By: Noah Hooper
6’5 2023 Jalen Walker (Brand X 17U)
When you watch Walker on the court you are gonna notice that he sticks out as one of the more elite athletes, and he uses this to his advantage, especially in transition situations. Furthermore, given Walker’s length, the ability to put the ball on the deck really throws off defenses as he is able to blow by bigger defenders with ease. Although Walker shows great abilities on the offensive end, Walker also possesses all the intangibles that a college coach would look for in a player as he plays hard on both ends of the ball and communicates well with his teammates. Another thing that pops out about Walker is his decent shooting mechanics that could be developed in the right situation. This would make him more dangerous offensively as he would be able to stretch out the floor more at 6’5.
5’10 2023 Gabriel Hernandez (Team Hardaway Jr. 2023)
I’ve had my eye on Hernandez throughout days 1 and 2 and every time I watched him his sneaky athleticism really showed as he was able to finish off of two feet at an elite level. Furthermore, his lower body strength made it easier for him to stay in front of defenders and play at a high motor for long periods of time, as well as helping him finish through contact over bigger defenders. Not only is Hernandez a high-level athlete, he has a really nice stroke from beyond the arc with great shooting mechanics, so when you mix that with his athleticism, it makes him a force to be wrecking with offensively. Although Hernandez is undersized, he makes up for it with his overall toughness as he is able to take bumps easily and finish over pretty much anyone his age. College coaches should take a look at this kid because I believe his ceiling is very high.
6’5 2023 Joachim Radcliffe (Team Hardaway Jr. 2023)
Alongside Hernandez on Team Hardaway Jr. 2023, Radcliffe made his presence felt as an exquisite inside presence for his team. In all the times I have seen Radcliffe play he has been a beast on the offensive and defensive boards for his team as he knows how to battle and get good positioning. He also has a very high motor as he ran the floor really well over the last two days. I say this all the time, but a lot of big men at the high school don’t see the value in running the floor hard every possession, but Radcliffe understanding this is what makes him a very valuable asset for this Hardaway Jr. team. Lastly, he has a really sturdy frame, so the older and more mature he becomes, the more dominant he will be in the paint.
6’0 2024 Chase Daniel (CC Elite 16U)
Before today I had never seen Daniel play, but he really impressed me today with his floor general presence in his game vs. team CP3 15u. His speed and ability to find his teammates really stood out, but what really popped out about his game was his craftiness as he was able to change speeds and go several moves deep in order to get past defenders. What also impressed me about Daniel today was his shooting rhythm. Although he did not make a lot of 3s, his shooting mechanics were solid as most of the shots he took were accurate, which is a good sign that Daniel can develop into a high clip shooter over time. Last but not least, Daniel plays really hard, which is something that you cannot teach at all. If Daniel keeps up the good work, I believe that he will see some college coaches coming his way.