We finalize our look back at the 2024 Travel Team Jamboree held this past weekend at The Big House in Tavares with a look at some of the better performers that we were able to see in our limited time watching players that just finished their first year of high school.

Tatino Miami, Showtime Ballers: A 6’6 freshman at Kissimmee Central Pointe Christian, Miami was a dominant force in the paint for Showtime.  Athletic, bouncy and with a rugged frame, he was able to control the interior at both ends of the floor.  Miami doesn’t always make the first shot, but he is quick off the floor and relentless in pursuing the ball until he can put it in.  He is able to overcome contact and finish with a soft touch, getting several free throw opportunities as a result.  Miami moves up and down the floor well and will get points simply by beating the defense down the floor.  He is a strong rebounder and energetic shot blocker on the defensive end.

Carson Crawford, Florida Rebels: Crawford averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds a game as a freshman at Fleming Island, so we were eager to see him in person.  He surpassed our expectations as he is a solid athlete with length and skills.  He is very similar at this stage to Josh Lewis and Herley Brutus in the program’s 17U and 16U programs, respectively.  Crawford displayed a reliable perimeter shot on both sides of the arc, an ability to get to the basket with a couple of dribbles, and the ability to make shots in traffic using body control and touch.  He has the skills to grab a defensive rebound and push the ball up the floor on his own, get by defenders, and then distribute the ball to a teammate.  Defensively he covers a lot of ground quickly and is alert for lazy passes into his area and the opportunity to come from the weak side and challenge shots.

Cherif Millogo, 1 Family Pro: 1 Family has two different teams in this age group; one with Millogo on the court and one without.  The 7’0 freshman’s length and size impacts the game at both ends of the floor.  Millogo is thin but runs and jumps well at this stage.  He does have some burgeoning skills and he surprised pretty much everyone when he dropped in a shot from just inside the arc.  Millogo’s thin frame may never get much wider, but he should get stronger with age and physical maturity.  As one might expect, his defense and rebounding prowess are ahead of his offensive game.  With long strides and long arms, he gets to shots opponents thought they could make.  Millogo is quick to outlet the ball once secured.  Because of his physical gifts, he is a solid lob target, both on set plays and when teammates penetrate the defense.

Carter Oden, 1 Family Pro: A 6’1 freshman at Oviedo, we were impressed with Oden’s ability and desire to attack at both ends of the court.  He is a good driver and finisher in both transition and half-court sets.  He makes good pass vs shot decisions when heading to the hole.  Oden is a good athlete and zealous on-ball defender.  He misfired on the only perimeter shot we saw him take so that is something to track the next time we see him.  Oden is an active rebounder for his size and is quick to push the pace when he secures the ball.

Jonathan Watts, Florida Rebels: A 6’6 freshman at Edgewater in Orlando, Watts was one of the more notable finds of the entire event.  A good athlete with size, he got a lot done on the interior.  Watts was most notably an active offensive rebounder, pursuing missed shots in and out of his area and quickly getting the ball back up and into the hoop.  He had a couple of nice scoring plays in the paint, showing patience and touch.  He didn’t take any perimeter shots in the contest, but he made a pair of free throws with fundamental mechanics.  Watts leaps well, had a couple of blocked shots, and didn’t shy away from playing physically at either end of the floor.

Jeremy Jenkins, Florida Rebels: A 6’8 freshman at Miami Riviera Prep, Jenkins is surprisingly versatile for a player his size and age.  He has some ball-handling and shooting skills that allow him to take bigger guys outside and then go by them.  Jenkins also has a good post-up game at this stage of his development and can score down low with a soft touch on either side of the basket.  He rebounds and runs well, getting down the floor quickly and setting up inside or setting a ball-screen on the perimeter.  As he ages, physically matures, and sheds some weight, Jenkins will become even more difficult for opponents to handle.

Gustavo Roca, 1 Family Pro: A 6’1 freshman at Windermere Prep, Roca doesn’t force things but seemingly makes the right play every time the opportunity presents itself.  Whether running the offense and getting the ball inside, to perimeter shooters, cutters in the lane or teammates running the floor in transition, Roca rarely makes a wrong decision with the ball.  He makes open shots on either side of the arc and is quick to take advantage of poor defensive closeouts, attack the hoop, and score before the defense can rotate to stop him.  Roca may not be a high-level, “twitchy” athlete but he’s smart, has active hands and feet, and anticipates well on defense.