Josiah Brooks, SLAM Miami: The 6’2 rising sophomore is one of the more dynamic players in the state with the ball in his hands.  A strong and athletic lefty, it is very difficult for a single defender to keep him out of the lane.  In Saturday’s game vs. Tampa Catholic he had a stretch where he scored nine consecutive points on drives to the basket.  His perimeter shot can be streaky, but Brooks can erupt for multiple makes from distance at any given time.  Brooks’ mid-range game is strong and he knocks down free throws at a high rate.  He is an adequate distributor at this stage but that is something that will improve with experience.  Brooks has a generous wingspan, and he uses that along with a strong frame to rebound well for his size against bigger foes.  Defensively he is solid and makes opponents work hard for their points.

Ezra Gelin, Weston Sagemont: A 6’2 rising junior, Gelin had a strong outing against a very good Orlando Edgewater team on Friday.  He was creative in finding his way to the rim, scoring through contact and earning frequent trips to the free throw line.  Gelin showed an accurate perimeter shot when defenders played off him for the drive as well as when catching the ball in rhythm in transition or when open in half-court sets.  He has good court vision and handles the ball well enough against pressure to run the offense if necessary.  Gelin is quick to long rebounds and loose balls, speedily converting from one end to the other.  Active hands and feet make him a tough defender both on and off the ball.

Nijaun Harris, Gulfport Boca Ciega: The 6’6 rising junior has been one of the best (if not THE best) underclassmen on the EYBL 17U circuit for the Florida Rebels this spring.  With Boca Ciega, he showed what he can do in a “starring role”.  Harris demonstrated a reliable shooting touch from beyond the arc (5-7) in the game we took in.  With that in his arsenal, he is a nightmare three-level scorer.  Strong of frame, Harris can post up and overpower defenders inside or when driving to the basket from the perimeter.  In either situation, he doesn’t rush to attack to the rack thereby avoiding turnovers, charges, or getting his shot blocked.  Harris routinely outrebounds bigger opponents, especially at the offensive end.  He generally makes good shot vs pass decisions.  Harris is able to successfully defend multiple positions thanks to his physical gifts.

King McFadden, St. John’s Tocoi Creek: A 6’3 rising junior, McFadden made a wide variety of winning plays throughout the course of the game we took in.  He was quick to convert from defense to offense, pushing the pace after grabbing rebounds, getting to loose balls, or forcing turnovers by disrupting the passing lanes.  McFadden scored well from the perimeter and when attacking the basket.  He takes contact and scores in traffic, makes good shot vs pass decisions when running the offense and knows when to play up-tempo or when to pull it back a notch or two.  McFadden is consistent on either side of the arc with his jump shot.  Defensively he is solid as he moves his feet well, uses his strength to keep opponents off their desired path and is quick to help and recover.

Michael Moreno, Miami Doral Academy: A 6’0 rising freshman (not a typo), Moreno first caught our attention earlier in the spring playing for the Florida Rebels 14U squad in the Jr. EYBL.  He was impressive then against his own age group and arguably even more so playing against guys three and four years older.  Moreno has a great basketball IQ, plenty of skill in all of the fundamental phases of the game, and several intangibles that don’t make it into the box score.  He plays with great pace, makes good decisions with the basketball, isn’t rattled by pressure, and gets the ball to the right place at the right time.  Moreno already has a reliable perimeter shot on both sides of the arc and the ball-handling skills to get defenders off balance and then head to the basket.  No doubt several college coaches in attendance were wishing he was in the 2027 Class.

Ethan Mott, Boca Raton Grandview Prep: A 6’6 rising junior, Mott’s calling card in his ability to shoot the basketball with great range and accuracy.  That was certainly the case in the last session of the event, but he has become so much more than a shooter.  Mott looked to attack the basket and finish over the rim whenever the open shot wasn’t available.  He was quick to take advantage of poor closeouts or when getting ahead of the defense.  As Mott gets physically stronger, his ability to complete plays through contact will improve.  He earns frequent trips to the foul line but some of those will be “and one” opportunities in the future.  Mott has good positional size, battles for rebounds in traffic, and works hard on the defensive end to keep his opponent away from the ball and basket.

Xavier Police, Wellington Palm Beach Central: A 6’2 rising junior, Police is a quick guard that looks to force the action.  He pushes the pace and will blow past defenders to score at the rim or suck in the defense and kick the ball out to open shooters.  Police is a solid shooter himself, dropping a trio of threes in the game we watched.  He also did a nice job of penetrating and dishing to give his teammates easy shots.  Defensively, Police if very active, covers a lot of ground quickly, and forces opponents into mistakes.

Justin Rhodes, Fort Lauderdale NSU School: A 6’3 rising junior, Rhodes impressed by playing with great energy and using his strength and athleticism to make plays at both ends of the floor.  There is certainly room to grow as a perimeter shooter, but he gets a lot of hustle points via offensive rebounds, in transition, and crafting scores off of turnovers.  Rhodes is a strong straight-line driver that finishes well through contact at the basket.  He has good body control and touch at the rim.  It isn’t uncommon to see him grab a defensive rebound and go coast to coast for a score.  Rhodes has the tools to be a multi-position defender thanks to his strong frame, quick feet, and active hands.

Jostin Hernandez-Richards, Orlando Exclusive Prep (SIAA): A 6’1 rising junior, Jostin has experience playing with his native Puerto Rican National Team and it shows in his heady play and smooth playing style.  He excels at finding cracks in the defense in which to drive to the basket and then getting the ball to a teammate for an easy shot.  Jostin is a better athlete than he initially appears to be, has a good stroke from deep, and makes good decisions coming off ball screens.  He runs the offense well, is aware of the shot clock when it is running down and has no qualms about going to get the ball and making a play.  Jostin is a savvy defender the lulls opponents into a false sense of security before swiping either a dribble or a pass for a momentum-changing score.

William Stewart, Jacksonville Providence: A 6’3 rising junior, there are times where Stewart makes the game look uncommonly easy.  His smooth playing style belies the fact that he is playing hard.  Stewart is a reliable perimeter shooter on either side of the arc, is quick to the basket to score close in, and can rise up quickly and connect on mid-range jumpers and floaters.  He has the elevation to throw down lobs and put-back slams and rebounds the ball well against bigger players for a guy his size.  Stewart is a good scorer but is also an able and willing passer.  A big plus is his consistent efficiency as he takes and makes wise shots with nary a heat check in sight.  There is a likelihood that Stewart has another growth spurt in him and could reach the 6’6 range.