This report spotlights the best players we saw from out of state.

Shaheem Barbosa, AOT: The 6’3 guard out of Warner Robbins, GA is a smooth and fluid athlete.  Barbosa already has good positional size and length.  He our caught attention with crafty drives and finishes at the basket as well as multiple “and one” opportunities.  Barbosa handles the ball well and his perimeter shot was consistent in the game we watched.  He was active on defense, covering a lot of ground quickly and using his length to disrupt offensive flow.

Austin Leonard, Jet Academy: A 6’4 guard from Atlanta, Leonard is a very good athlete with high levels of skill and basketball IQ.  Already a good three-level scorer, Leonard simply finds ways to get the ball into the basket.  He excels in transition, the basketball doesn’t “stick” to him as he keeps it moving, and has the ability to rebound and push the ball up the floor on his own in transition.  Leonard showed a lot of versatility on the defensive end this past weekend.

B.J. LaFell, Jet Academy: A 5’11 guard out of Atlanta, LaFell does a fine job of spearheading the team’s offense as well as defense.  Offensively he pushes the pace, gets into the lane, breaks down the defense, and makes plays for himself and others.  LaFell is an adequate perimeter shooter at this stage but is most likely to get his points at the basket.  Defensively he pressures the basketball, is active in the passing lanes and is fast to 50/50 balls anywhere in his vicinity.

Joshua Sanders, Jet Academy: Another Atlanta native, Sanders, at 6’8, is a very good athlete for his size and age.  A rim runner and shot blocker, Sanders get most of his points via putbacks, lobs, drop-offs from driving teammates, and in transition.  While his defense is ahead of his offense right now, his frame will fill out in time, allowing him to be a more effective scorer on his own around the basket.

DeLoni Pughsley, Team Mookie Betts: A 5’7 guard out of Nashville, Pughsley may be small now but is VERY lethal Pughsley has great range and accuracy on his perimeter shot.  He also scores on drives and is a good passer in transition as well as when getting into the lane and finding open shooters.  By our count, he had 27 and 25 point outings against physically superior teams on Saturday. Hopefully a growth spurt kicks in and he can get the opportunity to showcase his talents at the collegiate level.

Desean Clayton, Nightrydas Elite: A 6’4 wing from Memphis, Clayton stepped up in a big way in the Nightrydas’ comeback win on Saturday afternoon.  He got to the basket for scores, hit late free throws in a tight game, rebounded well and showcased a lot of versatility on the defensive end.  A long wing with abundant athleticism, Clayton has a high ceiling of potential but also a higher floor than most of his contemporaries.

Blake Brazile, Florida Vipers: A 6’2 guard from Atlanta, Brazile is a very good run/jump athlete with good perimeter skills.  He shoots the ball well to just beyond the arc, finishes in transition, and has a burst to the basket with the ball on straight-line drives.  A lengthy and active defender, Brazile covers a lot of ground quickly, disrupting passing lanes and getting many tips and deflections in the Vipers’ extended pressure defense.

E.J. Bennett, GA Stars/NYBA: A 6’0 guard from Nashville, Bennett is very quick with the ball and does a good job of finishing in traffic at the basket.  He also hits floaters and mid-range shots in the lane.  Bennett made frequent trips to the foul line and connected at a high rate.  Bennett proved to be a tough on-ball defender, keeping the dribbler in front of him and digging at the ball whenever possible.

Malik Owens, Team Mookie Betts: A 6’5 Nashville native, Owens often found himself defending and guarded by bigger players.  That didn’t seem to trouble the tough, physical and athletic forward.  Owens rebounded well against them, pursuing missed shots out of his area and coming up with them on a frequent basis.  He was able to get some putback buckets and beat defenders down the floor to score on the break.  Owens doesn’t back down from a challenge and seemed to delight in taking on guys with more size.

Grant Duggins, Team CP3: A 6’9 NC product, we admittedly didn’t watch much of Duggins other than a couple of possessions as we were walking to another game.  However, it wasn’t just his size that stood out.  He demonstrated some old school post skills, fighting for position, moving up and down the lane for a better passing angle, and catching some tough passes inside.  Duggins moves pretty well up and down the floor and doesn’t mind physical play.