Los Santos, TNBA South Kings 16U: A 6’0 sophomore at Lake Howell in Winter Park, the lithe De Los Santos made shots from all three levels.  He also was effective in finding cutters to the basket for quick shots and did a good job of hitting the roll man in ball-screen action. De Los Santos is quick to move the ball on the perimeter and doesn’t spend time over-dribbling in the half-court.

Myles Mayfield, 1 Family 16U: A 6’7 sophomore at Orlando Edgewater, Mayfield is long, active, and athletic.  He moves well laterally and covers a lot of ground quickly on the defensive end.  Mayfield does a good job of protecting the rim, running the floor for scores in transition, and scoring via opportunity baskets (offensive rebounds, drop-offs) in the lane.  He showed a hint of a perimeter shot and hopefully that will grow into a weapon in the future.

Pable Djeric, SOH Elite 16U: A 6’6 sophomore at North Broward Prep in Coconut Creek, Djeric proved to be a nice combination of size and skill.  He was a very effective shooter from behind the arc and put the ball on the floor, got to the basket, and scored in traffic when overplayed for the shot.  Djeric fights for rebounds at both ends, sees the floor well and is a good passer.

Lloyd Swan, Florida Rebels 15U: A 5’10 freshman at Miami True North Classical, Swan was impressive in running the show for the Rebels.  He has great ball-handling skills, is very quick with the ball, and makes good shot vs pass decisions when he gets into the paint.  Swan is also a good perimeter shooter on either side of the arc.  He has a very good feel for the game and a high basketball IQ.  Swan plays with a talented team and does a good job of getting his teammates touches.

Jared Thompson, 1 Family 15U: A 6’2 freshman at The Villages Charter, Thompson is a very good athlete that thrive when the game is up-tempo.  He scores well with either hand at the rim, is fast up and down the floor, and has a quick first step when attacking the defense.  He is also a willing passer that looks for open teammates cutting to the basket.  He is an active defender that uses his quick feet and long wingspan to harass the defense.

 

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