This past weekend, the Orlando-Orange County Convention Center hosted the Grassroots Summer Basketball Championships. Organized by the tandem of Hoop Seen and NY2LA, this event featured over 300 teams from across the country and players from the Class of 2021 thru 2025. By all accounts, it was a tremendous success and hopefully the Grassroots Summer Championships will be a regular occurrence in the Sunshine State.
On to some player notes:
Anquan Boldin, 2022 Ball4Lyfe: The rising senior 6’4 wing out of Boca Raton St. Andrew’s has had a very impressive July and finished the final live period on a high note. Boldin is incredibly dynamic off the dribble and in transition. He finishes in traffic with great body control and touch. Relentless in attacking the rim, he ends up making many free throw line visits and converts at a high rate. Bolding was so successful in scoring at the basket, he rarely took a jump shot in the two games we witnessed. With his lateral quickness and wing span, he has the potential to be a top-shelf perimeter defender.
Arturo Dean, 2022 Miami Triple Threat: The 6’1 point guard played his senior year at Miami Calusa Prep but will be going the post-grad route should he not get the offer he is looking for. Quick with slick handles, Dean creates problems for defenses with his ability to penetrate. He makes some incredibly difficult shots in traffic and if he gets going downhill in transition with just one or two defenders back on their heels, Dean will score, go to the foul line, or both. While not a marksman from the perimeter, he shoots the ball well enough when open that he must be respected. If the close out is late, Dean is off to the basket in a flash. He is an active defender and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
Romulo Delgado-Gonzalez, 2022 Team Hardaway Jr: A 6’3 rising senior guard out of Coral Gables, Delgado is a crafty scorer and solid perimeter shooter off both the catch and the dribble. He can also score on drives to the basket and generally makes good pass vs. shot decisions when met by the defense. Delgado contributes in the rebounding department, is an active defender, and does a good job of making the right read coming off of ball-screens.
Kamdyn Ayers, 2022 Florida Pro: A 6’0 rising senior point guard from Davie Western, Ayers was sensational Friday night in leading Florida Pro to a win. Solidly built, he has excellent control of the basketball and uses his strength to ward off defenders. Ayers did a great job of breaking down the defense and making good decisions upon entering the lane. He showed he can score in traffic as well as find teammates in a crowd for easy shots. Ayers didn’t show much of a jumper in the two games we watched but then again he had so much success scoring in other ways that he didn’t need to. Defensively he was solid and Ayers seemingly came up with every 50/50 ball that was anywhere near him.
Jah Nze, CP 25 17U National: The 6’4 rising senior wing out of Hagerty in Oviedo has a nose to score. Usually, it is with the three point shot but this time around he was more focused on overpowering opponents, getting to the basket, and scoring thru contact. Very strong with the ball, if he doesn’t make the shot, Nze usually earns a trip to the foul line, where he is near automatic. A better athlete than he is given credit for, Nze is quick to jump into the passing lane and get tips, deflections, or outright steals and turn them into points.
Noah Kattan, 2022 DOR5 Elite: A rising 6’3 senior guard out of Weston Cypress Bay, Kattan is an excellent shooter with deep range and a quick release. He knocks down perimeter shots with consistency off both the bounce and the catch. A good athlete, Kattan is both quick and fast with the ball and pushes the pace at every opportunity. He makes good decisions on the move and is very effective playing either on or off the ball.
Jah Quinones, 2022 Judah Nation: The rising senior is a 6’3 guard out of Lake Highland Prep in Orlando. He may appear to be stocky, but Quinones is strong and surprisingly quick. With good court vision and a high basketball IQ, he creates open shots for his teammates and keeps all involved. Quinones makes enough open shots to be a threat from the perimeter but is much more likely to take the ball hard to the hole, looking to get an “and one” opportunity. Defensively, he has active hands and feet and doesn’t mind mixing it up with bigger players when it comes to pursuing rebounds.
Trevor Parks, 2022 Q6 All Stars: The 6’3 rising senior out of Clearwater Calvary Christian is a true artist when it comes to shooting the basketball from the perimeter. He is always shot-ready, has a quick release, consistent form, and every shot looks like it is going in. The shot goes in at a high rate (5-8 in the game we watched). Parks knows his role and performs it well. Odds are Parks can do more than just catch-and-shoot and we hope to see more of his game this coming fall and winter with his high school team.