Cooper Clinger, 1 Family 15U: The 6’0 freshman from The First Academy in Orlando plays a fearless style of ball.  He wasn’t afraid to put a body on defenders and drive to the bucket, moved well and with a purpose without the ball and consistently knocked down shots from behind the arc.  He showed us a lot in a short amount of time as this was another game that we were unable to see in its entirety.

Carter & Cole Vetor, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite Gold 15U: A pair of freshmen at Community School of Naples, Carter, 6’0 and Cole, 5’7, shot the ball very well this weekend.  Each has a quick release, range past the high school three-point line, and the ability to side-step over-eager defenders and connect.  As they physically mature and get stronger, Carter and Cole will have much more success when driving the ball into the lane and scoring against bigger defenders.  Both play with the proverbial chip on the shoulder, looking to prove that they are not to be overlooked due to their current size.

Ja’Kai Hardy, Florida Rebels 15U: A 5’10 freshman from Davenport, Hardy was a real catalyst for the Rebels in a come from behind win.  He is quick and fast with the ball, pushes the pace, and makes good reads in transition.  Hardy comes up with a lot of 50/50 balls, is an alert defender both on and off the ball, and is quick to help, rotate, and recover at that end of the floor.  The majority of his points came on drives and in transition, so we hope to see more of him to gauge his ability to score from the perimeter.

Ethan Mott, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite 15U: The 6’6 freshman out of Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest continues to build on a solid reputation.  As expected, Mott shot the ball well from the perimeter.  What was a bit unexpected this weekend was his above average athletic ability, which he used to grab rebounds in a crowd and finish over the rim when given the opportunity.  Mott got to and scored at the rim, put back a few of his teammates’ misses, and played a much more physical game than we’ve seen in the past.  Throw in a couple of blocks on the defensive end and Mott becomes a very intriguing prospect.

Henry “C.J.” Thomas, Florida Rebels 15U: A 6’4 freshman from Orlando Christian Prep, Thomas is a real magnet to the ball, coming up with steals, rebounds, wayward passes into his area, and any type of loose ball.  While his jumper continues to be a work in progress, Thomas was able to score quite well with drives to the rim and in transition.  His ability to create positive plays in a variety of situations is intriguing.

Johnas Maurice, Austin Rivers Southeast Elite 15U: A 5’11 freshman at Orlando Edgewater, Maurice played at a breakneck pace the entire game we watched on Saturday.  Whether in transition, using ball-screens, or simply trying to get by his defender, he was quick to attack the defense, get into the lane, and make plays from there.  He got to the foul line often.  Maurice was a pest defensively, whether it be guarding the basketball or jumping passing lanes for tips, deflections, or steals.